"A cross-border investigation by members of the Eurovision News Spotlight, including DW Fact check, has uncovered that the state of Israel has used its Government Advertising Agencyto run paid international campaigns aimed at shaping public opinion in parts of Europe and North America. For at least a year, an Israeli YouTube accounthas been running ad campaigns that discredit UN agencies and challenge the findings of internationally recognized watchdogs."
"A government document reveals that at least 42 million (approx. $49 million) has been spent on ad campaigns across platforms like YouTube and X since mid-June 2025. These efforts are part of Israel's broader public diplomacy strategy known as "Hasbara," a Hebrew term which roughly translates to "explaining" and is used to describe efforts to promote Israel's image abroad."
"Two videos were promoted via paid ads on the official YouTube channel of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is verified with a black check mark.The videos show markets full of food and restaurants serving meals, allegedly filmed in Gaza during July and August 2025. They feature onscreen text and an AI-generated voiceover, ending with the statement: "There is food in Gaza. Any other claim is a lie.""
Members of a cross-border investigation found that the state of Israel used its Government Advertising Agency to run paid international campaigns shaping public opinion in parts of Europe and North America. An Israeli YouTube account ran ads discrediting UN agencies and challenging watchdog findings for at least a year. A government document shows at least 42 million (approx. $49 million) spent across platforms like YouTube and X since mid-June 2025 as part of a Hasbara public diplomacy strategy. On August 22 paid videos on the official Israeli MFA YouTube channel denied a Gaza famine, showed markets and restaurants, used an AI voiceover, were viewed over 18 million times, and were published in multiple European languages. YouTube ads can be targeted by gender, age and region, and campaigns targeted viewers in several European countries.
Read at www.dw.com
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