Google got paid £33m by Israel to push its propaganda

On Wednesday 3 September, investigative journalism site Drop Site published a report on a contract between Israel’s government and Google to amplify propaganda regarding the war on Gaza.

Documents available on the Israeli Government Procurement Administration’s website detail contracts between the Government Advertising Bureau and Google running to a sum of 150 million new Israeli shekels (ILS). That’s some £33 million in pounds sterling.

Google and the ‘Am Kalvi’ Israeli propaganda campaign

These contracts break down into ILS90 million to Google DV360, the company’s campaign management branch, and ISL60 million to YouTube, its subsidiary. The six-month advertising contracts are already half-way through their course. They began back on 17 June 2025, and will expire at the end of the year, on 31 December.

The adverts are part of the ‘Am Kalvi’ campaign, which ostensibly targets command centers, missile silos and nuclear infrastructure in Iran. However, Google’s own ads transparency page shows that, since 17 June, the tech giant has run 39 Israeli Advertising Bureau adverts on its platforms in the UK alone, the most recent of which focus on trying to discredit reports on Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

One advert claims that “Palestinian Hamas fakes the story and media outlets echo it”, accompanied by a picture of Time magazine. Another shows what it claims to be “Real footage of the food scene in Gaza city July 2025”. It includes shots of a busy street food stall, and ends with the message: “There is food in Gaza. Any other claim is a lie”.

‘A man-made disaster’

This claim, of course, is verifiably false.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) recently reported that:

As of 15 August 2025, Famine (IPC Phase 5)—with reasonable evidence—is confirmed in Gaza Governorate. After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death. Another 1.07 million people (54 percent) are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and 396,000 people (20 percent) are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).

The ICP also confirmed, in no uncertain terms, that the situation is worsening rapidly:

Between mid-August and the end of September 2025, conditions are expected to further worsen with Famine projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. Nearly a third of the population (641,000 people) are expected to face catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5), while those in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) will likely rise to 1.14 million (58 percent). Acute malnutrition is projected to continue worsening rapidly.

Regarding the report, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that the famine “is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself”. He added that:

As the occupying power, Israel has unequivocal obligations under international law – including the duty of ensuring food and medical supplies of the population.

Google – amplifying Israel’s propaganda

Google’s position in this is not neutral on Israeli matters. It chose to accept money from a government that is actively carrying out the genocide of the Palestinian people. It continually chooses to air blatantly false propaganda about the people of Gaza.

The internet giant’s ethical commitments are available on its website. It claims that:

We’re committed to significantly improving the lives of as many people as possible

The page makes big promises about “responsible data practices”, “responding to crises”, and “helping solve society’s challenges”. Amplifying lies about the famine in Gaza is not responsible. The only way in which is responding to a crisis is to make it worse.

Seven years ago, Google quietly removed the motto “Don’t be evil” from its code of conduct. Clearly, the company has every intention of doing the opposite.

Featured image via the Canary