PR giant SKDK cuts ties with 'Israel'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
Today 09:46
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SKDK ended its $600,000 deal with the Israeli entity after aiding media outreach defending its genocide in Gaza, drawing scrutiny over its role in whitewashing "Israel's" image.

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The logo of Prominent Democratic public affairs firm SKDK. (SKDK)

Prominent Democratic public affairs firm SKDK has ended its contract with the Israeli government, which had enlisted the firm to push its narrative about its war on Gaza.

The $600,000 deal, first disclosed by Politico in March, was set to run from April through next March. SKDK initially highlighted the situation of Israeli captives before shifting to booking Israeli officials and commentators on major news programs to defend the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

While SKDK has previously supported pro-“Israel” initiatives, this was the first time the firm directly represented the Israeli entity. It worked alongside the European advertising and PR company Havas on behalf of Lapam, the Israeli government's government advertising agency, with the ultimate client being the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“SKDK stopped this work on Aug. 31 and has begun the process of de-registering,” a company spokesperson said. The representative reportedly declined to elaborate, adding only that the engagement “had run its course.”

Scrutiny over reported bot program

The firm’s withdrawal came a day after investigative outlet Sludge reported that part of SKDK’s role involved launching a bot program to amplify pro-"Israel" messaging on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The report cited a Foreign Agents Registration Act filing indicating that SKDK’s parent company, Stagwell, had agreed to carry out such work.

Both SKDK and Stagwell rejected the claim, Politico reported. “Our work focused solely on media relations and nothing else,” an SKDK spokesperson said.