Digital Strategists
Washington's Network of "Manipulation and Influence Projects" for Israeli Propaganda

Recent documents and records reveal the rise of an influential network in Washington, largely led by the architects of aggressive election campaigns from both the Republican and Democratic parties, who describe themselves as “digital strategists.” Through companies they own, they manage propaganda and influence campaigns on behalf of “Israel,” which have been active since the beginning of the Gaza war, directing influencers, public relations firms, and traditional media to advance the Israeli narrative in response to the rising Palestinian narrative.

Numerous media reports have discussed the role of American public relations firms in promoting Israeli propaganda since the Gaza war. However, this investigation more comprehensively traces what can be described as the “masterminds behind manipulation projects,” who have placed their expertise in “algorithm manipulation” and big data at the disposal of the Israeli government in exchange for multimillion-dollar contracts.

Relying on official U.S. records, Arabic Post delves deeper into a complex network of companies, intermediaries, and funders, where digital targeting tactics that brought Donald Trump to the White House have been transformed into a machine working on behalf of the government in Tel Aviv to reshape American public opinion in favor of the Israeli narrative, or “digital Hasbara.” “Hasbara” is the Israeli term for the country’s official public relations and public diplomacy strategy abroad, and the mechanism it uses to justify its actions, defend its policies, and improve its image before the world.

Under the umbrella of global public relations firms acting as trusted “prime contractors,” legal and financial cover is provided to a network of subsidiary companies specializing in high-tech “manipulation projects,” turning “spontaneous opinion” on social media platforms into a paid commodity and into integrated propaganda campaigns serving Israel.

This investigation traces the threads of this network and its interconnections by examining records under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), administered by the U.S. Department of Justice—starting from the (Israeli) funder, to the intermediary (subcontracting companies), to the executor (American companies), and the contracts concluded among these parties from the beginning of the war on Gaza until the publication of these lines, noting that some of these companies were in fact established after 2023, that is, after the start of the war.

"The Digital Strategists"

A generation of “digital strategists” has emerged—often from political backgrounds in Republican and Democratic election campaigns—who have transferred the tactics of fierce electoral battles into the field of international relations in favor of Israel since the beginning of the Gaza war.

What connects the "digital strategists" is a shared ability to use Big Data and micro-targeting advertising technology through their companies, under the umbrella of a Prime Contractor, to avoid the direct appearance of the Israeli government in spreading its propaganda inside the United States.

The term “Digital Strategists” is not a label given to them by others; rather, it is a professional and functional designation they established for themselves through their work in American elections. It was later adopted in official contracts and American press analyses to distinguish them from traditional “lobbyists.”

Some “digital strategists” have leveraged their experience in the MAGA movement—short for Trump’s campaign slogan “Make America Great Again”—to influence American public opinion in favor of “Israel,” not only because of their technical expertise, but also because they hold the keys to the Republican Party’s “grassroots base.” By employing these individuals, “Israel” ensures direct and effective access to millions of American conservatives and evangelicals who trust these names and the platforms they manage.

Propaganda & Influence Companies

Several “digital strategists” who transitioned from election campaigns to supporting the Israeli narrative in America established a number of public relations and influence companies contracted by the Israeli occupation since the start of the 2023 Gaza war, in an effort to counter the rise of the Palestinian narrative following the war of extermination in the Strip.

According to what Arabic Post observed in official U.S. documents, these companies share a common pattern: their clear appearance in 2025, with the Israeli government as the client and American companies—mostly led by Republicans, some close to Trump (such as Zac Moffatt and Brad Parscale)—as executors. All employ techniques such as manipulating AI algorithms, secretly buying influencers’ loyalties, and geofencing churches.

Subcontractors: The Commercial Intermediaries

FARA records show some companies contracting directly with the Israeli government (the client), while others preferred to engage intermediary firms known more precisely in legal terminology as “Prime Contractors.”

Such intermediary companies are also referred to as Subcontractors. They shield service providers from the repercussions of controversial contracts and can absorb blame if problems arise.

A public relations firm, for example, can blame a subcontractor by claiming it acted independently or outside standards, and then terminate the contract, using it as a scapegoat.

Tracking funds becomes extremely difficult for journalists when companies contract through subcontractors, because the money moves from Company A to B to C.

Following the recent war on Gaza and the decline of Israel’s global image, the Israeli government (particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs) decided to shift from “traditional diplomacy” to “comprehensive information warfare.” Instead of direct dealings between the Israeli government and digital strategist firms that employ controversial methods to influence public opinion (such as geofencing churches), it turned to subcontracting arrangements to distance itself from diplomatic and legal embarrassment.

In FARA documents, when searching the U.S. Department of Justice database, the intermediary appears as “The Registrant,” meaning the entity legally responsible before the U.S. government for disclosure. The major firms may only appear in disbursement logs as Vendors or Consultants.

Thus, these companies function as a Commercial Conduit through which funds pass, or as a Pass-through Entity for financial transfers.

Below is a list of intermediary companies mentioned in FARA records:

Circumventing FARA Records

Some companies aim to conceal the identity of the real funder (the government or benefiting entity). Registering under FARA means publicly acknowledging that they are “foreign agents,” which undermines covert campaigns from the outset. Therefore, such companies often operate in gray or black areas away from official records.

Several companies have been linked to providing data and propaganda services to “Israel” without being mentioned in FARA records. Arabic Post tracked a number of them based on various sources published since the beginning of the Gaza war in 2023.

Circumventing the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) constitutes a controversial legal and political gray area in the United States. Circumvention does not necessarily mean openly breaking the law, but rather using legal “loopholes” to avoid being labeled a “foreign agent.”

Contracting through a third-party intermediary is one of the most common methods, along with invoking the “commercial exemption,” or registering under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) instead of FARA, since the former is less stringent.

When a company circumvents these records, it deprives American voters and officials of knowing “who is paying whom.” For example, controversy arose over whether “micro-targeting” technologies sold to entities potentially linked to foreign interests such as Israel should be treated as purely technical services or as tools of “political influence” requiring FARA registration.

Why Is This Considered Buying Influencers?

Reports addressing the recruitment of influencers in support of the Israeli narrative have sparked controversy, with critics arguing that what is being done amounts to “buying off influencers,” because it turns an influencer’s “personal credibility” into a “commodity” sold to serve a foreign political agenda, while concealing the fact that the opinion is “paid.”

The matter is linked to a legal debate concerning key provisions of the law (22 U.S. Code):

- Section 611 (Definitions): Defines a “foreign principal’s agent” as any person acting at the order, request, or direction of a foreign government to engage in “political activities” or to act as a “public relations counsel” within the United States.

- Section 612 (Registration): Requires the agent to file a registration statement with the Department of Justice disclosing the nature of the work and the funding.

- Section 614 (Disclosure in disseminated materials): States that it is “unlawful” for any agent to disseminate informational materials to influence the public without including a “conspicuous statement” indicating that the material is distributed on behalf of the foreign principal.

The last provision is what sparks controversy. While those companies register themselves as foreign agents in the United States under FARA, the influencers receiving the money have not registered themselves.

FARA stipulates that any person who receives money from a foreign government to influence public opinion must clearly disclose that fact and register.

American rights organizations (such as Public Citizen) have previously filed complaints with the Department of Justice accusing those influencers of violating the law by disseminating Israeli propaganda without labeling it as “advertising funded by a foreign government.”

Israeli Funding Entities

Documents from Department of Justice records explicitly mention the official Israeli entities that signed contracts with American companies and other Israeli intermediaries in order to disseminate Israeli propaganda after the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

According to documents reviewed by “Arabic Post,” the following official entities were named explicitly:

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar previously announced the allocation of $634 million in the 2026 budget to improve Israel’s image, with the support of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Accordingly, the budget includes an unprecedented increase in foreign propaganda spending compared to previous years (which had been around 545 million shekels only).

It is worth noting that the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, whose name frequently appeared in company contracts within FARA records, was later merged with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. It was described as the “ministry of espionage and propaganda,” even by some Israeli Hebrew-language outlets.

Manipulation Projects

The term “Hasbara” is the broad umbrella under which all these activities fall. It is based on the doctrine that “Israel does not lose on the battlefield, but loses in the arena of public opinion,” and therefore large sums of money must be injected and media “war rooms” managed to win the hearts and minds of Western audiences.

Hasbara has evolved into a new generation. In the past, Hasbara meant an official spokesperson appearing, for example, on CNN. Today, it has developed into “digital Hasbara” through outsourcing. Instead of the Israeli government conducting propaganda itself and appearing “biased,” it pays millions to American companies to do the work on its behalf, making it appear as spontaneous American support.

Israeli Government

Pays the Money

→

Israeli Intermediary

Manages the Strategy

→

Subcontractor

Manages Influencers and Takes a Commission

→

The Influencers

Get Paid and Publish

This process has been labeled “Hasbara 2.0.” Whereas “Hasbara 1.0” relied on official spokespersons, ambassadors, and press releases to defend Israeli policies, “Hasbara 2.0” relies on technology, privatization, covert operations, and foreign propaganda.

Thus, “Hasbara 2.0” has become an information war run with the mindset of technology and intelligence companies, rather than that of a traditional foreign ministry—not merely to “explain” the Israeli point of view, but to “engineer” global public opinion through covert means.

Under this broad umbrella, numerous “manipulation projects” targeting foreign public opinion in favor of Israel have been launched, some of which have been documented in FARA records and other journalistic investigations:

1- Act.IL App Project

The “Act.IL” or “Act for Israel” project is considered the largest astroturfing operation (the creation of a fake grassroots base), and it is the main reason behind the notoriety of the Israeli company L.D.R.S. It was an app that directed thousands of volunteers worldwide to “attack” or “support” specific posts on Facebook and Twitter (X) in favor of Israel.

The app recruited a “digital army” of volunteers to enter posts criticizing Israel and comment on them collectively (trolling) or report them for deletion. It was later removed following journalistic exposés.

Documents previously revealed that the app was officially run by the Israeli-American Council (IAC) as a joint initiative with Reichman University (formerly IDC Herzliya), while direction and funding came from the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs.

2- "AI Framing" Project

A project focused on what is called “AI Framing,” aimed at ensuring that language models (such as ChatGPT) receive pro-Israel information during searches by generating massive machine-readable content.

The project was launched by Clock Tower X LLC, owned by Brad Parscale. In 2019, the Ministry of Strategic Affairs published a guide explaining that “framing” and “spin” are considered essential tools for blocking unwanted messages and highlighting the desired narrative.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry contracted with Clock Tower regarding AI framing after SKDK withdrew from its contract.

The project centers on ensuring that when users ask AI about Israel or the war in Gaza, the model relies on “seeded” data in its responses, guaranteeing “framed” answers that serve the Israeli perspective and marginalize the Palestinian narrative.

According to FARA records, the contract between Parscale’s company and the Israeli Foreign Ministry was worth approximately $6 million.

3- Project Esther (Project Esther)

This is the most well-known project, revealed by prior journalistic investigations. Its mission is to recruit social media “influencers”—not necessarily political figures, but influencers in general lifestyle fields—and pay them sums (which may reach $7,000 per post) to publish content that appears “spontaneous” in support of Israel or critical of pro-Palestinian student movements, without always disclosing that the content is funded by a foreign government.

Public Citizen was the first organization to raise the issue of Project Esther. It published documents and filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice revealing the existence of a secret “pitch deck” for a project called “Esther.”

Documents disclosed by the organization showed that Bridges Partners managed the project with the aim of recruiting social media influencers, particularly in lifestyle sectors, to publish pro-Israel messages.

The project was named “Esther” after “Queen Esther” in the Torah, who concealed her Jewish identity in order to influence the king and save her people—mirroring the project’s philosophy of concealing the Israeli identity of the funders to exert more effective influence on the American public.

Queen Esther informed the king of a plot to kill the Jews, and ultimately the king sided with the Jews and authorized them to “annihilate their enemies.”

4- "Combat Antisemitism Movement" (Combat Antisemitism Movement - CAM)

The CAM project appears to be the public and broader-scale version of “Project Esther,” turning social influencers into soldiers in Israel’s public relations battle, with the support and cover of senior American officials such as Aaron Keyak.

The movement relies on a “digital Iron Dome” strategy and the use of “non-political” influencers to normalize the Israeli narrative under the guise of combating hatred. It operates as an umbrella network for more than 850 pro-Israel organizations.

It presents itself as nonpartisan, but is heavily funded by private entities and works in close coordination with the Israeli government to promote the “IHRA definition of antisemitism,” which considers criticism of Israel to be antisemitic.

CAM says it possesses what it describes as “the world’s largest network of social media influencers combating antisemitism,” and its strategy aligns with “Project Esther” in the following ways:

- Recruiting non-political figures: Instead of political experts, CAM contracts influencers in lifestyle, sports, fashion, and entertainment. The network includes about 250 influencers reaching millions of followers; it says more than 7 million people are engaged with the movement.

- Message integration: Pro-Israel messages are embedded within “daily” and emotional content that appears spontaneous, making it more acceptable to groups such as youth and Generation Z (the same target group as Project Esther).

Aaron Keyak, founder of Bluelight Strategies, is among the strongest supporters of the movement and appears regularly, arguing that the real battle takes place on social media platforms.

Like “Project Esther” and “Concert,” CAM faces funding opacity:

- Its declared main funder is American billionaire Adam Beren, an energy magnate from Kansas.

- The movement is sometimes classified among “dark money” groups because it does not disclose its full network of funders or the details of influencer contracts, leaving the public unaware that the content they see is “paid” or “coordinated.”

5- Root & Branch Project

A project that promotes itself as an initiative aimed at strengthening Christian support for Israel through “solidarity tourism” and religious activities, launched by the Genesis 123 Foundation.

The project invites Christians (especially leaders and influencers) to come to Israel “to volunteer in olive harvesting and visit border communities that witnessed the events of October 7.”

The declared goal is for them to return to their countries as “Ambassadors” conveying what they saw.

The foundation organized trips for delegations of Christian community leaders and media figures to visit settlements in the “Gaza envelope” after the attack, so they would return to America and relay their testimonies to their audiences, thereby amplifying Israeli propaganda through locally trusted American voices.

6- The Hub Project

Democratic digital strategist Aaron Keyak launched the project in 2012, focusing at the time on winning Jewish voter support for Barack Obama.

“The Hub” project, officially known as The Jewish Media Hub, functioned as a rapid-response media war room established by Aaron Keyak and his partner Steve Rabinowitz through their company Bluelight Strategies.

The project’s initial goal was to defend Barack Obama’s record before Jewish voters, particularly in swing states (especially during the 2012 elections). It later expanded to promote the Iran nuclear deal and defend Israeli policies adopted by Democratic administrations, and eventually became a war room supporting the Israeli narrative.

A report by “The Forward” previously confirmed that “The Hub” project “aims to provide a full rapid response and message amplification.”