Israel pays MAGA influencers for propaganda training to sway US youth

The Israeli government is paying to bring 16 MAGA social media influencers with millions of followers to Israel to learn how to prevent American youth from turning against Tel Aviv on the issue of Gaza.

According to a report in Consortium News, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs will spend $86,000 for 16 Americans to visit Israel.

The purpose of this visit is to use their extensive online influence to create a “more positive image” of Israel.

According to the report, this initiative is a response to a significant shift in public opinion against Israel, especially among Western youth.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, officials from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs state that “the tour provides significant media, advocacy, and diplomatic benefits and represents a strategic shift, as traditional promotional activities are no longer sufficient to shape public opinion.”

Officials aim to strengthen Israel’s position in the US by leveraging the large followings of young social media influencers.

According to the newspaper, the unnamed Americans belong to the “MAGA” (Make America Great Again) and “America First” movements.

All are under 30 years old, and each has hundreds of thousands or millions of followers, meaning they have a large and rich target audience for propaganda. The ministry announced that Israel plans to bring more than 500 “influencer delegations” to Israel this year.

The ministry is paying an organization called Israel365 to arrange the first American tour because it is “uniquely positioned to convey a pro-Israel stance that is fully aligned with the MAGA and America First agenda.”

On its website, Israel365 states that the group “unapologetically defends the Jewish people’s God-given right to the entire land of Israel,” describes the two-state solution as a “fantasy,” and “defends Western civilization against the threats of progressive left-wing extremism and global jihad.”

Israeli officials justify the no-bid contract with this organization due to its “experience and expertise in raising awareness, engagement, and mobilization among Christian audiences in support of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

Ministry officials told the newspaper, “while older Republicans and American conservatives still hold pro-Israel views, the positive outlook toward Israel is declining across all younger age groups.”

Haaretz reports, “The strategy seems to be working. During the 12-day conflict with Iran last month, Israel’s digital messages were viewed approximately 1.8 billion times, partly thanks to the contributions of social media influencers with millions of followers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims to invite 550 influencer delegations to Israel by the end of 2025 to continue these promotional activities.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs chose Israel365 because “with the rise of the America First Movement and MAGA in American politics, it is crucial for Israel that the movement adopts a pro-Israel stance.”

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs document states that Israel365 has the “ability to seamlessly connect the spiritual/Biblical and geopolitical aspects of support for Israel.”