• By Al Mayadeen English
• Source: The Responsible Statecraft
• 1 Oct 2025 

A Responsible Statecraft investigation revealed that “Israel” is paying Western influencers up to $7,000 per post to spread pro-“Israel” propaganda and obscure global awareness of its genocidal war on Gaza, using US-based firms to coordinate the covert campaign.

Responsible Statecraft on Wednesday published an investigative report uncovering how the Israeli government is secretly bankrolling a vast social media influence campaign, paying Western content creators thousands of dollars per post to launder pro-“Israel” propaganda online as Palestinian civilians continue to be massacred in Gaza.

The investigation, authored by Nick Cleveland-Stout, reveals that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally endorsed the effort, urging Israeli officials and media allies to coordinate messaging through paid influencers.

“We have to fight back. How do we fight back? Our influencers. I think you should also talk to them if you have a chance, to that community, they are very important,” Netanyahu said at a closed-door meeting Friday, openly acknowledging the regime’s strategy to shape public opinion through paid social media figures.

According to US filings under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), “Israel’s” Ministry of Foreign Affairs contracted Bridge Partners, a Washington DC-based lobbying and public relations firm, to manage the covert operation, codenamed the “Esther Project.” The project, coordinated with Havas Media Group Germany, carries a budget of $900,000, spanning June to November 2025.

After subtracting legal and administrative costs, approximately $552,946 was allocated for direct influencer payments between June and September. With 75 to 90 paid posts projected in that timeframe, each influencer could be earning between $6,100 and $7,300 per post, effectively turning social media feeds into a battlefield of paid Israeli state messaging.

Neither Havas nor Bridge Partners responded to questions from reporters seeking clarity on which influencers were hired or what guidelines governed their content.