Israeli military’s TikTok attempt to make propaganda cool

Israeli military uses pop music, trendy hashtags and interactive games to convey its messages to over 100,000 followers.

One month before engaging in the 11-day attacks of May that resulted in the death of more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, the Israeli army posted a TikTok video where plane pilots celebrate Israel’s independence to the sound of “Pretty Boy Swag”. With more than 100,000 followers and almost 100 videos, the Israeli army’s TikTok mirrors typical influencer content. On the official profile, one can find fitness tutorials, food recipes, hide-and-seek games and “soldier-training hacks” such as scuba diving techniques and Krav Maga workouts. The first video was posted in September 2020 to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Since then, the army’s page has built a substantive audience with its most popular video – promoting the Iron Dome air defence system – being watched almost one million times.