Israel courts MAGA influencers amid Gaza backlash

Driving the news: Fifteen MAGA influencers visited Israel this week on a trip organized by Israel365, an advocacy group that aims to "strengthen Israel by building bridges between Jews, Christians and all who share our faith-based values."

• Israel365 was awarded a no-bid contract worth $70,000 by the Israeli Foreign Ministry to organize the trip, according to a Foreign Ministry memo obtained by Axios.
• The group's leaders, including executive director Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, have vigorously defended Israel throughout the war on platforms like "The Charlie Kirk Show."

"Israel365 is uniquely suited to help MAGA-affiliated entities reach religious and ideological audiences in both Israel and the U.S.," the Foreign Ministry wrote in its memo.

The intrigue: Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast parted ways with MAGA influencer Jayne Zirkle over her participation in the government-funded trip, according to a source familiar with the matter.

• Other attendees have faced similar backlash from their MAGA followers, underscoring the extent of the PR crisis that the Israeli government is scrambling to contain.
• The NELK Boys, a group of pro-Trump YouTubers popular with young men, drew massive criticism from their audience last month after hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on their podcast.

Zoom in: The Israel365 trip's itinerary includes visits of the Western Wall — Judaism's holiest site — and areas impacted by the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

• The group also toured the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Syrian border, where they were briefed on fighting in the region and violence against the Druze minority. They also met with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
• Israel365 is covering the cost of hotels, transportation, meals and activities, in addition to armed security for the duration of the trip, according to a memo sent to the attendees earlier this year.
• Israel365 acknowledged receipt of Axios' request for comment on the trip but did not provide one.

What they're saying: Attendees who spoke to Axios expressed support for Israel and cast the trip as a chance to gather firsthand knowledge for heated domestic debates over Gaza.

• Zirkle, who has almost 52,000 X followers, said she's received both "blowback" and "a tremendous show of support and appreciation for seeking a first-hand look at Israel."

• "The only real way to give an unbiased opinion is to see something for yourself, before a situation is turned into biased news stories," added Fabian Garcia, who has over 27,000 followers on Instagram and over 36,000 on TikTok.

Influencers have already turned their experiences into social media content — from sweeping shots of the Sea of Galilee to videos of Christian holy sites and memorials for victims of terror attacks in Israel.

Zoom out: Gen Z MAGA supporters have grown increasingly comfortable questioning Israel's policies and prosecution of the war in Gaza, especially under the banner of the "America First" agenda.

• That's put some young Republicans in rare alignment with young pro-Palestinian Democrats — a potential warning sign for the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
• "We were discussing the absurdity of both the woke left and woke right attacking us constantly," Garcia told Axios, using the term "woke right" to describe MAGA isolationists like Tucker Carlson.

What to watch: The Israeli government is intent on preserving its historic bipartisan support in Washington, but sees shifting attitudes among young Republicans as the more immediate threat.

• Another Foreign Ministry memo obtained by Axios showed plans to work with Trinity Broadcast Network, which has a significant evangelical audience in the U.S.

Barak Ravid contributed reporting.