How much do social media influencers get paid to promote Israeli tourism?
Executive summary
Documents filed under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and reported by Responsible Statecraft and others show a roughly $900,000 influencer campaign run for Israel from mid‑June to late 2025 that planned 25–30 posts monthly across platforms and aimed to recruit 14–18 creators; outlets calculated this could imply “about $7,000 per post” but the filings do not name individual payments or contracts [1] [2] [3]. Critics say the filings indicate up to $7,000 per post; defenders note the FARA invoices show a blended campaign budget including production and do not prove per‑post payouts [1] [4].
1. What the filings actually show — a $900,000 campaign, not named per‑invoices
FARA disclosures tied to a Bridges Partners / Havas Media Group Germany arrangement list roughly $900,000 earmarked for an “Influencer Campaign” running mid‑June through November/December 2025 and describe recruiting 14–18 influencers to post between 25 and 30 pro‑Israel posts a month across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms; the filing notes the budget covers “payments for influencers and production,” but it does not attach individual creator contracts or bank records in the public filing [2] [3] [4].
2. How the $7,000‑per‑post figure was derived and contested
Reporters and analysts derived the headline “$7,000 per post” by dividing the disclosed campaign sums by the reported number of influencers and posts, an approach described in multiple outlets; Responsible Statecraft said influencers were “likely being paid around $7,000 per post” while critics such as HonestReporting and others stress the FARA filing shows a blended, planned campaign and does not constitute definitive proof of fixed $7,000 pay‑per‑post contracts [1] [4] [2].
3. What supporters and critics are saying about transparency and legality
FARA experts quoted in reporting argue that influencers paid by a foreign government to influence U.S. audiences should register under FARA and disclose sponsorships; critics and watchdogs have called for disclosure of named creators so Americans can know who is behind promoted messages [5] [6]. Defenders of government digital diplomacy counter that public diplomacy and paid campaigns are routine, that the filing shows a planned public diplomacy campaign, and that the FARA documents do not prove secret per‑post payments [4].
4. Operational details the filings include — scale and targets
The disclosures describe a program aimed especially at younger audiences (Gen Z) with a target of tens of millions of impressions monthly and use of platform formats such as TikTok and Instagram; the campaign also referenced broader objectives such as shaping AI and information responses and mobilizing evangelical or pro‑Israel audiences, according to related reporting [3] [7].
5. What the public record does not show — names and itemized payroll
Available sources repeatedly note the filings do not list individual influencer names, itemized per‑post invoices, or bank transfers to specific creators; multiple outlets say the necessary evidence to prove $7,000‑per‑post payouts would be named contracts, invoices to individual creators, or payment records — none of which the public FARA filing attached [4] [2]. Therefore, claims that any specific influencer received a precise dollar amount are not proven in the cited filings [4].
6. Why this matters — influence, audience trust and law
Observers frame the issue as both a public‑information and legal problem: undisclosed foreign‑funded messaging can mislead audiences about source and intent, and experts cite FARA’s registration and disclosure obligations when foreign governments pay to influence U.S. public opinion; advocates for transparency say Americans deserve to know who is being paid to shape discourse [5] [6].
7. Competing narratives and possible agendas in reporting
Coverage ranges from outlets emphasizing a covert propaganda frame and large per‑post payouts (Responsible Statecraft, Middle East Eye, Truthout) to outlets urging caution and nuance, calling the $7,000 claim sensational without named contracts (HonestReporting) — readers should note both the political stakes (criticisms of Israeli policy) and possible motivations of outlets and commentators in amplifying or disputing the headline number [1] [3] [4].
8. Bottom line for readers seeking the truth
The FARA filings publicly confirm a roughly $900,000 influencer campaign plan and its scale; the widely circulated “$7,000 per post” figure is a plausible arithmetic interpretation of that budget but is not proven by named invoices or contracts in the disclosed documents. Absent individual contracts or payment records, assertions about exact per‑post payments remain unproven in the available reporting [1] [4] [2].