This article is based on publicly available FARA filings and investigative reporting by Donald Shaw published in Sludge on October 6, 2025.
In a dramatic escalation of its public diplomacy efforts in the United States, the Israeli government has quietly inked at least $10 million in new contracts with three American firms to reshape public opinion around its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
The deals—disclosed through Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings submitted between September 18 and 27—represent a significant expansion of Israel’s digital influence operations, targeting everything from TikTok users and churchgoers to artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT.
The move comes just days after SKDK, a high-profile Democratic public relations firm co-founded by Biden adviser Anita Dunn, abruptly severed ties with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs following a Sludge report that exposed the firm’s planned use of a “bot army” to push pro-Israel narratives across U.S. social media platforms.
While SKDK denied executing the bot plan, it terminated its $600,000 contract, creating a void in Israel’s U.S. media strategy amid rising international backlash and shifting American public opinion—particularly among young voters and Democrats.
Filling that void now are three U.S.-based firms, all newly formed this summer, operating under the direction of European communications giant Havas, which had previously managed the SKDK deal.
Together, the firms are launching aggressive campaigns focused on influencer marketing, digital surveillance, artificial intelligence manipulation, and hyper-targeted outreach to Christian communities.
Trump Ally Leads $6M Gen Z and AI Targeting Effort
Leading the charge is Clock Tower X LLC, a digital firm run by former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale. Under a $6 million deal running through 2025, Clock Tower X has pledged to flood Gen Z-dominated platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram with pro-Israel content—creating up to 5,000 pieces of content per month, according to filings.
The campaign’s stated aim is to combat antisemitism, but the materials will be heavily focused on justifying Israel’s actions in Gaza and reframing narratives around the October 7 Hamas attacks. The firm is also tasked with developing tools to manipulate how AI platforms, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, frame discussions around the conflict—through search engine optimization (SEO) strategies and tailored content meant to influence AI training datasets.
The campaign will also leverage conservative media networks through Salem Media Group—where Parscale serves as Chief Strategy Officer—to distribute pro-Israel content to right-leaning audiences.
“Esther Project” Recruits U.S. Influencers for Covert Messaging
Another firm, Bridges Partners LLC, is running a program known as the Esther Project, aimed at mobilizing American social media influencers to post pro-Israel content without disclosing foreign sponsorship. Founded by Israeli consultants Uri Steinberg and Yair Levi in June, the firm has already billed Havas nearly $900,000 and is actively recruiting 14–18 influencers to produce 120 pieces of content by the end of November.
While the influencers are reportedly being directed by Israeli handlers, none have registered under FARA—raising legal and ethical concerns. Ben Freeman, a foreign influence expert at the Quincy Institute, warns this could violate U.S. disclosure laws if the influencers are knowingly paid to promote foreign government messaging.
The campaign also involves payouts to Israeli consultants, PR firms, and even $2,000 for “future content generation” by Candor Marketing.
Churches Targeted in Historic Christian Geofencing Campaign
The third firm, Show Faith by Works LLC, led by conservative activist Chad Schnitger, is spearheading a $3.2 million Christian outreach operation. The campaign is being touted in filings as the “largest Christian church geofencing operation in U.S. history”, using cellphone location data to digitally target attendees at churches and Christian colleges with pro-Israel and anti-Hamas messages.
The contract also includes the creation of an “October 7th Experience”—a mobile VR and video exhibit featuring graphic footage of Hamas attacks, to be set up outside churches and schools. Additionally, the campaign will provide video content for pastors to play during services and sponsor prominent Christian influencers.
Potential spokespersons floated in the pitch include high-profile Christian celebrities such as Stephen Curry, Tim Tebow, and Chris Pratt, though it’s unclear whether any have agreed to participate.
Coordinated Push Amid Growing U.S. Criticism
The flurry of contracts appears to be part of a broader effort by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs—led by hardline minister Gideon Sa’ar—to rebuild support in the U.S. as criticism of its Gaza campaign grows louder. Recent polling shows sympathy for Palestinians increasing significantly among Democrats and younger Americans, posing a challenge to Israel’s traditional bipartisan support in Washington.
According to Sludge, which first broke the story, Israel’s new public diplomacy strategy is being coordinated under an initiative called Project 545, overseen by Eran Shayovich, Sa’ar’s chief of staff and a digital marketing veteran. See his Linkedin bio here.
As international scrutiny of Israel’s actions in Gaza intensifies, the scale and sophistication of these influence operations raise serious questions about the transparency of foreign propaganda in the digital age—and the vulnerability of U.S. information ecosystems to covert manipulation.
Learn more about Sludge here. Donald Shaw is a journalist based in rural Western Massachusetts.
RELATED:
