Google has come under fire for signing a $45 million contract with Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office to run a global digital ad campaign aimed at promoting the Israeli government’s narrative during its offensive in Gaza. The deal, reportedly concluded in June 2025, covers advertisements on YouTube and Google’s Display & Video 360 platform.
Documents describe the effort as state-backed propaganda known in Hebrew as “hasbara” intended to counter international criticism amid what UN agencies have termed a man-made famine in Gaza. Among the campaign’s most viral outputs was a YouTube video falsely asserting, “There is food in Gaza. Any other claim is a lie,” which garnered over six million views.
The broader campaign, coordinated by Israel’s occupation Government Advertising Agency under Prime Minister Netanyahu, also included targeted ads across X (formerly Twitter), and Meta platforms to discredit both UN agencies like UNRWA and pro-Palestinian legal groups.
Human rights organizations and UN officials have voiced concern that the campaign amplifies genocide denial and propaganda, with UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese accusing Google of profiting from the humanitarian crisis.
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