Israel watching you go to church

Israel's Geofencing Campaign Targeting U.S. Christians: A Deep Dive into the FARA Disclosure

On September 27, 2025, a bombshell Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing with the U.S. Department of Justice revealed an unprecedented influence campaign funded by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This $3.25 million (potentially expanding to $4.1 million) initiative, executed by a San Diego-based firm called Show Faith by Works, LLC, targets evangelical Christians across California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado using advanced geofencing technology. Described as the “largest geofencing and targeted Christian digital campaign ever,” it raises serious questions about privacy, foreign influence in U.S. religious spaces, and the ethics of tracking churchgoers for political purposes. This blog post unpacks the campaign’s mechanics, goals, and implications, drawing from the 86-page FARA document and reactions across media and social platforms like X.

What Is the Campaign?

The Israeli government has contracted Show Faith by Works, LLC to rebuild support among American evangelical Christians, a demographic historically aligned with Israel but showing declining approval amid the Gaza conflict. Polls cited in the filing indicate evangelical support for Israel dropped from 80% in 2018 to under 50% recently, prompting this aggressive public relations push. The campaign, part of a broader $10+ million Israeli influence effort in the U.S., uses a multi-pronged approach: digital ads, pastoral outreach, influencer endorsements, and a mobile “October 7th Experience” exhibit. Its centerpiece, however, is geofencing—a location-based marketing tool that tracks and targets individuals based on their physical movements, in this case, at churches and Christian colleges.

Key Objectives

• Rebuild Evangelical Support: Counter “anti-Israel” narratives by emphasizing biblical ties (e.g., Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you”) and framing Palestinians as linked to “extremist factions” or terrorism.
• Target Specific Demographics: Focus on nondenominational and Southern Baptist churches, as well as Christian college students, in four key states with plans to expand to Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
• Leverage Technology: Use geofencing to reach 3.8 million churchgoers with tailored ads, both during worship services and in their daily lives post-visit.

How Geofencing Works in This Campaign

Geofencing creates virtual perimeters around physical locations using GPS, Wi-Fi, or cellular data from smartphones. When a device enters or exits the designated area, it triggers actions like ads, notifications, or data collection. This technology is common in retail—think ads popping up after visiting a store—but its application to religious spaces is unprecedented in scale and intent.

Campaign Mechanics

• Targeted Locations: The campaign geofences 303 “major churches” across California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado, including megachurches like Flatirons Community Church (15,000+ attendees weekly) in Colorado, as well as all Christian colleges like Biola University and Grand Canyon University. Geofences are active during Sunday worship services and weekdays at college campuses.
• Tracking Process: Smartphones with location services enabled (most are by default) are detected via ad networks like Google or Facebook when users enter these geofenced zones. Users are anonymously “tagged” as part of a “churchgoer” profile. This profile enables follow-up ads on social media, apps, or browsers, even after leaving the church or campus.
• Ad Content: Ads promote pro-Israel messages, including:
  • Biblical arguments for supporting Israel as God’s “chosen people.”
  • Footage of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks to evoke sympathy.
  • Claims linking Palestinians to terrorism or questioning a two-state solution (e.g., “Educate Christians that Palestinians shelter terrorists”).
  Approximately $700,000 of the budget is allocated to these digital ads, aiming to reach 3.8 million individuals.
• Ongoing Tracking: The FARA filing explicitly states that the campaign will “track attendees and continue to target with ads” after they leave targeted locations. While identities remain anonymized (no names are directly tied to Israel’s Ministry), the system builds behavioral profiles to optimize ad delivery and assess audience receptivity.

Privacy Concerns

This level of tracking has sparked alarm among privacy advocates. Geofencing in religious settings feels like surveillance, especially when tied to a foreign government’s political agenda. Critics compare it to controversial tools like Israel’s Pegasus spyware, though no evidence suggests such software is used here. On X, users have called the campaign “dystopian,” with some advising churchgoers to use Faraday bags (signal-blocking pouches) in church parking lots to avoid tracking. Reddit threads have gone further, labeling it a “plague on society” and tying it to broader concerns about Zionist influence in U.S. politics.

Beyond Geofencing: Other Campaign Components

The geofencing effort is just one part of a comprehensive strategy to influence evangelical communities. Here’s a breakdown of the other elements outlined in the FARA filing:

1. Pastoral Outreach (~$1M Budget)

• Recruitment: The campaign targets pastors to act as advocates, encouraging them to write op-eds, deliver pro-Israel sermons, and distribute “Pastoral Resource Packages.” These packages include videos, historical narratives, and biblical talking points emphasizing Israel’s significance.
• Direct Engagement: Teams from Show Faith by Works will visit churches to build relationships and promote the campaign’s messaging. This raises concerns about foreign influence in religious leadership, with some X users speculating that pastors could be seen as “paid proxies” if their involvement is financially incentivized.

2. Influencer and Celebrity Endorsements (~$500K Budget)

• Social Media Influencers: The campaign plans to hire 14-18 influencers, paying up to $7,000 per post to promote pro-Israel content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This aligns with a separate $4.5 million Israeli contract targeting TikTok users in the U.S.
• Celebrity Outreach: The filing names high-profile figures like Chris Pratt and Steph Curry as potential endorsers, leveraging their evangelical followings. This builds on recent efforts, like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with U.S. faith influencers in 2025, to amplify Israel’s narrative.

3. “October 7th Experience” Mobile Exhibit (~$835K Budget)

• Immersive Display: A custom-built trailer, designed by Hollywood set designers, will tour church parking lots and Christian college events. It features VR headsets, interactive kiosks, and graphic footage of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks to “immerse” visitors in Israel’s perspective.
• Strategic Deployment: The exhibit targets high-traffic religious gatherings, aiming to evoke emotional responses and reinforce the campaign’s messaging. Critics argue this borders on propaganda, using trauma to sway opinions.

4. Expansion Plans

If successful, the campaign will extend to Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, targeting additional evangelical strongholds. The filing estimates a potential reach of millions, focusing on nondenominational and Southern Baptist congregations, which are influential in Republican-leaning states.

Why FARA Matters

The FARA filing is critical because it mandates transparency for foreign influence operations in the U.S. Without it, campaigns like this could operate covertly, as seen in past examples like Russia’s 2016 election interference. By registering, Israel and Show Faith by Works comply with U.S. law, but the disclosure exposes tactics that might otherwise have stayed under the radar. The 86-page document, publicly available at efile.fara.gov, details every aspect of the campaign, from budgets to target lists, ensuring accountability.

However, the filing also highlights inconsistencies in FARA enforcement. Pro-Israel groups like AIPAC and Christians United for Israel often engage in similar advocacy without registering, unlike agents of other nations (e.g., Qatar or China), who face stricter scrutiny. This double standard fuels criticism, with X users and advocacy groups like If Americans Knew calling for DOJ investigations into unregistered influencers.

Budget Breakdown

Campaign Element	Budget Allocation	Target Reach	Key Messaging
Geofencing Ads	~$700,000	3.8M churchgoers	Pro-Israel, anti-Palestinian narratives
Influencer/Celebrity	~$500,000 (incl. $7K/post)	Social media (millions)	Biblical support, Oct. 7 footage
Mobile Exhibit	~$835,000 (expansion)	Church/college events	VR immersion in attacks
Pastoral Outreach	~$1,000,000	300+ churches	Op-eds, sermon resources

Public and Media Reactions

The campaign has ignited polarized responses:

• Pro-Israel Perspective: Supporters, including some evangelical leaders, view it as a legitimate effort to strengthen ties with a key ally. They argue it counters misinformation and reinforces biblical connections to Israel. The Times of Israel framed it as a strategic response to declining support.
• Critics’ Perspective: Opponents, including privacy advocates and anti-war groups, see it as invasive foreign meddling. Antiwar.com and The Grayzone have criticized it as propaganda targeting vulnerable religious communities. On X, users like @Villgecrazylady called it “dystopian,” while others demand legal action against unregistered pro-Israel influencers. Reddit threads have linked it to broader concerns about Zionist influence, with some users exaggerating its scope but reflecting genuine unease.

The campaign’s visibility in an election year amplifies its impact. Evangelicals are a crucial Republican voting bloc, and foreign influence in their spaces could sway political narratives, especially on U.S. aid to Israel ($3.8B annually). If pastors or churches are perceived as compromised, it could erode trust in religious institutions, while the geofencing aspect may push for stronger privacy regulations.

Broader Context: Israel’s U.S. Influence Ecosystem

This campaign is one piece of a $100 million+ Israeli influence operation in the U.S., including:

• A $4.5 million TikTok campaign targeting younger audiences.
• Efforts to shape AI outputs (e.g., ChatGPT) to favor Israel’s narrative.
• Direct lobbying by groups like AIPAC, which spent $40 million in 2024 alone.

The geofencing initiative stands out for its audacity—targeting religious spaces with military-grade precision—but it’s not an isolated move. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coordinating through an unspecified consulate, sees evangelicals as a linchpin for maintaining U.S. support amid growing criticism over Gaza.

What Can You Do?

If you attend a targeted church or Christian college, consider these steps to protect your privacy:

1. Disable Location Services: Turn off location tracking on your phone before entering church or campus.
2. Use Ad Blockers or VPNs: These can reduce tracking by ad networks.
3. Faraday Bags: For the extra cautious, these block all signals to your device.
4. Demand Transparency: Ask your church or college if they’re participating in or aware of the campaign.

For more details, read the full FARA filing at efile.fara.gov. You can also monitor X or platforms like Reddit for real-time discussions, though beware of misinformation in unverified posts.

Final Thoughts

Israel’s geofencing campaign is a bold, transparent, and controversial move to sway American evangelicals. While legal under FARA, its use of tracking technology in sacred spaces pushes ethical boundaries and fuels debates about foreign influence, privacy, and the politicization of faith. Whether it “collapses the current paradigm” remains to be seen, but it’s a wake-up call about how far governments will go to shape public opinion—and how technology enables it. Stay informed, protect your data, and question the narratives coming your way.

Sources: FARA filing (DOJ), The Times of Israel, Antiwar.com, The Grayzone, X posts, Reddit discussions. For specific church lists or additional filings, contact the author or check efile.fara.gov.