Story perspectives

Israel's $700 M US Influence Budget Features $45 M Parscale Contract

7/21/2026

Summary

Story summary

Israel’s 2026 budget allocated over $700 million to public-diplomacy, the largest foreign-government spend on U.S. influence operations.
The budget paid at least $50 million to U.S. firms, including a $45 million contract with Brad Parscale’s company and $6.5 million to Sparkfire for an AI-generated “Friends for Peace” texting campaign to thousands of U.S. phones.
Show Faith by Works spent $3 million on geofencing ads targeting Christian college students and megachurch members in the Southwest.

History

Historical Context

During the 2016 U.S. election, Russia’s Internet Research Agency used thousands of fake accounts and Facebook ads that reached an estimated 126 million Americans, prompting later U.S. investigations and tighter platform rules. Israel’s 2026 budget now earmarks $700 million for U.S. public-diplomacy firms to run AI-driven texting and geofencing campaigns, echoing the earlier Russian disinformation playbook.

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Story summary

Israel’s 2026 budget allocated over $700 million to public-diplomacy, the largest foreign-government spend on U.S. influence operations.
The budget paid at least $50 million to U.S. firms, including a $45 million contract with Brad Parscale’s company and $6.5 million to Sparkfire for an AI-generated “Friends for Peace” texting campaign to thousands of U.S. phones.
Show Faith by Works spent $3 million on geofencing ads targeting Christian college students and megachurch members in the Southwest.

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