Government Advertising Agency (Israel)

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Israeli government's central advertising bureau (Lishkat HaPirsum HaMemshaltit, LaPam), which buys media for state hasbara campaigns and is the ultimate client behind several US firms registered under FARA


Government Advertising Agency (Israel)

Logo Government Advertising Agency (Israel) logo.png
LaPam logo (2025)
Type Israeli government agency
Location Israel
Services Government advertising and media buying, including hasbara (public diplomacy) campaigns abroad
Remarks Hebrew: לשכת הפרסום הממשלתית (לפ"מ), Lishkat HaPirsum HaMemshaltit (LaPam); also rendered "Government Advertising Bureau"


The Government Advertising Agency (Hebrew: לשכת הפרסום הממשלתית, Lishkat HaPirsum HaMemshaltit, known as LaPam) is the Israeli government's central advertising bureau. In June 2025 the Accountant General's exemptions committee approved NIS 167 million of digital advertising with Google, YouTube, Outbrain, Teads and Twitter (X Corp.) for LaPam's "hasbara campaigns" during the June 2025 war with Iran, which the committee said were "dedicated campaigns in the international arena" (translated from Hebrew).[1][2] In December 2025 a Foreign Ministry official told the Knesset Finance Committee that all of the ministry's NIS 90 million campaign budget for that year's transfer went through LaPam, which contracted companies abroad.[3] In US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings, LaPam is the client on whose behalf Havas Media Germany has hired US firms. These include Piro, Inc., Targeted Communications Global and, through Stagwell, SKDKnickerbocker.[4][5][6]

Digital advertising, 2025

On 26 June 2025 LaPam published on the government procurement portal an exemption headed "Engagement with digital media suppliers for hasbara campaigns during Operation 'Am KeLavi'" (Rising Lion). It relied on regulation 3(12) of the procurement regulations, which covers the Government Advertising Agency. The engagements ran from 17 June to 31 December 2025.[2]

The Accountant General's exemptions committee approved the request on 17 June 2025 (protocol 5451, signed 23 June 2025). The protocol says that since the start of the operation LaPam had been working "in full emergency mode" to run "wide-scale hasbara activity for all government ministries and security bodies, including the Home Front Command, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Hasbara Directorate, the Diaspora Ministry and others". It adds that, at these bodies' request, LaPam "is advancing dedicated campaigns in the international arena, with extensive use of digital media outside Israel", and that the request also covered routine activity (translated from Hebrew).[1] The portal's English-language page lists the same approval with five supplier names, but the protocol gives four amounts, with a single NIS 7 million line for Outbrain and Teads together.[1]

Amounts approved in protocol 5451 (exemption no. 4000604070), 17 June – 31 December 2025
Supplier (as listed) Amount (NIS)
Google DV 360 90,000,000
YouTube 60,000,000
Outbrain / Teads (one line) 7,000,000
Twitter 10,000,000
Total 167,000,000

Drop Site News reported the Google and YouTube portion as a "$45 million (NIS 150 million)" six-month contract with Benjamin Netanyahu's office. It said the contract "explicitly characterizes" Google as a "key entity" supporting the prime minister's messaging. It reported that the advertising push came as the government sought to counter reports of hunger in Gaza. Drop Site described the agency as Israel's "advertising bureau, which reports to the prime minister's office".[7] (Critical.)

Foreign Ministry campaigns, 2025

At the Knesset Finance Committee on 1 December 2025, a Treasury official presented a NIS 150 million transfer to the Foreign Ministry, NIS 90 million of it for "hasbara campaigns". The ministry's budget officer, Sigalit Shai, said: "All 90 million go through LaPam. Through them we run digital campaigns. LaPam makes the engagement with companies." Asked whether these companies were in Israel or abroad, she replied: "Abroad" (translated from Hebrew).[3] See also Project 545.

FARA principal for US contractors

FARA records name LaPam, directly or through Havas, as the principal behind a series of US registrations.

FARA registrations naming LaPam (2023–2026)
Registrant (FARA no.) Principal as filed Period Money (as filed)
Havas Media Group USA (7106) "Government of Israel, Ministry of Tourism (through the Israeli Government Advertising Agency [LAPAM])" 27 Feb 2023 – 31 Oct 2025 About $2.95m received May–Oct 2023, paid by Havas Media Germany
SKDKnickerbocker (7552) Schedule with Stagwell Global LLC "for HAVAS on behalf of" LaPam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs April 2025 – March 2026 (terminated 29 Aug 2025) $600,000 contract; $150,000 received
Targeted Communications Global (7553) "LAPAM (through Havas Media Group USA LLC)" From 29 Aug 2025 $9,892,335.58 received Oct–Dec 2025
Davis Media NY (7662) Havas Media Germany order for client "LAPAM - Israel Government Advertising Agency", campaign "Swords of Iron" January 2024 $8,000
Piro, Inc. (7732) "Havas Media Germany GmbH on behalf of the Israel Government Advertising Agency (LaPam)" From 2 June 2026 $1,000,000 in work orders

Sources for the table: the Havas Media Group USA supplemental statement;[8] the SKDK schedule and supplemental statement;[6][9] the Targeted Communications Global amendment and supplemental statement;[5][10] the Davis Media NY exhibit;[11] and the Piro registration and work orders.[4][12][13]

Officials named in filings

The Targeted Communications Global filings name Guy Getz as "Head of Advertising Department" at LaPam.[14] He was already named as LaPam's representative for notices in a contract filed in December 2018 by Havas Media Group USA, which gave LaPam's address as 9 Ahad Ha'am Street, Tel Aviv.[15] Piro, Inc. lists Eran Shayovitch and Guy Getz as the officials of the foreign principal.[12] Responsible Statecraft identifies Eran Shayovich as chief of staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the point of contact for Brad Parscale's Clock Tower X contract. That contract is also paid through Havas Media Germany.[16]

Influencer campaigns

  • Moovers and Leaders. In January 2024 The Washington Post reported that the Tel Aviv agency Leaders had offered US creators money to promote the Moovers app. In emails seen by the paper, Leaders described the app's content as "endorsed by Israel's Government Advertising Agency".[17] FARA filings by Davis Media NY list "Government of Israel through L.D.R.S Group LTD" as a principal. They include a February 2024 contract requiring weekly calls with "the Moovers influencer management team".[18]
  • Davis Media (Swords of Iron). A Havas order dated 29 February 2024 for the client "LAPAM - Israel Government Advertising Agency" covers a "Hostage awareness campaign" with $8,000 for social-media promotion.[19]
  • Bridges Partners ("Esther Project"). A Havas order dated 16 June 2025 for "LAPAM International" and the product "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" covers a $900,000 influencer campaign running from June to November 2025.[20]
  • Genesis 21 Consulting. This firm registered in August 2025 with the "Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Government Advertising Bureau" as its principal, for "influencer outreach aimed at improving Israel's public image".[21]
  • Show Faith by Works. Its $3.26 million church-outreach plan was submitted on a Havas supplier form, and its first payment came from "HAVAS Media".[22]

Press coverage

A spokesperson for The Daily Caller told Responsible Statecraft that the paper had sold advertising space to Targeted Communications Global in October 2025 without knowing that the Israeli government was behind it: "The ad buyer was listed as LAPAM and our rep was unaware of what that entity was."[23] (Critical.) The Guardian reported that the "Freedom Not Terror" campaign site run under the Targeted Communications Global contract carries the line "Paid for by LAPAM". It also reported that LaPam awarded Havas entities media contracts without tender in 2019 and in March 2023 (€50 million), and that the 2023 contract expired on 15 March 2024.[24] (Journalistic.)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Accountant General exemptions committee, Protocol 5451: engagement with media suppliers for hasbara campaigns (attachment to exemption 4000604070), decided 17 June 2025, signed 23 June 2025 (Hebrew), accessed 21 October 2026. Official (primary).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Government Advertising Agency (לשכת הפרסום הממשלתית), התקשרות עם ספקי מדיה דיגיטלית עבור קמפיינים הסברה בתקופת מבצע "עם כלביא" (exemption no. 4000604070) Israel Government Procurement Administration (mr.gov.il), published 26 June 2025, accessed 20 October 2026. Official (primary).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Knesset Finance Committee, Protocol no. 775, "Changes to the 2025 budget", 1 December 2025 (Hebrew), transcript via Open Knesset, accessed 21 October 2026. Official (primary).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Piro, Inc., Registration Statement (FARA no. 7732) FARA eFile, 2 June 2026. FARA filing (primary).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Targeted Communications Global LLC, Amendment to Registration Statement FARA eFile, 30 June 2026. FARA filing (primary).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 SKDKnickerbocker LLC, Exhibit B: Schedule #2 with Stagwell Global LLC FARA eFile, 29 August 2025. FARA filing (primary).
  7. ↑ Jack Poulson and Lee Fang, Google's $45 Million Contract With Netanyahu's Office to Spread Israeli Propaganda Drop Site News, 3 September 2025. Critical.
  8. ↑ Havas Media Group USA LLC, Supplemental Statement for the period ending 31 October 2023 FARA eFile, US Department of Justice, 30 November 2023. FARA filing (primary).
  9. ↑ SKDKnickerbocker LLC, Supplemental Statement FARA eFile, 26 September 2025. FARA filing (primary).
  10. ↑ Targeted Communications Global LLC, Supplemental Statement for the period ending 31 March 2026 FARA eFile, 30 June 2026. FARA filing (primary).
  11. ↑ Davis Media NY LLC, Exhibit B: Havas Media Germany order no. 82646/0 FARA eFile, 12 October 2025. FARA filing (primary).
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Piro, Inc., Exhibit B: Digital Storytelling Pilot work order FARA eFile, 2 June 2026. FARA filing (primary).
  13. ↑ Piro, Inc., Exhibit B: Fact-Based Content Initiative work order FARA eFile, 29 July 2026. FARA filing (primary).
  14. ↑ Targeted Communications Global LLC, Exhibits A and B (LAPAM through Havas Media Group USA LLC) FARA eFile, 29 August 2025. FARA filing (primary).
  15. ↑ Havas Media Group USA LLC, Exhibits A and B (FARA no. 6622) FARA eFile, 21 December 2018. FARA filing (primary).
  16. ↑ Nick Cleveland-Stout, Mysterious 'peace' groups are sending Americans pro-Israel texts Responsible Statecraft, 9 February 2026. Critical.
  17. ↑ Taylor Lorenz, Growing number of apps help automate pro-Israel activism online The Washington Post, 25 January 2024. Journalistic.
  18. ↑ Davis Media NY LLC, Exhibits A and B (Government of Israel through L.D.R.S Group LTD), with services agreement of 25 February 2024 FARA eFile, 12 October 2025. FARA filing (primary).
  19. ↑ Davis Media NY LLC, Exhibits A and B (Government of Israel through Havas Media Group Germany), with Havas order no. 82646/0 FARA eFile, 12 October 2025. FARA filing (primary).
  20. ↑ Bridges Partners LLC, Exhibits A and B, with Havas Media Germany order no. 93702/0 FARA eFile, 26 September 2025. FARA filing (primary).
  21. ↑ Genesis 21 Consulting LLC, Exhibits A and B FARA eFile, 11 August 2025. FARA filing (primary).
  22. ↑ Show Faith by Works, LLC, Exhibits A and B, with budget and Havas Media supplier form FARA eFile, 27 September 2025. FARA filing (primary).
  23. ↑ Nick Cleveland-Stout and Julian Cooper, Israel targets X users, right-wing media with $2 million ad push Responsible Statecraft, 22 July 2026. Critical.
  24. ↑ Jason Wilson, Fake US thinktank set up and funded by Israel sought to game AI for propaganda The Guardian, 26 August 2026. Journalistic.
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