Israel allocates $45 million to AI‑driven propaganda campaign in the United States

The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel signed a contract worth more than $45 million with a firm led by Brad Parscale, former campaign manager for former U.S. President Donald Trump, to run an artificial‑intelligence‑powered media operation aimed at improving Israel’s image among Americans. The project sends millions of AI‑generated text messages to U.S. phone numbers from fictitious senders such as “Emma,” “Sarah” and “John,” under the banner “Friends for Peace.” Recipients are asked questions like, “How do you think the US and Israel’s peace talks with Iran will impact global security?” Sparkfire, the agency operating the text campaign, received about $6.5 million, and the effort includes more than $500,000 in advertising on conservative broadcaster Salem Media. Around 36 individuals have registered as foreign agents for Israel, and at least six U.S. companies have been retained for the work. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said a $700 million budget for 2026 has been set to “shape consciousness” worldwide. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has accused Israeli officials of trying to manipulate American public opinion to prolong the conflict with Iran.