Israel directed at least $50 million to American companies to bolster its image among US citizens, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Saturday.

The account indicated that the Israeli government engaged at least six firms to shape favorable public sentiment in the United States. It further noted that more than three dozen additional individuals, many from marketing backgrounds, have registered as foreign agents representing Israel.

These developments occur amid polling data showing that 42 percent of American adults hold unfavorable views of Israeli citizens, while 69 percent express negative opinions of the Israeli government, based on a July survey by the Pew Research Center.

The Wall Street Journal stated that Israel's 2026 budget for enhancing its global image was set above $700 million. In 2025 the Foreign Ministry obtained an extra $150 million beyond regular funding specifically for public diplomacy activities known as hasbara.

Israel spends record numbers on Hasbara in 2026

That amount exceeded typical annual hasbara allocations by more than twenty times in previous years.

For 2026 the government assigned approximately $730 million, surpassing the 2025 figure by more than four times.

Researcher Nick Cleveland-Stout of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft informed the Wall Street Journal that Israel appears positioned to outspend every other nation on efforts to shape US public opinion, according to disclosures filed with federal authorities this year.

Previously countries including Qatar directed around $400 billion toward influencing American views, as noted in a June memo from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The Wall Street Journal account also highlighted recent claims that former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale was retained to support Israeli initiatives.

The report specified that Parscale, currently chief strategy officer at Salem Media, received more than $45 million to develop multiple campaigns aimed at improving Israel's standing in the United States.

Salem Media operates as a conservative Christian media organization featuring commentators such as Scott Jennings, Hugh Hewitt, and Lara Trump.

His agreement focused on integrating narrative messaging across Salem Media Network properties and related channels, representing the largest contract detailed in the Wall Street Journal coverage.

Both Parscale and Salem Media clarified that they do not compensate hosts, who generally support Israel, to deliver scripted statements. They indicated the funds supported acquisition of more than half a million dollars in network advertising.

Our hosts have built their careers by saying exactly what they think, not by reading from someone else's script, Salem Chief Executive David Santrella stated to the Wall Street Journal.

Israel courts conservatives to help influence Americans' declining public opinions

The existential threat to Israel is misinformation, from any side, Parscale remarked to the Wall Street Journal.

Last week Time Magazine reported that Parscale conducted a campaign criticizing the US-Iran ceasefire.

Under an arrangement between Havas advertising agency and Parscale's Clock Tower X, the team would generate 100 original content pieces monthly, directing at least 80 percent toward Gen Z audiences on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and podcasts, according to Time.

He further committed to amplifying the effort across social media in coordination with the Salem Media partnership while presenting the initiative as a response to rising antisemitism online.

The Wall Street Journal noted that Parscale informed Israeli officials during a 2024 trip that companies he founded were probably the largest entity outside of Fox News combating misinformation and Jewish hatred.

Time reported that Parscale assured the campaign would deliver at least 50 million digital impressions monthly while shaping how AI systems such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google's Gemini portray Israel and related conflicts.

The Wall Street Journal added that portions of Parscale's contracts included launching artificial-intelligence-generated messages to thousands of US residents framed as sharing perspectives on the US-Israel relationship.

The report mentioned that Parscale's AI tools directed users to sites such as Allyvia.org, developed by his team, to provide information about the partnership.

The objective of the AI component was to identify major US citizen concerns regarding Israel, address them, and relay findings to the government, Parscale explained to the Wall Street Journal.

One Foreign Ministry source informed Time that an additional goal involved preventing young conservatives from shifting away from Israel, an area where the ministry viewed Parscale as especially effective.

The former Trump campaign manager rejected the account and told Time he had never funded, organized, or joined any effort to undermine President Trump, including matters related to the Memorandum of Understanding or ceasefire proposal.

Beyond Parscale, the Israeli government employs additional firms to improve American perceptions.

One organization, Show Faith by Works, submitted filings describing plans to deliver pro-Israel messages to roughly 4 million megachurch members and Christian college students in the American Southwest via a geofencing effort, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Show Faith by Works indicated it would promote positive associations with the Nation of Israel while connecting the Palestinian population to extremist groups.

In the proposed $3 million initiative the group aimed to engage figures such as actor Chris Pratt or NBA player Steph Curry.

In a subsequent message the group's founder, Chad Schnitger, informed the Wall Street Journal that the organization had chosen a different approach and would direct funds toward creating a mobile museum with video content.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that Israel or its representatives compensated influencers across the political spectrum to strengthen public perception without specifying payments for individual posts. The account noted that Christian influencers Stefanie and Caleb Rouse received $4,500 from an Israeli contractor in 2025 for strategic marketing promotion, though the couple declined to comment.

With midterm elections approaching in September and presidential contests still years away, Israel faces significant challenges in safeguarding its key alliance.