Israel ramps up propaganda blitz, allocates $150 million to gloss over genocide

By Alireza Akbari

Amid the raging genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, the Israeli regime is intensifying its propaganda blitz, allocating unprecedented funds to shape global public opinion.

Israeli foreign ministry's annual budget for so-called "public diplomacy", also known as Hasbara, has surged to a staggering $150 million in 2025, marking a 20-fold increase from last year.

The move aims to whitewash the apartheid regime's appalling war crimes in Gaza and repair its battered international image, as global condemnation grows over its continued genocidal campaign.

The generous allocation of funds, aimed at amplifying pro-Zionist propaganda, comes as global public opinion has sharply turned against the Tel Aviv regime due to its war of extermination in Gaza.

Since the launch of the war on October 7, 2023, the Israeli regime has unleashed 88,000 tons of explosives on the tiny besieged territory, destroying houses, hospitals, schools and refugee camps.

The war has killed nearly 46,000 people and injured around 109,000 in the past 15 months. Among the martyrs are over 17,800 children and 12,300 women, according to Gaza's health ministry.

The ministry has documented more than 9,000 massacres against Palestinians during this period with tens of thousands displaced and rendered homeless, and many more grappling with hunger.

Under the new budget announced earlier this week, the Israeli regime's foreign ministry is expected to receive massive funds for its so-called "public diplomacy" efforts, in order to wash the stains. 

Under this program, the ministry intends to hire social media influencers, public opinion leaders and celebrities to repair the tattered image of the child-murdering regime in Tel Aviv.

Unmasking the evil spirit of Hasbara

Hasbara, a Hebrew term for "explanation," is used by Israelis to refer to propaganda aimed at altering global perceptions of Israel.

What is Hasbara?

Hasbara refers to the Israeli apartheid regime's "public diplomacy" efforts that are aimed at shaping international perceptions and justifying its never-ending genocidal war crimes against Palestinians. 

The term was popularized in the early 20th century by Polish Zionist activist Nahum Sokolow, who described it as a strategy that “seeks to explain actions, whether or not they are justified.” 

Historically, Hasbara evolved from early Zionist propaganda efforts, where Arabic-speaking Jews sought to camouflage Zionism's real goals to Arab communities. 

Today, it encompasses modern communication methods, including social media campaigns, to counter various narratives about Israel's deadly offensives and policies in the occupied Palestinian territories. 

According to Zionist watchers, Hasbara functions as a euphemism for propaganda, distorting facts to present the occupation regime as a victim while portraying occupied Palestinians as aggressors.

Prominent Zionist lobby groups such as AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAI) provide resources and training for advocates to engage in Hasbara.

For instance, the Jewish Agency is tasked with sponsoring Hasbara Fellowships in different countries, which train students to promote pro-Zionist and anti-Palestine views on university campuses.

The Israeli regime directly supports these initiatives, with dedicated offices within ministries such as foreign affairs and diaspora affairs.

Since October 2023, and amid the genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, these efforts have dramatically escalated, which is evident by the 20-fold increase in this year's Hasbara budget. 

According to experts, the steep rise in the Israeli regime's Hasbara budget this year is linked to growing anger and outrage across the world over the Israeli regime's ongoing genocidal war crimes in Gaza.

The arrest warrants issued against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as well as the historic rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Gaza genocide have contributed to the surge in anti-Zionist sentiment worldwide. 

The daily war crimes and massacres in Gaza, according to experts, have put the Israeli regime in a dangerous position with even pro-regime voices now calling for the end of occupation in Palestine.

The recent Israeli military raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, which led to the mass detention of medical staff, including the hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, triggered widespread protests globally, which still continue.

In New York City, demonstrators outside the Israeli consulate chanted "Free Gaza!" and "Stop the Siege!" In London, crowds at Trafalgar Square held signs reading "Healthcare is a Human Right" and "End Israeli Apartheid."

Activists in Paris marched near the Eiffel Tower, shouting "Solidarity with Palestine!" and "No More War Crimes."

In Berlin, protesters at Brandenburg Gate displayed banners saying "Defend Medical Facilities!" and "Justice for Gaza!" In Toronto, rallies at Nathan Phillips Square echoed calls for "Peace in Palestine."

These demonstrations indicate growing anti-Israel sentiment across the Western world, where governments have been complicit in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

According to the Israeli daily The Times of Israel, the allocation of the budget comes as "public opinion" about the Israeli regime in the United States and other countries has been "intensely battered."

Israeli regime's foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar was quoted as saying that the budget would be directed toward influencing "sentiment in the foreign press and on social media."

Sa'ar also stated his intention to focus on "American college campuses," adding that the initiative will be carried out in cooperation with American Zionist groups.

In April 2024, a wave of college protests swept across the US, marking a significant escalation in student activism regarding the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza.

The movement began at Columbia University on April 17, when students set up the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" with around 50 tents, demanding the university divest from companies supporting Israel.

Following police intervention and mass arrests on April 18, solidarity encampments quickly spread to over 100 campuses nationwide, which were suppressed by law enforcement agencies.

The Israeli daily Maariv quoted Sa'ar as saying that he was determined to make a change.

“Every shekel devoted to this cause is an investment, not an expense, and will strengthen Israel and its standing in the world," he said, referring to the Hasbara project. 

According to reports, he has held sessions with social media influencers, cultural figures, and public diplomacy advocates abroad to discuss strategies for implementing the plan. Among the attendees at these sessions were former Israeli officials, media influencers, and even comedians.

On Thursday, Sa'ar held a meeting with a group of candidates and emphasized the need for a strategic shift in the regime's approach, referring to the effort as "consciousness warfare" rather than "Hasbara."

Throughout the session, Sa'ar reiterated how the distorted Israeli regime image worldwide has constrained Tel Aviv’s political leadership's ability to maneuver on the international stage.

Meanwhile, activists have criticized and ridiculed the move, arguing that it seeks to justify the regime's genocidal campaign in Gaza, which has drawn widespread international condemnation.

The budget increase for the so-called "public diplomacy" coincides with intensified Israeli military raids on Gaza's health facilities, including Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.

The last functioning health facility in northern Gaza was recently fully evacuated, and medical staff were detained, with no information available regarding their whereabouts.

Since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, 1,068 medical staff members have been martyred. Additionally, 331 medical personnel have been detained, with many executed inside prisons.

The Israeli attacks have rendered 34 hospitals non-functional, forced the closure of 80 health centers, and targeted 162 health facilities. At least seven mass graves have been identified inside hospitals.

As the Israeli foreign ministry announced its increased budget for influencers, corporate figure Van Jones appeared alongside Noa Tishby, a producer, actress, and outspoken supporter of Israeli policies.

On December 29, Tishby shared a video on her X account (formerly Twitter) featuring Jones participating in lighting the "first-ever Hanukkah candle.”

"@VanJones68 joins me to light his first-ever Hanukkah candle. We talked about the powerful bond between the Black and Jewish communities and the importance of showing up for one another," she wrote, with many linking it to the new Hasbara project. 

Tishby described Jones as "one of the strongest allies the Jewish community has had in recent years." The American author responded by saying they seek to "repair the world."

The video sparked backlash on social media. Some commented on Tishby’s post by highlighting instances of mistreatment of Black individuals by illegal settlers in the occupied territories. 

“This is how your people treat Black people in IsraHell!” wrote a user named Truth Seeker.

On its X account, Drop Site shared a video showing young boys planting a barrel and explained that “coordinated Hasbara campaigns” usually involve prominent propagandists (Hasbaraists), who spread the same misinformation despite substantial evidence to the contrary.

It also documented how the same undated video was shared by propagandist accounts, all claiming that the young boys were Hamas members planting bombs near a hospital in Gaza.

The page further noted that the video was initially shared by COGAT, the Israeli regime body responsible for coordinating aid into Gaza, and was amplified by prominent Hasbarists.

According to the account, this release coincided with global outrage over Israel’s attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, during which the hospital was burned down, its director abducted and reportedly sent to one of Israel’s notorious prisons for torture.

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