The Israeli Foreign Ministry’s budget for the so-called “public diplomacy” in 2025 is expected to include massive allocation: $150 million — over 20 times what it was before the war began in 2023, Israeli media reported earlier last week.

The dramatic expenditure comes as public opinion about the Zionist entity around the world has been intensely battered as a result of the brutal war on Gaza that has killed has killed more than 45,000 people and left the strip in ruins with much of its population facing displacement, disease, and hunger.

Under the new budget, Israel’s Foreign Ministry will receive $150 million, on top of what it gets for its existing activities, for what’s officially known as public diplomacy, or in Hebrew, hasbara, The Jewish News of Northern California reported.

This massive increase is aimed at reshaping international opinion through aggressive propaganda campaigns targeting American college campuses, social media platforms, and the foreign press. The effort will be coordinated with American Jewish organizations and the Israeli Diaspora Affairs Ministry, according to Drop Site News.

🚨Breaking: Israel announces a dramatic expansion to its ‘Hasbara’ (propaganda) operations in 2025 budget. The Foreign Ministry will receive an additional $150 million on top of its existing budget, marking a staggering 20-fold increase in funding for “consciousness warfare”… https://t.co/SA21tpu6d2

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) December 30, 2024

This release is also believed to be the result of a political deal that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck last month to shore up his governing coalition. Politician Gideon Saar and his New Hope party agreed to rejoin the coalition in return for the funding and the appointment of Saar as the Zionist entity’s foreign minister.

Israeli media reported that Saar doesn’t have a detailed plan for how to spend the money yet, but at the time he signed the coalition agreement with Netanyahu, his office released a statement saying it would be used to influence sentiment in the foreign press and on social media.

Saar’s statement also said he foresees a focus on American college campuses, which have been rocked by pro-Palestinian protests since the war broke out in October 2023.

Source: Agencies