I recall making jokes on how it felt as if our phones, Facebook, or Instagram were listening in on our conversations. Perhaps you’d comment on coffee, then conveniently get a Starbucks ad, or you’d talk about needing new dishes and see an Amazon ad for dining plates. But most people are aware by now that this isn’t by chance and that our phones are truly listening to us — not just listening but monitoring our whereabouts, tracking our Google searches, collecting information on our interests, and monitoring our spending habits. Eventually that information is sold to companies that pay top dollar for our personal data.
All of this is bad on its own, but it’s a just a reality of our current way of living. But advertisers are one thing. What does it mean when a foreign government is tracking that data? What is the purpose, and what are the repercussions?
One of the most divisive topics today is the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after the October 7 attack on Israel by the terrorist group in 2023. Israel has been on the receiving end of much of the backlash after two years of a mostly one-sided war. The circulating photos of Gaza’s destruction and images of continued suffering from Palestinians, mostly children, have sparked conversations across world — especially in the United States, which serves as Israel’s primary source of aid. Both the war and the countries’ seemingly growing influence on American politics have caused criticism even among Israel’s traditionally most loyal communities: Republicans and Evangelical Christians. More so among younger members.
One report by Tel Aviv University in 2024 shows that nearly half of young American evangelicals, those under 30, no longer support Israel. Several other surveys show similar results, and the Israeli government has taken notice and is moving quickly to control the narrative, based on a September filing to FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act). The filing is required when an American company is operating on behalf of a foreign government. The company that made the filing is Show by Faith Works, and it reveals that Israel is planning to spend approximately $4.1 million to target Christian churches across America in the hope of feeding them favorable messaging about Israel and the war. Churches right here in Funkytown are listed as potential targets for the second phase of what the statement says is the “largest Christian-church geofencing campaign in U.S. history.”
Show Faith by Works will use geofencing, a technique often employed by advertisers and law enforcement to create virtual boundaries around a given area to track movement, IP addresses, or mobile devices. In this case, the virtual boundaries will be set around churches, Christian colleges, and Christian gatherings to collect mobile data and send pro-Israel content to visitors. The document states campaigns will “combat low American Evangelical Christian approval of the Nation of Israel” and “counter new and evolving pro-Palestinian messaging as the global narrative shifts.”
Some of the messaging plans to highlight what Show Faith by Works calls the “great partnership between Americans and Israelis internationally” and more on-the-nose messaging like “Christians in Israel” and Israel as “the birthplace of Christmas.” A clear goal of the targeting is to amplify the physical location of Israel and its relevance to the Christian faith. Using megachurches enforces ideas like December being about Jesus and Israel as his birthplace. Plus, urging churchgoers to visit Israel.
The geofencing is set to start soon in every major church in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado. But funds are being requested for the next round of targeting in states like Wyoming, Utah, and Texas — of which $250,000 will be used on churches here in the Lone Star State. Some Fort Worth churches on the radar include Christ Chapel Bible Church (estimated 4,500 members), Travis Avenue Baptist Church (2,000 members), and Harvest Church (1,800 members), to name a few. The list also includes a host of nationally known Texas-based churches like T.D. Jakes’ The Potter’s House in Dallas, Michael Chandler’s The Village Church in Flower Mound, and Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston.
The targeted messaging isn’t just about Christmas. A major portion of the campaign is to promote anti-Palestinian sentiment while making clear that Show Faith by Works doesn’t separate the terrorist group Hamas from Palestinian citizens. “Highlight that Palestinian and Iranian goals are not land-focused but genocidal” and “Palestinian support for Hamas” are just some of the statements presented in the filing.
The messaging is finetuned for the Christian audience being geofenced, stating that “Hamas and the Palestinians have killed many of the American Christian aid workers distributing food in the region,” conveniently leaving out that the Israeli government has also killed aid workers, blown up churches, and killed Christians in the region since the war started, as reports show.
Content isn’t the only thing Show Faith by Works is focusing on. They plan to sway America’s Christian population with the help of paid celebrities, athletes, podcasts, and large Christian festivals. Some influential figures considered in the document include former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, NBA player Steph Curry, and actor Chris Pratt, although there is no indication that those conversations have taken place yet.
A notably unique tactic set to roll out is the use of a mobile trailer custom-built by professional Hollywood set designers that will give American Christians the “10/7 experience.” It’s an interactive virtual-reality experience that will visit churches and colleges. Participants will interactively view scenes from the 10/7 attacks, receive detailed explanations from the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces), and see media from the Darkness to Light Museum, which is all about the 10/7 attack.
Pro-Israel packages for pastors and church leaders are also being curated. Specific messaging can differ slightly depending on the Christian denomination, race of the church population, and age. All are designed to “encourage Christians to have a more favorable view of the Nation of Israel and to encourage Christians to visit Israel for tourism purposes.”
These campaigns haven’t reached Texas yet, but it might be worth seeing if your church is on the list — just in case you start to notice that your pastor’s Sunday sermon and your social media content seem suspiciously aligned. It may not be a coincidence but rather something more sinister, like a foreign government using your faith as a tool to shape the way you view the world.
This column reflects the opinions and fact-gathering of the author(s) and only the author(s) and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.
