Esther Project: Paid pro-'Israel' influencers skirt FARA rules

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Responsible Statecraft
Today 10:53
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Legal experts warn that US influencers promoting "Israel" without registering under FARA could face scrutiny as questions mount over hidden sponsorships.

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Social media applications are displayed on an iPhone, March 13, 2019, in New York (AP)

"Israel" is quietly funding a social media campaign in the United States, paying between 14 and 18 online influencers around $7,000 per post to promote the entity's image, according to documents reviewed by Responsible Statecraft.

The initiative, dubbed the “Esther Project,” is being managed by a new Washington-based firm, Bridges Partners, which operates out of a Capitol Hill rowhouse. The campaign is expected to run through November, Responsible Statecraft reported, citing analysis by Nick Cleveland-Stout, a research associate at the Quincy Institute’s Democratizing Foreign Policy program.

So far, however, the identities of the influencers remain unknown. According to the contract, they were supposed to begin posting in July, yet none have publicly registered as foreign agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a key US lobbying law. Legal experts warn that this omission may place them in violation of federal regulations.

Wider context

Ben Freeman, director of the Quincy Institute’s Democratizing Foreign Policy program, said the legal standard in this case is unambiguous: “If you’re being paid by a foreign government to influence the American public on that government’s behalf you should register under FARA.”

Freeman added that if influencers knowingly accept money from "Israel" to create content viewed by thousands or even millions of US followers, it is “not at all clear why they would not be required to register.”

Currently, the only registered foreign agent under the Bridges Partners contract is Uri Steinberg, a consultant who co-owns the firm. Yet FARA experts stress that the influencers themselves also have an obligation to file.

“Anyone who is distributing material propaganda and other informational materials aimed at the United States audience on behalf of a foreign government agency would need to be disclosed somewhere, including potentially by filing a short form registration,” a lawyer specializing in FARA told Responsible Statecraft on condition of anonymity.

Parallels with Russian influencer funding case

The case draws parallels to a Justice Department indictment last year, when prosecutors charged two RT employees with secretly funding US influencers such as Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson through a Tennessee company called Tenet Media. Those influencers claimed they were unaware of the Russian connection. Under FARA, violators must act “willfully” to face criminal penalties.

Beyond registration, influencers are also required to disclose their sponsorships openly. Freeman noted that many registered foreign agents already attach disclaimers to their social media posts. He described the practice as “basically the foreign influence equivalent of the standard sponsorship flagged posts you see all over social media.”

“It just lets social media users know that what they’re seeing is being paid for by the Israeli government, and then they can judge it accordingly,” he explained.

Yet searches across major platforms, including X, TikTok, and Instagram, show no evidence that influencers tied to Bridges Partners are including these disclaimers. Steinberg did not respond to requests for comment.

Pro-'Israel' influencer activity beyond Esther Project

Meanwhile, pro-"Israel" influencer activity has ramped up outside of the Esther Project. In August, Israel365 Action sponsored a trip to "Israel" for content creators, funded partly by an $86,000 grant from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Attendee Lance Johnston later admitted the experience changed his stance. “I’m now more like, I’m fine with sending them weapons,” he said.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also met with a separate group of influencers, arranged by Generation Zion. The lack of transparency has sparked criticism from US lawmakers. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) warned that any influencer paid by a foreign government “has to register under FARA.”

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), speaking on his program for One America News, added, “In this particular case, the foreign government is pursuing a specific agenda, it is not just friendly relations between our countries. There is a war going on in Gaza.”