Paid by 'Israel': US influencers exposed as secret foreign agents

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Responsible Statecraft
Today 11:06

Watchdog groups are demanding transparency after revelations that US influencers were secretly hired to promote pro-"Israel" content without disclosure.

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A football TikTok influencer edits a video for a post at a Chipotle Mexican Grill while eating dinner in Missoula, Mont., on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 (AP)

Newly disclosed filings have revealed that "Israel" has been quietly paying a select group of American social-media influencers to promote pro-"Israel" messaging online.

According to a September report by Responsible Statecraft (RS), the Israeli government has contracted a firm called Bridges Partners to run a campaign known as the “Esther Project”, hiring between 14 and 18 influencers and paying them an estimated $7,000 per post.

The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing shows that the initiative began in June and is financed by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lack of transparency and a call for accountability

Despite months of activity, none of the influencers appear to have publicly disclosed their financial ties to the Israeli government. In response, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, RS’ parent organization, and the watchdog group Public Citizen have sent a joint letter to the US Department of Justice demanding action.

The letter urges the DOJ to compel Bridges Partners to “publicly disclose the names, addresses, and contracts of the influencers paid to perform services on behalf of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” noting that all such agents are required by law to do so.

“Despite their legal obligation to register as agents of a foreign principal, none of these Influencers have filed the required registration statements with the Department of Justice,” the letter states.

As of now, the only individual registered under the Bridges Partners contract is Uri Steinberg, an Israeli consultant who previously worked with "Israel’s" ministries of justice and tourism.

American citizens kept in the dark

Craig Holman, Government Affairs Lobbyist for Public Citizen, explained in an email to RS that the lack of disclosure leaves Americans unaware of who is shaping their information environment.

“Americans deserve to know who is paying for the messages being transmitted through social media influencers,” said Holman.

Ben Freeman, Director of the Quincy Institute’s Democratizing Foreign Policy program, told RS that the influencers themselves should be registering as foreign agents.

“If these influencers are knowingly accepting money from the Israeli government to produce content for the Israeli government that's being viewed by thousands or millions of their followers in the US, it's not at all clear why they would not be required to register under FARA,” said Freeman.

Expanding network of contracts

While Bridges Partners is currently under scrutiny, it may not be the only firm engaged in this type of campaign.

Another company, Genesis 21 Consulting, was hired by "Israel" in August to provide “strategic communications support, content creation, and influencer outreach aimed at improving Israel's public image.”

Additionally, a filing from Show Faith by Works disclosed that the firm had been contracted to “identify Social Media influencers to hire in exchange for favorable coverage” as part of a $3.2 million effort to target evangelical Christian audiences.

Responding to reports about these contracts, "Israel’s" Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Haaretz that “claims regarding an agreement between the State of Israel and the company Show Faith concerning geofencing and payments to influencers are false.”