The Israeli foreign ministry has announced plans to fund a tour of Israel for 16 right-wing social media influencers from the United States who support US President Donald Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) and America First campaigns. According to a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the influencers, each with hundreds of thousands to millions of followers, will be flown to Israel to counter what the Israeli government perceives as declining support for Israel among young Americans.
Yacov Livne, senior deputy director of the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Department of Public Diplomacy, emphasized the importance of aligning the MAGA movement with a pro-Israel stance. “With the rise of the America First movement and MAGA in American politics, it’s essential for Israel that the movement adopt a pro-Israel position,” he said.
The Israeli foreign ministry aims to bring 550 influencer delegations to Israel by the end of the year through such tours. The ministry believes that older Republicans and American conservatives still hold pro-Israel views, but positive perspectives towards Israel are falling across all younger age groups.
The influencers will be encouraged to share messaging that aligns with Israeli policy regarding the Palestinians. An unnamed source from the ministry highlighted the effectiveness of working with influencers, stating, “Their networks have huge followings and their messages are more effective than if they came directly from the ministry.”
The tour will be carried out through an organization called Israel365, which promotes support for Israel, specifically among Christians, based on biblical principles. Israel365’s website asserts the group’s stance on the Jewish people’s right to the entire Land of Israel and rejects a two-state solution as a “delusion”.
The Israeli foreign ministry has allocated 290,000 shekels ($86,000) for the tour. Since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, Israel365 has deepened ties with MAGA and America First movements, appearing at their major events and helping recruit prominent conservative figures to visit Israel.