Israel has spent tens of millions to purchase ads viewed by 45 million Europeans in the past month
Israel is spending millions of dollars each day on an expansive advertising campaign across YouTube, aimed at shifting European public opinion in support of its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and its recent unprovoked attack on Iran, according to a new investigation by MintPress News published on 18 July.
The report reveals that the Israeli Government Advertising Agency has paid for ads, translated into five languages, that have reached at least 45 million YouTube users in the past month. These ads target viewers in the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Greece, and portray Israel as both a victim of terrorism and a global force for good.
In one ad, viewers hear: “A fanatical [Iranian] regime firing missiles at civilians, while racing towards nuclear weapons … We will finish the mission for our people, for humanity. Israel does what must be done.”
Another warns Europeans of a looming threat from Iran’s missile program: “Iran is developing missiles with ranges of approximately 4,000 kilometers … placing Europe within striking distance,” as blood-red graphics engulf the continent.
Other ads use emotional appeals, such as depicting mothers with newborns under Iranian rocket fire, insisting that while Iran targets civilians, Israel responds with “precision” and only hits military targets.
However, MintPress highlights the factual inaccuracies in these ads. While the Israeli government claims to avoid civilian casualties, at least 935 Iranians have been killed in Israeli strikes since 13 June, compared to just 28 Israeli deaths from retaliatory Iranian missile fire.
At the same time, Israel has destroyed or damaged 94 percent of hospitals in Gaza, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 697 Israeli attacks on medical facilities.
Reports from UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies confirm that Israeli forces have killed or injured over 50,000 Palestinian children and killed more than 1,400 medical personnel. Among them was Dr Adnan al-Bursh, who was tortured to death in Israeli custody.
Despite Israel’s ongoing aid blockade in Gaza, which has caused 66 Palestinian children to die of malnutrition, the ads claim the country is conducting “one of the largest humanitarian operations in the world.” One promotional video from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declares: “This is what real aid looks like. Smiles don’t lie. Hamas does.”
The investigation also points to the failure of Google, which owns YouTube, to enforce its own advertising policies, which prohibit content that promotes hatred, violence, or discrimination.
All of the videos cited by MintPress are listed in Google’s Ads Transparency Center as paid content from the Israeli government.
The campaign is just one facet of a much larger public diplomacy effort. Israel’s foreign PR budget has grown by over 2,000 percent, with an additional $150 million allocated to the Foreign Ministry for such initiatives.