Haaretz on Sunday reported that the Israeli Foreign Ministry is investing in a propaganda campaign targeting young American conservatives by sponsoring an all-expenses-paid tour of "Israel" for social media influencers aligned with Donald Trump's MAGA and America First movements.

The initiative, funneled through the far-right religious nonprofit Israel365, aims to flood American social media with pro-"Israel" content by leveraging influencers with large online followings. The group was awarded the contract, worth over 290,000 shekels (approximately $86,000), without a public bidding process, under the justification that it is uniquely positioned to align Israeli state messaging with hardline US conservatism.

Propaganda pilgrimage

Israel365, led by Rabbi Tuly Weisz, openly rejects Palestinian statehood and espouses an extreme biblical-nationalist vision that claims exclusive Jewish ownership of the land. The organization promotes a worldview that casts the two-state solution as a "delusion" and frames Palestinian resistance as part of a global "jihadist" threat, while simultaneously rallying support from Christian Zionists and far-right factions.

Sixteen US-based influencers under the age of 30 are set to participate in the trip. According to Israeli officials, the effort is a response to growing disapproval of Israeli policies among younger Americans, including conservatives, particularly in the wake of "Israel's" escalating violence in Gaza and its hardline occupation policies in the West Bank.

Senior Foreign Ministry official Yacov Livne admitted in a public statement that the program is designed to ensure the MAGA movement remains loyal to "Israel," stating, "With the rise of the America First movement and MAGA in American politics, it's essential for Israel that the movement adopt a pro-Israel position."

Read more: US Jews accuse Trump of antisemitism despite his pro-'Israel' stance

Influencer warfare

Since the October 7 events, Israel365 has deepened its relationship with far-right US figures, appearing at political events and helping the Israeli government recruit Western influencers to whitewash its escalating military operations and displacement campaigns in Palestinian territories.

A Foreign Ministry source described the use of influencers as part of a broader strategy to "reshape public opinion" and bypass criticism of Israeli policy by cloaking state propaganda in the language of faith and patriotism. "Their messages are more effective than if they came directly from the ministry," the source said.

The campaign appears to be expanding rapidly. During last month's Israeli aggression on Iran, digital content pushed by pro-"Israel" influencers reportedly garnered 1.8 billion views. The ministry has since announced its goal of flying in 550 influencer delegations by the end of 2025, a move critics say represents the increasing fusion of public diplomacy with digital misinformation to mask "Israel's" ongoing human rights abuses against Palestinians.