Israel has hired conservative Clock Tower X LLC, led by former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, on a $6 million contract to manipulate AI models, like ChatGPT, to flood social media with hasbara Israel content targeting Gen Z audiences as US youth support plummets.
The hasbara Israel strategy includes websites creation to influence how GPT models frame topics around Israel’s conduct of war in the Middle East. The strategy will use AI to game search algorithms and integrate messaging through the conservative Salem Media Network to manufacture at least 50 million monthly impressions.
According to filings under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), at least 80% of Clock Tower’s output will target platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and podcasts. Hitting that minimum 50 million impressions goals is part of a larger AI narrative Israel seeks to influence global perceptions.
Hasbara, the Hebrew word for “explanation,” is Israel’s highly sophisticated, government-backed communication strategy to obfuscate public opinion – deliberately make the situation confusing and unclear to hide the truth – and influence geopolitical narrative on Israel Middle East wars.
AI Tools, SEO, and Conservative Media Integration
Clock Tower’s work will go beyond standard content creation, as the firm plans to deploy “websites and content to deliver GPT framing results on GPT conversations.” Effectively, the company’s trying to shape how AI systems, such as ChatGPT, respond to Israel-related topics.
Critics have labeled this kind of effort as hasbara propaganda to foundationally reconstruct online debates.
It will also use a predictive search engine optimization tool, MarketBrew AI, to push narratives higher on Google and Bing rankings, a counter to what many describe as anti israel propaganda circulating on the internet.
The firm’s messaging will be embedded within Salem Media Network, a conservative Christian broadcasting giant where Parscale is now chief strategy officer. Salem hosts popular programs including The Hugh Hewitt Show and The Right View with Lara Trump. Some observers have warned of subtle Israel brainwashing strategies embedded in such media partnerships.
“This is about amplifying Israel’s strategic communication and public diplomacy,” said Eran Shayovich, chief of staff at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is listed as Clock Tower’s point person. Shayovich is also behind “Project 545,” an effort to expand Israel’s influence in US media spaces — effectively a social media war over public opinion.
Social Media’s Israel’s ‘Most Important Weapon,’ Says Netanyahu
The contract reflects growing concern within hasbara Israel about declining American support, particularly among young people. A July Gallup poll found only 9% of Americans aged 18–34 supported Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, while a leaked Stagwell Global survey showed nearly half of respondents believed Israel was committing genocide. Analysts note this is part of a larger propaganda digital narrative struggle.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored the stakes in a meeting with pro-Israel influencers, calling social media “the most important weapon Israel has at its disposal,” highlighting the rise of information operations as a core tool in conflict.
“You can’t fight today with swords… the most important ones are the social media,” he added.
It is worth noting that the International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, back in May 2024.
In his address at the White House, in his Washington visit on September 29, the Israeli Prime Minister also praised a potential deal for Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison — Israel’s largest private military donor — to play a role in a takeover of TikTok.
“I hope it goes through, it could be consequential,” he said, underscoring how Israel’s operations and information management are increasingly tied to Big Tech platforms.
Clock Tower’s contract follows a $600,000 deal with Democratic-linked PR firm SKDKnickerbocker, which reportedly ran a bot farm promoting hasbara Israel narratives before ending its work in August. Both deals were subcontracted through Havas Media Network, which manages campaigns for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, in some cases, the Israel ministry of diaspora affairs.
For now, Clock Tower has been tasked with producing content, running research into US demographics, and ensuring pro-Israel narratives reach audiences who are drifting away. This has raised alarms about AI generated misinformation and disinformation by Israeli government entities.
As Secret Service Director Sean Curran once noted in another context, information campaigns are about “prevention.” In this case, preventing the erosion of Israel’s standing in US public opinion. Observers warn that Israel using AI for targeting and shifting public opinion could redefine modern propaganda.
Ultimately, this strategy is part of yet another unethically more targeted maneuver where generative AI used by Israel becomes a new front line in global influence battles.
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