Digital Strategists: A Network of “Manipulation” in USA for Israel

Recent documents and records reveal the rise of an influential network in Washington, largely led by the architects of fierce electoral campaigns for both the Republican and Democratic parties, who refer to themselves as "digital strategists." Through companies they own, they manage propaganda and influence campaigns on behalf of "Israel," which have been active since the beginning of the Gaza war, directing influencers, public relations firms, and traditional media to advance the Israeli narrative in the face of the rising Palestinian narrative.

Numerous media reports have highlighted the role of public relations firms in America in promoting Israeli propaganda since the Gaza war. However, this investigation takes a broader look at what can be described as the "masterminds behind manipulation projects," placing their expertise in "algorithm manipulation" and big data at the disposal of the Israeli government in exchange for multimillion-dollar contracts.

Relying on official U.S. records, "Arabi Post" delves deeper into the details of a complex network of companies, intermediaries, and financiers, where the digital targeting tactics that helped propel Donald Trump to the White House have evolved into a machine operating on behalf of the government in Tel Aviv, reshaping American public opinion in favor of the Israeli narrative, or "digital hasbara" (Hasbara)—the Israeli term referring to the country's official public relations and public diplomacy strategy abroad, and the mechanism it uses to justify its actions, defend its policies, and improve its image before the world.

Under the umbrella of global public relations firms that serve as a trusted "commercial intermediary," legal and financial cover is provided for a network of subsidiary companies specializing in high-tech "manipulation projects," transforming "spontaneous opinion" on social media platforms into a paid commodity and into integrated propaganda projects that serve Israel.

This investigation traces the threads of this network and the relationships among its components by examining records under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of the U.S. Department of Justice, starting with the (Israeli) financier, the intermediary between them (subcontracting firms), and the executor (American companies), as well as the contracts concluded among these parties during the period from the beginning of the war on Gaza up to the date of publishing these lines. It is noted that some of these companies were in fact established after 2023, that is, after the start of the war.