Google reportedly in $45m deal with Netanyahu’s office to promote messages on Gaza
Google is reportedly involved in a six-month, $45 million contract with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office to amplify government messaging and downplay the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The contract, signed in late June, identifies Google as a “key entity” supporting Netanyahu’s public relations strategy. Government ads, including a YouTube video claiming “there is food in Gaza,” have been widely promoted, with the video viewed more than six million times. Ads were run via YouTube and Google’s Display & Video 360 platform and described in documents as “hasbara,” a term often translated as propaganda, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 185 people, including 12 children, died of starvation in August, the highest monthly toll since Israel’s war on Gaza began nearly two years ago. Over 43,000 children under five are malnourished, along with 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Israel also spent millions on digital ads with other platforms, including $3 million on X and $2.1 million with Outbrain/Teads.
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