TikTok Investor Allegedly Seeks to Embed Pro-Israel Messaging in US Culture

Senior Oracle executive Safra Catz, involved in the $14 billion acquisition of TikTok's U.S. operations from ByteDance, has expressed a strategic intent to embed pro-Israel sentiment within American culture, particularly targeting young Americans before college where support for Palestine has grown. A leaked 2015 email to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak reveals Catz's concern over the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and a plan to combat it by promoting positive narratives about Israel through accessible messaging and media, including a reality TV show about women in the Israeli Defense Forces. While Oracle claims Catz will not directly influence TikTok's algorithm, the timing and her role during negotiations suggest significant influence in shaping the platform's content oversight. This acquisition, framed as a national security move to limit Chinese influence, raises concerns that U.S. public discourse may shift from Chinese to Israeli influence. Oracle's role as TikTok's security provider with control over user data and content systems, combined with statements from U.S. Vice President JD Vance that American investors will control the algorithm, underscores the high stakes in the ideological direction of TikTok content. The revelations come amid intensified Israeli efforts to dominate narratives about Gaza and combat growing criticism of Israel among young Americans.