Utolsó frissítés: 2026.06.03. — Szerző: Anti-Propaganda News Blog
Israel is risking a staggering sum—nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars—in an attempt to navigate its way out of the most serious image crisis in its history. The 2026 national budget approved by the Jerusalem parliament allocates approximately $730 million for diplomatic and PR purposes —an area known in Hebrew simply as hasbara—which is nearly five times the previous year’s $150 million. This amount alone was already twenty times what Israel spent on such purposes before the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.
According to opinion polls and communications experts, however, this massive budget revision is a „kiss of death,” as international perceptions have already reached the point of no return due to government decisions and the military realities on the ground.
Plummeting approval ratings in the United States
Behind this unprecedented, military-scale PR spending lies the pressure caused by a dramatic drop in support for Israel among its closest ally, the United States. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 60% of Americans view Israel negatively, and traditional bipartisan support is a thing of the past: 57% of Republicans under the age of 50 also hold an unfavorable view of the country.
This political shift is also reflected in U.S. legislation: recently, 40 Democratic senators voted against the sale of caterpillar-tracked bulldozers to Israel, and 36 voted against the sale of 1,000-pound bombs, marking the strongest congressional rebuke in the history of U.S. military aid.
Brad Parscale, Artificial Intelligence, and Paid Influencers
Leaked data on budget allocations reveal where the millions of dollars are going:
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Announcements and delegations: They spent $50 million on international social media ads (Google, YouTube, X), and used an additional $40 million to bring some 400 foreign delegations (influential opinion leaders, university presidents, clergy) to Israel.
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The Trump Line and AI: The State Department has signed a $1.5 million monthly contract with the company run by Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s former campaign strategist, to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) tools to monitor and shape online narratives.
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Paid networks: They spent $4.1 million on targeted campaigns by evangelical Christian churches and launched the „Esther Project” (Esther Project), which operates a network of paid influencers through a PR firm for $900,000.
According to Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the situation is a matter of survival, and we must invest in the „war for hearts and minds” just as much as we do in fighter jets, bombs, or missile defense systems.
The experts„ verdict: ”It’s politics that’s to blame—it’s foolish!”
PR professionals and diplomatic researchers are unanimously skeptical about the effectiveness of the $730 million package. Nicholas Cull, a professor at the University of Southern California (USC), pointed out: „History shows that all the money in the world is of no help if the policies are wrong. The U.S. learned this lesson in Vietnam, when its Cold War public diplomacy budget was at its peak.”
Shibley Telhami, a political scientist at the University of Maryland, drew another historical parallel, recalling the year 2005, when Washington spent vast sums of money to repair the damage to its image in the Muslim world caused by the Iraq War. The conclusion of the committee at the time was simple: „It’s politics that’s to blame—it’s stupid!” According to Telhami, a new „Gaza generation” has grown up in the U.S., and marketing is no longer effective with them because of their moral rejection of government decisions.
Credibility Gap
Ilan Manor, a senior researcher at Ben-Gurion University, pointed out that Israel has one of the most advanced digital diplomacy infrastructures in the world, which was already reaching one billion people even before the war. „The problem isn’t a lack of infrastructure or skills. The problem is that people no longer trust the government. If you aren’t a credible spokesperson, it doesn’t matter how viral your message becomes.” – explains Manor, referring to the „credibility gap” that emerged during the Vietnam War.
What’s more, the campaign has backfired: ever since the paid influencer contracts and AI-driven bot campaigns were made public, the American public has automatically dismissed pro-Israel posts on social media as the work of paid foreign agents.
According to Eytan Gilboa, a professor at Bar-Ilan University, Israel’s image is facing its most serious crisis ever. „In the past, Israeli policy was criticized. Today, Israel’s right to exist is being rejected. We have lost an entire American generation—the politicians and journalists of the future. I am very pessimistic.” – the expert concluded.
Source: The Times of Israel / Antipropaganda, based on JTA
