Israel has funded a covert $50 million influence operation that flooded mobile phones across the United States with AI-generated text messages and planted pro-Israel content on websites designed to shape the outputs of large language models such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. According to documents and interviews published in The Wall Street Journal, the campaign—run partly by a firm linked to former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale—combines digital ad buys on conservative media networks with a network of influencers and chatbots posing as peace activists. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed that Israel’s 2026 global image budget exceeds $700 million, more than four times the previous year’s allocation, as it confronts a Pew Research Center finding that 60% of U.S. adults now hold an unfavourable view of the country, a figure that climbs to 80% among Democrats and 75% among those aged 18–29.

Viewed from Tel Aviv, the effort is framed as a necessary counter to “misinformation” and rising anti-Semitism. Parscale told Israeli officials his companies were “the largest thing outside of Fox News to help fight misinformation and Jewish hatred.” In Washington, the White House acknowledged the existence of such foreign influence operations, with Vice President J.D. Vance asserting that some within the Israeli government sought to prolong the war with Iran to shape U.S. opinion, and President Donald Trump reportedly agreeing that Israel, alongside other nations, attempts to influence American views. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, a record 40 Senate Democrats voted in May against further military aid to Israel, and a symbolic House amendment to cut $3.3 billion in security assistance drew 103 Democratic votes, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who declared that “U.S. policy must change.” Democratic primary victories by candidates explicitly opposing AIPAC’s agenda—in New Jersey, Illinois, and New York—signal a deep shift in the party’s base away from unconditional support.

Operationally, the Parscale contract integrated “narrative messaging” into Salem Media Network properties, reaching conservative audiences, while his team separately produced 100 pieces of content monthly targeting Gen Z on TikTok, Instagram, and podcasts. A parallel tactic created websites such as Allyvia.org, designed to make AI chatbots cite them when users ask about the U.S.-Israel alliance. Researchers at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft note that Israel is on track to disclose more spending on U.S. influence activities this year than any other nation. Yet the campaign has drawn scepticism even from allies: former Trump strategist Steve Bannon dismissed it with the quip that “they’re trying to sell something that can’t be sold.” The scale of AI-driven engagement—millions of texts via personas named “Sarah” or “Emma” from the “Friends for Peace” group—triggered unease among recipients who found the automated conversations circular and mechanical.

Amid this push, the American political landscape continues to realign. While U.S. administrations have long employed soft-power tools and other nations—from Qatar to Syria’s former leadership—have retained U.S. firms for image polishing, Israel’s fusion of generative AI with traditional hasbara marks a new threshold. Analysts in European and Middle Eastern capitals observe that declining public support is tied directly to images of destruction in Gaza and the war’s civilian toll, and that no digital campaign can easily override that visual record. The Israeli parliament is expected to debate the 2026 public diplomacy budget later this year, while in Washington, the next congressional foreign aid cycle will test whether the Democratic fractures observed in recent months translate into binding legislative restrictions on security assistance to Israel.