With a 780% increase.. How Israel’s propaganda machine expanded over three years to 2.2 billion shekels to confront boycott movements

An investigation conducted by the website Arabic Post revealed how Israel's efforts to counter the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement evolved between 2024 and 2026 from a limited public-relations issue into a multi-front state apparatus combining massive government funding, legal engineering, and cross-border influence networks.

Official budget data and Israeli government documents reviewed by us showed that spending related to the propaganda apparatus and efforts to combat boycott movements surged from tens and hundreds of millions to billions of shekels. Israeli efforts also expanded to include not only traditional media campaigns, but also American universities, state legislatures, and even arenas of international law.

The investigation relied on an analysis of dozens of official Israeli documents, including state budget books (2024–2026), Knesset protocols, documents from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs and the Prime Minister's Office, government reports and official funding programs, as well as investigative reports and leaked documents.