Israel to fund tour of MAGA-supporter influencers for favourable Palestine narrative: Report

Right-wing social media influencers from the United States will tour Israel under an initiativefunded by the latter's foreign ministry, a report said. The planned tour will entail 16 influencers touring Israel. These influencers, all aged below 30, will be the supporters of US President Donald Trump's MAGA (Make America Great Again) and America First campaigns.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that these influencers have hundreds of millions of followers on social media. The motive behind the exercise is to spur support for the Israeli government among American youths.

The Israeli government has been facing backlash in several Western countries for its protracted war in Gaza, where an alleged blockade of humanitarian support has triggered a food crisis. The report didn't specify any date for the initiative.

Yacov Livne, senior deputy director of the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Department of Public Diplomacy, told the Israeli publication that amid support for Trump's MAGA, it is imperative for the country that the movement adopt a pro-Israel position.

The country's foreign ministry said it aimed to bring 550 such influencers to Israel by the end of this year by organising funded tours.

The ministry said the campaign assumed importance because the positive perspectives towards Israel are falling across all younger age groups. However, it noted that Israel enjoys the support of the Republicans and American conservatives.

Haaretz reported, quoting sources, that the influencers will be pushed to share with their followers a narrative that aligns with Israel's policy on the Palestinians.

“Their networks have huge followings, and their messages are more effective than if they came directly from the ministry," it added.

Israel365 will conduct these tours. The organisation promotes support for Israel, specifically among Christians, based on biblical principles. It "stands unapologetically for the Jewish people’s God-given right to the entire Land of Israel”, reads its website.

The government will pay $86000 to the organisation to carry out the tour.

Thousands of Palestinians have died in Israeli attacks since October 2023. Israel attacked Gaza in response to Hamas' attack, in which over 1200 Israelis, mostly civilians, died.