Israel's PR Machine: How Firms Are Framing Gaza War for US Audience
In a bid to bolster its online image and restore support among young right-wing and Evangelical US voters, Israel has hired at least three public relations companies under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The firms in question include Bridges Partners, Show Faith by Works, and Clock Tower X, all of which were contracted through the European Havas Media Group.
According to the FARA filings, these PR companies aim to "foster positive associations with the Nation of Israel" in churches in the US and portray the Palestinian population as "extremist." The campaigns promise a fresh approach in that they target key demographics, religious groups, and even the way the war is discussed online.
Bridges Partners' campaign involves an unnamed cohort of influencers who would be paid to post in support of Israel. With each influencer reportedly being paid around $7,000 per post, this arrangement has sparked widespread criticism among detractors of Israel.
In a bid to counter negative perceptions on social media, Israel has also recognized the value of "weaponizing" online platforms. In a recent statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to social media as a key component in his campaign to shore up support in the US.
Meanwhile, Clock Tower X claims to have been engaged to connect with the Gen Z age demographic through social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. The firm promises to use AI modeling to ensure that Israeli-supervised narratives are prominent online during the course of its war on Gaza.
The role of AI in reframing public opinion is also significant, according to Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor of media analytics and expert in disinformation at Northwestern University Qatar. "LLMs [large language models] are trained on a set amount of data... What companies like Clock Tower X are promising is that if they can flood the information space with sites and content sympathetic to Israel, there'll be enough there to muddy the waters around what others see as a clear-cut genocide," Jones said.
The extent to which these campaigns will ultimately be successful remains unclear. However, one thing is certain: for Israel to change deeply ingrained perceptions among younger people, particularly in the US, it will need to address the issue at its core – namely, the brutal treatment of Palestinians during the Gaza war.
As Al Jazeera's investigation into this story continues, we will examine why Israel is so focused on changing perceptions of itself in the United States.
In a bid to bolster its online image and restore support among young right-wing and Evangelical US voters, Israel has hired at least three public relations companies under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The firms in question include Bridges Partners, Show Faith by Works, and Clock Tower X, all of which were contracted through the European Havas Media Group.
According to the FARA filings, these PR companies aim to "foster positive associations with the Nation of Israel" in churches in the US and portray the Palestinian population as "extremist." The campaigns promise a fresh approach in that they target key demographics, religious groups, and even the way the war is discussed online.
Bridges Partners' campaign involves an unnamed cohort of influencers who would be paid to post in support of Israel. With each influencer reportedly being paid around $7,000 per post, this arrangement has sparked widespread criticism among detractors of Israel.
In a bid to counter negative perceptions on social media, Israel has also recognized the value of "weaponizing" online platforms. In a recent statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to social media as a key component in his campaign to shore up support in the US.
Meanwhile, Clock Tower X claims to have been engaged to connect with the Gen Z age demographic through social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. The firm promises to use AI modeling to ensure that Israeli-supervised narratives are prominent online during the course of its war on Gaza.
The role of AI in reframing public opinion is also significant, according to Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor of media analytics and expert in disinformation at Northwestern University Qatar. "LLMs [large language models] are trained on a set amount of data... What companies like Clock Tower X are promising is that if they can flood the information space with sites and content sympathetic to Israel, there'll be enough there to muddy the waters around what others see as a clear-cut genocide," Jones said.
The extent to which these campaigns will ultimately be successful remains unclear. However, one thing is certain: for Israel to change deeply ingrained perceptions among younger people, particularly in the US, it will need to address the issue at its core – namely, the brutal treatment of Palestinians during the Gaza war.
As Al Jazeera's investigation into this story continues, we will examine why Israel is so focused on changing perceptions of itself in the United States.
But at the same time, it's kinda cool that Israel's trying to rebrand itself online? Like, who wouldn't want to improve their PR, right? 
It's like they're saying, "Hey, we know we've made some mistakes in the past, but let's try to show our human side." 
And I guess it's good that they're targeting certain demographics and using influencers to get their message out... it just goes to show that even governments can be pretty savvy when it comes to social media! 
But what really gets me is how AI is being used to shape public opinion. Like, isn't the goal of journalism supposed to be to present a balanced view? 
I mean, I'm not saying Israel's not entitled to its own narrative, but shouldn't we be striving for more nuance and less... "muddying the waters"? 
Maybe it's just me, but I think this whole thing is a bit of a complex mess! 
that's straight up manipulation. 
. I'm not sure if these campaigns will work or not but I do know one thing - Israel needs to address its human rights issues in Gaza before trying to change people's minds online. 
. I mean, as a student who studies international relations, it's no secret that Israel has had a complicated history with the Palestinians 
. But this feels like an attempt to whitewash their actions and make it seem like they're victims instead of perpetrators 
. And $7,000 per post is a lot of money for an influencer 
. I wonder if any of the students in my school are being influenced by these campaigns 
. The Gaza war was devastating, and Israel's actions were widely condemned by the international community 
. Instead of trying to rebrand themselves as victims, they should be working on addressing the root causes of the conflict 
.
. Like, how can you justify war crimes and then try to spin a PR campaign to change public opinion? 
It's just so dishonest. And what about all the young right-wing and Evangelical US voters who are already susceptible to this kind of manipulation? Are they really that gullible? 
. We need to call out this manipulation and hold them accountable 
.
. Like, can you imagine if they were able to use this tech to create fake news stories or manipulate public opinion? It gives me the heebie-jeebies 
.
anyhoo, i think what's concerning is how much AI is being used to manipulate public opinion clock tower x's promise of "flood[ing] the information space with sites and content sympathetic to Israel" sounds like a recipe for spreading misinformation 
. Like, Clock Tower X is literally promising to flood the internet with pro-Israel content using these large language models... it's so cringeworthy 
. But seriously, can't we just have real conversations about politics instead of relying on fancy tech? It feels like they're trying to create a whole alternate reality or something 
.