Israel is fighting for its legitimacy on the world stage and losing. Polling among young Americans shows support for Israel at historic lows, skepticism about its policies rising across both political parties, and online hostility accelerating faster than any traditional campaign can match. Since October 7, the government has mounted many serious outreach efforts: press briefings, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic missions. But the newly disclosed filings expose something else. Alongside legitimate advocacy, Israel has chosen gimmickry. Instead of clarity, truth, and conviction, it has turned to Delaware LLCs, foreign consultants, and TikTok influencers.
A Delaware shell called Bridges Partners LLC, created only months ago, has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to recruit a handful of American influencers. They are contracted to churn out 25 to 30 posts a month under the banner of the so-called Esther Project.
The campaign has even included high-profile meetings with influencers in New York, where they were praised as an important part of Israel’s effort to fight back online. The optics, however, told a different story. At a time when Israel needed gravity and persuasion, it was presenting lifestyle personalities whose main credential was follower counts. The contrast was unmistakable.
It is important to be clear: this is not a blanket criticism of the influencers themselves. Some genuinely produce creative and engaging content that resonates with audiences. Others, frankly, create work that is shallow or embarrassing and would be worth critiquing on its own terms. But the larger point is not about individual personalities. The issue is why the government of Israel is paying for this content at all, or paying them, instead of investing in the authentic voices whose experiences need no script.
The campaign runs deeper. Israel has signed a $1.5 million per month contract with Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s former digital strategist, to flood American screens with pro-Israel content. Parscale promises 100 ads a month and 5,000 variations, powered by AI tools designed to manipulate search engines and even chatbot outputs. This is industrial spin masquerading as strategy.
In total, Israel has allocated $150 million for global public diplomacy, twenty times past budgets. The aim is to win what officials call the “eighth front,” the battle for narrative. The reality is that this approach undermines credibility.
Public relations is necessary. Israel cannot ignore the digital battlefield. Propaganda and disinformation must be answered, and TikTok is where many young Americans now form their views. But fighting on TikTok does not require funneling millions to American influencers. Authentic voices exist. Survivors of October 7, wounded soldiers, displaced families, and bereaved parents can speak for themselves. Their testimony resonates because it is real. Outsourcing the task to Delaware LLCs produces content that looks contrived and often fails.
The waste would be bad enough. The insult is worse. Since October 7, Israel has been a nation of victims as well as fighters. Soldiers have been maimed. Widows and orphans struggle to rebuild their lives. Families driven from their homes live in uncertainty. Their stories are authentic, tragic, and powerful. They could move audiences more than any scripted campaign.
