The Israeli government has launched a roughly NIS 174 million (about $52 million) international social media campaign aimed at promoting its perspective on the ongoing Gaza war. Israel has struggled with anti-Israel influencers creating fake content, such as a fabricated video of Palestinians suffering in a snowstorm, which received over 50,000 likes, despite the last snowstorm in Gaza occurring over ten years prior in 2013. On the other hand, critics are concerned that Israel’s ad spend could be used to cover up controversial actions in Gaza. Major contracts from Israel’s government were awarded to Google ($26.8 million), YouTube ($17.9 million), X ($3 million), and Outbrain/Teads ($4.2 million) through a tender exemption approved in mid-June and running through the end of 2025; independent investigative reports characterize this effort as part of a broader state-sponsored public diplomacy leveraging paid digital ads to provide Israel’s perspective about the conflict.
Sources:
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/s1jytxscel
https://www.ynetnews.com/tech-and-digital/article/h1retvocxx
Key Takeaways
• The Israeli Government Advertising Agency has contracted major digital platforms under expedited terms to disseminate messaging internationally during the Gaza conflict.
• At least $50–52 million has been allocated to paid online campaigns across Google, YouTube, X, and allied platforms.
• Independent reporting frames these expenditures as a coordinated effort to influence global opinion.
In-Depth
In a strategic response to mounting international scrutiny of its military campaign in Gaza, the Israeli government has committed substantial public funds toward a coordinated digital messaging effort with some of the world’s largest tech companies. Beginning in June 2025, a six-month campaign was initiated under a Government Advertising Agency tender exemption to purchase advertising and messaging services from Google, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and related platforms, with contracts totalling roughly NIS 174 million (roughly $52 million in U.S. dollars). The objective of this campaign, as articulated in official disclosures, is to disseminate Israel’s narrative abroad, including videos and content from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Foreign Ministry that dispute claims of starvation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Critics and independent reporting, including by international broadcasters, describe this funded online initiative as part of a broader public diplomacy to soften perceptions of Israel’s conduct in the conflict.
By deploying paid advertisements across influential digital properties, the government is seeking to reach audiences beyond traditional news outlets and shape understanding of developments on the ground. The emphasis on international messaging underlines Israel’s concern about reputational risk as global audiences engage with—and often polarize around—conflicting reports from the region. While supporters argue that every nation has the right to put forward its perspective, sceptics question the ethics of using public funds to purchase narrative influence and highlight the opacity of such campaigns. Regardless of perspective, this level of coordinated digital engagement represents a significant evolution in how governments confront geopolitical disputes in the age of ubiquitous social media and targeted online advertising.