Leaked emails expose Israel’s hidden media influence campaign in US: Report

Leaked emails from the account of former Israeli military chief Gabi Ashkenazi have reportedly revealed new details about a covert influence campaign aimed at shaping US media coverage in favor of Israel.

According to Responsible Statecraft, the documents leaked by the Handala hacking group show that Act for Israel — a now-defunct advocacy group founded by Israeli-American actress Noa Tishby — worked closely with Israeli officials to secure favorable interviews, coordinate media trips, and cultivate pro-Israel messaging in American news outlets.

According to the leaked documents, Act for Israel stepped in during March 2011 when the Israeli consulate in New York sought help securing interviews for a delegation of Israeli soldiers visiting the US.

The group reportedly arranged seven high-profile media appearances, promoting “Israel’s narrative” to influential US blogs and radio programs — efforts that experts say should have been publicly disclosed.

Ben Freeman of the Quincy Institute called the revelations “a slam-dunk case” of activities requiring foreign-agent registration, saying the leak confirms long-standing suspicions that Israel and affiliated activists engaged in undisclosed influence operations inside the US.

The emails depict Act for Israel as operating with deep collaboration from Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs.

Internal documents describe fully funded media junkets requiring participants to publish a minimum number of articles afterward.

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The 2011 trip included meetings with senior Israeli officials and briefings on security issues, including Iran. Participants included several figures who later secured prominent positions in the US media.

The documents also show that Act for Israel actively sought support from US-based pro-Israel donors and positioned itself as a rapid-response vehicle against international campaigns critical of Israel, including Gaza aid flotillas that carried humanitarian aid and construction materials, intending to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

In a 2011 letter uncovered in the leak, then-Israeli president Shimon Peres praised the organization for helping fight what he called “a new form of de-legitimization” against Israel.

Although Act for Israel dissolved years ago, several of its former leaders continue to shape public discourse on Israel in the US.

Tishby, who briefly served as Israel’s special envoy for combating anti-Semitism, has remained a prominent media figure. Meanwhile, her collaborator Yoav Davis recently registered as a foreign agent for Israel, indicating that aspects of the broader influence network may still be active.

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) specialists say the leaked documents raise questions about whether individuals and organizations tied to these efforts may have ongoing obligations under US law.

“The folks doing this work should take a hard look at whether they need to be registered,” Freeman said, adding, “And if they aren’t, this may be a case where the Department of Justice decides to take a closer look.”

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