Israel spent over $45 million on AI propaganda campaign targeting US – WSJ

 

The country has launched a project which generates millions of texts promoting the country’s objectives

Published 20 Jul, 2026 06:41 | Updated 20 Jul, 2026 07:45

FILE PHOTO ©  NurPhoto/Getty Images

Israel is spending tens of millions of dollars on an AI-powered media campaign aimed at improving its image and influencing public opinion in the US, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

The country’s standing among Americans has deteriorated in recent years. Some 60% of US adults held an unfavorable view of Israel in March, up from 53% last year and 42% in 2022, according to Pew Research Center.

According to an investigation published by the WSJ on Saturday, millions of AI-generated messages have been sent to Americans in recent months from senders using names such as Emma, Sarah, and John.

The messages claim to come from a group called Friends for Peace and ask recipients questions such as “How do you think the US and Israel’s peace talks with Iran will impact global security?” The newspaper said it could find no nonprofit or company registered under that name.

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The texts reportedly form part of a broader contract worth more than $45 million which was awarded to an operation led by Brad Parscale, a former campaign manager for US President Donald Trump. Sparkfire, the company operating the text campaign, had received $6.5 million by mid-May.

Parscale’s team has also created pro-Israel websites and online posts designed to generate more favorable answers about the country from AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude.

Last year, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said West Jerusalem had allocated more than $700 million in its 2026 budget to improve Israel’s image worldwide and “shape consciousness.”

At least six companies have been retained for the work in the US, while around three dozen people have registered as foreign agents on Israel’s behalf, according to the newspaper.

The US campaign also reportedly includes over $500,000 in advertising through conservative broadcaster Salem Media, where Parscale serves as chief strategy officer. Salem denied paying its hosts to promote particular positions.

In an interview released Wednesday with podcaster Joe Rogan, US Vice President J.D. Vance accused some members of the Israeli government of attempting to manipulate American public opinion to keep the Iran conflict going “indefinitely.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry did not respond to the WSJ’s requests for comment.

https://www.rt.com/news/643245-israel-50-million-influence-opinion/

U.S. Cannot Force the Strait of Hormuz Open. Former CIA Analyst Larry Johnson cuts through the delusion

https://x.com/DanielLDavis1/status/2078996360301568354

Daniel Davis Deep Dive

@DanielLDavis1

U.S. Cannot Force the Strait of Hormuz Open. Former CIA Analyst Larry Johnson cuts through the delusion: continued U.S. strikes and threats against Iranian power grids and bridges are pushing Tehran to shut down global oil flows. "Iran says, okay, (if the U.S. keeps pushing) we'll shut down the world economy... There's not going to be any oil going through the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, or through the Strait of Hormuz." Johnson calls Trump’s approach “reckless, so stupid,” and lays out the core reality Washington refuses to admit: “The United States does not have the military power to open the Strait of Hormuz. Period. It does not.” If the U.S. couldn’t force it open in the first 40 days of the Iran war, he says, it won’t do it now — and the consequences for global energy, shipping, and U.S. strategy are enormous. Critical reality check on the Iran war and failed U.S. strategy in the Middle East conflict. Watch the full clip from the latest Daniel Davis Deep Dive: https://open.substack.com/pub/danieldavisdeepdive/p/former-cia-analyst-larry-johnson?r=2sqew7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true #IranWar #StraitOfHormuz #LarryJohnson #USStrategy #MiddleEastConflict #OilCrisis #TrumpForeignPolicy #Geopolitics #GlobalEconomy #IranConflict #MilitaryReality #DanielDavis

10:12 AM · Jul 20, 2026

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US troops spooked by Trump’s warmongering in Middle East Morale among US troops is sinking to a new low

 https://x.com/GlobalIJournal/status/2078853782398709914

Global Insight Journal

@GlobalIJournal

US troops spooked by Trump’s warmongering in Middle East Morale among US troops is sinking to a new low as Trump’s attempted blitzkrieg in the Persian Gulf turns into a bloody and costly quagmire, HuffPost reports. Successful Iranian attacks on US bases in the Middle East shattered the US troops’ confidence. One US military official lamented that a ground operation against Iran would be “an absolute disaster,” pointing at the Pentagon’s inability to protect its own assets in the region. Many US personnel are increasingly reluctant to do Netanyahu’s bidding instead of serving their own country. “I’m hearing out of service members’ mouths the words, ’We do not want to die for Israel — we don’t want to be political pawns,” said one US veteran and reservist who mentors younger officers. The executive director of the Center on Conscience and War announced a 1,000% increase in conscientious objector applications. The deadly strike on the girls’ school in Minab, he notes, has become a breaking point for most of these new applicants. Some service members also complained about the “lack of a clear, consistent narrative justifying the Iran war,” as HuffPost put it, with the prospect of risking their lives in a “poorly planned conflict” for “no identifiable strategic benefit” leaving them demoralized.

12:45 AM · Jul 20, 2026

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