A MintPress investigation found that since "Israel’s" attack on Iran on June 13, the Israeli government’s ad agency has spent tens of millions on ads on YouTube alone. These ads, in clear violation of Google’s policies, justify and praise the attack as a "necessary defense of Western civilization."

The Israeli ads portray "Israel" as a savior of the Palestinian people. One video from the Foreign Ministry, set to epic inspiring music, describes "Israel" as carrying out “one of the largest humanitarian operations in the world right now."

This is what is advertised, although ninety-four percent of Gaza’s hospitals have been destroyed or damaged, and more than 1,400 medical personnel have been killed. This includes Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, head of orthopedics at Al-Shifa Hospital.

Moreover, "Israel" has killed or injured over 50,000 Palestinian children, according to UNICEF. 

Paid, inorganic content

According to Alan MacLeod of MintPress, all videos listed in Google’s Ad Transparency Center are paid content from the Israeli government’s ad agency, with strong evidence showing few, if any, of the millions of views are organic. For example, five versions of the “Humanitarian Aid to Gaza” video collectively show only a few thousand likes, about 1% of the expected number for videos with such high views, and just two comments in total.

The difference between organic and paid content is clearer in videos "Israel" does not promote, which get only dozens of daily views rather than millions, strongly indicating nearly 100% of views come from paid ads.

Iran in the crosshairs

“A fanatical regime firing missiles at civilians, while racing towards nuclear weapons. While Iran deliberately targets cities, Israel acts with precision to dismantle this threat.” This is how one Israeli government ad, which hundreds of thousands of YouTube viewers in Europe have been compelled to watch, starts.

“Terror architects behind the elimination of Israel plan: eliminated. Israel targets only military and terror sites, not civilians. But the threat remains,” the voiceover continues, over ominous music and high-tech graphics. “We will finish the mission for our people, for humanity. Israel does what must be done,” it concludes.

One video after another

“Iran’s ballistic missile program isn’t just a threat to Israel, it is a threat to Europe and the Western world,” another, seen by 1.5 million viewers in just three weeks, claims. “Iran is developing missiles with ranges of approximately 4000 km. That places Europe within the regime’s striking distance,” it adds, as graphics show virtually the entire continent turning blood red, signifying a nuclear attack.

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“This isn’t tomorrow’s threat. It is today’s reality. The threat posed by the Iranian regime must be stopped. Israel does what must be done.”

Ominous messages like these, translated into multiple languages, have reached tens of millions of people across Europe. Other Israeli government ads spice it up a little bit, attempting to present "Israel" as a victim that was forced into war.

One commercial notes: "Imagine this: you are holding your newborn in a hospital room. Then the air raid sirens go off. Iran fires ballistic missiles at hospitals, at innocent Israelis. Patients, doctors, newborn babies: deliberately targeted. While Iran aims at families and children, Israel responds with precision, striking military sites. This is not a war of choice. Those who target civilians and hospitals become the target.”

The Israeli claims really do raise eyebrows. Around 935 Iranians were killed in Israeli strikes, compared to just 28 Israelis, which is clear proof of "Israel's" indiscriminate attacks, which almost always happen without warning. It is another proof of "Israel's" unwillingness to avoid civilian deaths, unlike its opponent, with its attacks starting with a heads-up due to the distance the missiles and drones have to cover. Moreover, "Israel", with the US' help, was after Iran's nuclear facilities, with all the catastrophic repercussions any such attacks could lead to. 

Foreign PR budget increased by 2,000%

The scale of this PR operation is staggering. Despite raising taxes and cutting domestic spending, the Israeli government increased its foreign PR budget by over 2,000%, with the Foreign Ministry receiving an extra $150 million for public diplomacy.

Much of this money is clearly spent on ads. Last month alone, the Foreign Ministry’s videos surpassed 45 million views on YouTube, targeting countries like the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Greece.

Greece is notable: Over the past 12 months, "Israel’s" government ad agency funded 65 separate YouTube ad campaigns targeting Greece. A recent Greek-language ad depicts the occupation as a charitable supporter of life in Gaza, gaining over a million views in just four days, about 10% of Greece’s total population. The video currently has no comments and fewer than 3,000 likes.

The Foreign Ministry posts videos in English, French, German, Italian, and Greek. Non-native language countries like Slovakia, Denmark, and the Netherlands are also targeted, usually receiving the English version.

"Israel" avoids targeting countries whose governments have officially condemned its actions, such as Ireland and Spain, spending nothing to reach their populations. The Netanyahu administration appears to focus on rallying support in allied countries even as public opinion turns increasingly against "Israel".

While these numbers may shock readers, this investigation covers only one ad agency, the Israeli government’s, and one platform, YouTube. It excludes other Israeli government and NGO organizations and numerous pro-"Israel" lobbying groups in the West. "Israel" has also tried to influence discussions on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. What is shown here is only a small part of a broader campaign.

Policy enforcement and narrative control efforts

Google’s ad policies explicitly ban ads that “display shocking content or promote hatred, intolerance, discrimination, or violence.” Yet many of these ads openly justify Israeli aggression.

MintPress News asked Google about how much the Israeli government’s ad agency spent on ads, their reach, whether Google responded to criticism, and if these videos violated policies.

Google did not answer the first three questions but reiterated that it has “strict ad policies that govern the types of ads we allow on our platform," which are publicly available and applied consistently and without bias. They added, "If we find ads that violate those policies, we swiftly remove them,” implying these ads do not breach their standards.

Facing mounting criticism, the Israeli government has sought to change the narrative by inviting influencers to speak directly with Netanyahu. In April, Netanyahu met with conservative digital figures like Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, Sean Spicer, Bethany Mandel, David Harris Jr., Jessica Kraus, Seth Mandel, and Molly Hemingway to discuss promoting the war on Iran in Western public opinion and countering online anti-Israeli sentiment. Other social media personalities report being offered large sums for brief pro-"Israel" endorsements.

Changing European public opinion remains a tough task for "Israel" as it continues to spend millions daily on ad campaigns aimed at shifting public opinion. 

MacLeod contends that on YouTube alone, its paid ads, translated into five languages, reached at least 45 million people last month.