Israel’s strategically embedding influence through the $14 billion TikTok sale and a coordinated network US influencers to systematically influence public perception of Israel’s war on Palestinians by employing political influencers, according to leaked documents.
The campaign included $6 million contract with Brad Parscale’s firm to manipulate chatbots, and a separate “Esther Project” paying political influence up to $7,000 per post, targeting 43% of young Americans who get news from TikTok with record-low support for Israel’s military operations in the Middle East.
The new leaks exposed Israel’s strategic push to “embed love and respect for Israel” in US youth culture before college to shape global opinion amid its genocide on Gaza.
The leaks also suggest that the $14 billion sale of TikTok may serve as a means for embedding pro-Israel messaging into US culture, which leads to the point that political influencers exist and that the issue was never about Chinese influence it’s a US Israel propaganda.
At the heart of that effort was a 2015 email by Oracle’s then-CEO Safra Catz, which was exposed by Responsible Statecraft in which she explained that they had to reach young Americans prior to when they started pouring onto college campuses where pro-Palestinian activism had been growing.
“We have all been horrified by the growth of the BDS movement in college campuses and have concluded that we have to fight this battle before the kids even get to college. We believe that we have to embed the love and respect for Israel in the American culture. That means getting the message to the American people in a way they can consume it.”
“As Executive Vice Chair of the Oracle Board of Directors, Safra will be nowhere near the algorithm of TikTok,” sources familiar with the matter told Responsible Statecraft. The sources “could not confirm the authenticity of the email.”
Israel’s big tech lobbying scheme to “embed the love and respect for Israel in the American culture” now appears to coincide with TikTok’s transition, stoking the threat of control over US conversation shifting from Beijing to Tel Aviv.
Battle for Online Narratives
Catz’s stance reflects a broader strategy embraced by influential figures, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a longtime supporter of Israel, and Republican donor Jeff Yass, whose foundation has directed millions toward pro-Israel organizations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently described TikTok as “the most important purchase going on right now,” adding that “our influencers, they are very important.”
But when speaking about political influencers, does he also mean his son?
It’s worth stating the obvious, and that Israel’s focus on social media is not new.
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, before his assassination in Utah this September, warned Netanyahu that Israel was “losing the information war” with young Americans. Kirk’s letter urged the prime minister to strengthen younger voices and adopt fast strategies tailored for TikTok’s ecosystem rather than relying on traditional press methods
TikTok’s $14 billion sale isn’t just about blocking China.
It may shift online influence toward Israel, shaping young Americans’ views on Gaza before college debates even begin. In doing so, digital narratives could be weaponized in new ways.
The firmness is highlighted by polling data. Only 9 percent of Americans aged 18 to 34 approve of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, according to Gallup. Pew Research further shows that 43 percent of Americans under 30 now get their news directly from TikTok, making the platform a pivotal battleground in public opinion.
How Has Social Media in Geopolitics Impacted Countries?
Israel’s government has launched a sweeping two track influence operation in the US, combining political advertising with influencer campaigns. Newly filed records with the US Department of Justice show that Bridges Partners LLC has been contracted to recruit American influencers, paying up to $7,000 per post to push pro-Israel messaging.
This project code-named the “Esther Project,” runs alongside a $6 million contract with Brad Parscale’s firm, Clock Tower X LLC, who has an aim to grow pro-Israel narratives across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and podcasts while shaping how AI chatbots like ChatGPT frame questions about Gaza.
Project Esther – a Heritage Foundation blueprint – or the Zion project is designed to dismantle the Palestine solidarity movement in the US. Critics argue the initiative weaponizes accusations of antisemitism to insult activists and silence opposition, particularly on college campuses where opposition to Israel has intensified.
“It exposes the length of lies and absurdity they are going through to tear down the Palestinian rights movement,” Beth Miller of Jewish Voice for Peace told Al Jazeera.
Old secret networks connected with Israel’s ministries used fake American identities and AI generated content, raising questions about authenticity and trust. While paying for influencers in itself is not evil in nature but in this case, it is, critics warn that blurring lines between genuine advocacy and state propaganda may backfire and wipe out credibility.
Speaking at an influencers’ gathering in New York, he said, “We have to fight with the weapons that apply to the battlefields in which we engage, and the most important ones are on social media.”
Supporters view this outreach as a needed step to counter rising antisemitism, while critics regard it as diversionary of responsibility for Israel’s political influencers military campaigns.
The push to dominate online platforms merely reflects a larger shift.
Today, wars are fought not only on battlefields but on social feeds, AI driven algorithms, and university lecture halls. For Israel, the sale of TikTok is not a business transaction it’s a war over old narratives that have been fed to the American and cultural control of the hearts and minds of the next generation.
But whether the Israel TikTok infiltration it has more stage-managed campaigns and multimillion dollar transactions can buy genuine credibility in the minds of unconvinced youth users who will find the truth regarding of how much Israel is willing to pay.
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