In a new front of its global propaganda war, the Israeli government has contracted a U.S.-based firm named Clock Tower X LLC — a media startup focused on Gen Z audiences — with a $6 million deal to produce digital content on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and similar platforms. The campaign aims to secure at least 50 million monthly impressions, primarily targeting Western youth increasingly detached from pro-Israeli narratives.
Israel’s Propaganda Machine Goes Digital
This effort is part of Israel’s ongoing hasbara campaign — a Hebrew term meaning “explanation” but used politically to describe Israel’s state-sponsored propaganda operations designed to justify its actions, polish its image, and distort the truth about its occupation and wars, particularly its genocidal campaign in Gaza over the past two years.
Exploiting Artificial Intelligence
Clock Tower’s role extends beyond social media videos. The company plans to launch websites and media platforms aimed at influencing how AI systems — including ChatGPT — interpret and respond to topics related to Israel.
Because large language models learn from vast amounts of internet content, shaping online narratives means shaping AI behaviour. In other words, this contract seeks to bias AI models to reproduce Israel-friendly talking points — effectively training artificial intelligence to echo Zionist propaganda on behalf of the Israeli government.
According to the investigative outlet Responsible Statecraft, Clock Tower will also employ the predictive SEO platform MarketBrew AI, which helps users manipulate search algorithms and boost visibility. This tool will be used to elevate pro-Israel narratives across search engines while suppressing alternative voices that expose Israel’s crimes.
Partnership with Conservative Media Networks
The company will embed these pro-Israel messages through Salem Media Network, a conservative Christian broadcasting group in the U.S. that owns major radio programs such as The Hugh Hewitt Show, The Larry Elder Show, and The Right View with Lara Trump.
In April 2025, Salem Media announced that Donald Trump Jr. and Lara Trump became key investors. When asked whether the company would be compensated by Clock Tower for promoting Israeli messaging, Salem Media declined to comment.
At the centre of this campaign is Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager and the strategist behind the controversial data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 U.S. election. Parscale now leads Clock Tower and simultaneously serves as Chief Strategy Officer of Salem Media — linking political influence, digital targeting, and propaganda in one ecosystem.
Fighting “Antisemitism” or Manufacturing Consent?
Public filings under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) reveal that Clock Tower was hired to run a nationwide campaign to “combat antisemitism.” In practice, such campaigns often conflate legitimate criticism of Israeli war crimes with antisemitism — silencing activists, academics, and journalists who expose the occupation.
Clock Tower’s main Israeli contact is Eran Shayovich, Chief of Staff at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On LinkedIn, he describes himself as the head of Project 545, which aims to “strengthen Israel’s strategic communications and public diplomacy.”
Targeting a Disillusioned Generation
Israel’s choice of Gen Z-oriented media is not random. A Gallup poll (July 2025) found that only 9% of Americans aged 18–34 support Israel’s ongoing military assault on Gaza. Other surveys confirm a sharp decline in Israel’s popularity among young Americans.
To counter this shift, Clock Tower will produce a “research report on American culture, demographics, and sentiments toward Israel.” A similar study by Stagwell Global, another U.S. firm working for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, reportedly found that 47% of Americans believe Israel is committing genocide — a result leaked to the outlet Drop Site.
Netanyahu: “Social Media Is Our Most Powerful Weapon”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a meeting with pro-Israel influencers, openly described social media as “Israel’s most powerful weapon.”
“We must use the tools of battle,” Netanyahu said. “Weapons change with time — you can’t fight today with swords. Our most important weapons are social media platforms.”
Netanyahu even promoted a potential acquisition of TikTok by pro-Israel investors, including Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle and one of the largest private donors to the Israeli army. “I hope the deal goes through,” Netanyahu remarked, “because it could have a massive impact.”
A Web of Western Partnerships
Clock Tower operates under contract with the Havas Media Network, which itself handles propaganda work for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Havas has subcontracted several American PR firms to flood Western media with pro-Israel messaging.
Earlier this month, Sludge reported that Havas hired SKDK Knickerbocker, a U.S. public-relations agency aligned with the Democratic Party, under a $600,000 deal to manage an online “bot farm” amplifying pro-Israel narratives on social media.
That SKDK project ended just as Clock Tower’s campaign began. When Politico asked SKDK about the sudden termination, the company refused to explain, stating only that “the work has fulfilled its purpose.”
From Propaganda to Persecution: AI as a Weapon
Israel’s exploitation of artificial intelligence goes far beyond online messaging. Recently, the occupation authorities arrested a young Palestinian from the 1948-occupied territories after gaining access to his private ChatGPT conversations. He was detained without charge for twelve months, accused only of “suspicious AI interactions.”
Palestinian lawyer Khaled Mahajneh called the case “unprecedented,” revealing that the student was denied access to legal counsel and interrogated about his private AI chats.
“Intelligence agencies now treat communication with AI as a potential crime,” Mahajneh warned. “People are being monitored and detained solely for such interactions.”
He added:
“A Palestinian youth has been under administrative detention for months simply because of his ChatGPT conversations. His curiosity was twisted into a pretext for arrest.”
Understanding “Hasbara”
Hasbara literally means “explanation” in Hebrew — yet in practice, it refers to the systematic Israeli effort to justify occupation and whitewash war crimes. The state’s hasbara apparatus is run jointly by the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Information, Tourism Ministry, and the Prime Minister’s Office, alongside the military spokesperson’s unit that markets the Israeli army as “ethical and advanced.”
The objectives of hasbara include:
- Justifying government policies during crises;
- Managing international media narratives;
- Building a so-called “national brand”;
- Maintaining support from Jewish communities and political allies abroad.
Its tools range from media recruitment and content manufacturing to social-media campaigns, cultural diplomacy, academic influence, and digital psychological operations. In recent years, Israel has expanded its digital propaganda through AI tools, influencer networks, and algorithmic manipulation to dominate online discourse — especially among young audiences.
Conclusion
Israel’s latest partnership with Clock Tower reveals a new phase in hasbara: one that merges artificial intelligence, Western media power, and political lobbying to re-engineer truth itself.
As public opinion shifts against Israeli aggression, the occupation regime now seeks not only to silence human voices — but to train machines to defend its crimes.
