Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated earlier this month, had written a detailed letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advising him on how to respond to rising anti-Israel sentiment among younger Americans.
The May 2 letter, obtained by The Post, reveals Kirk’s concern that Israel was “losing the information war” on social media and among Gen Z audiences.
Kirk, 31, was killed on September 10 during an event at Utah Valley University. Netanyahu referenced the letter in a September 18 video address while rejecting claims that Israel was linked to the activist’s death.
In the May letter, Kirk told Netanyahu he was alarmed by “anti-Israel and anti-Semitic trends” that he said were reaching “record levels on social media.”
He wrote, “One of my greatest joys as a Christian is advocating for Israel and forming alliances with Jews in the fight to protect Judeo-Christian civilization.”
Kirk emphasized that the document was written out of “deep love for Israel and the Jewish people” but warned that a communications overhaul was necessary.
“In my opinion, Israel is losing the information war and needs a ‘communications intervention,’” he wrote.
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The letter outlined Kirk’s view that American surrogates, including himself as president of Turning Point USA, had often defended Israel more aggressively than the Israeli government itself in the public arena.
He cited questions he faced regularly on college campuses: “Israel is an apartheid state,” “Why does Israel conduct ethnic cleansing?” and “Why is America subsidizing Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people?” among others.
Kirk said, “I’m accused of being a paid apologist for Israel when I defend her; however, if I don’t defend Israel strongly enough, I’m accused of being anti-semitic.”
He warned Netanyahu that skepticism toward Israel was spreading “even in conservative circles” and called the situation “a 5-alarm fire.”
To counter this, Kirk suggested several measures. Among them were building a rapid response team on platforms like X to fact-check and challenge misinformation in real time, cultivating pro-Israel experts to provide accurate information about the Gaza war, and creating an “Israel Truth Network” to serve as a clearinghouse for reliable updates.
Kirk also proposed that recently released hostages from Gaza tour the United States to share their experiences, framing Hamas as the group committing atrocities.
“These hostages and all your spokespersons should be arguing it’s Hamas that is committing genocide on their own people by using civilians as human shields and storing weapons in schools, hospitals etc,” he wrote.
The letter urged Israel to produce more positive social media content, including interviews with ordinary citizens.
Kirk suggested asking Israelis what they loved about their country and what they wished the world understood better.
He proposed a campaign titled “Dude, you got us wrong!” featuring voices from diverse communities within Israel.
Kirk pressed Netanyahu to “do a better job” explaining the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions, noting concerns among conservatives that the U.S. could be drawn into another Middle East conflict.
He also called for more “first-person” voices from younger Israelis to counter anti-Israel narratives online.
Critiquing Israel’s communications style, Kirk wrote, “I’ve seen your IDF spokesman defend Israel standing at a dimly lit podium. This looks like a scene out of the 1970’s – like some old Walter Cronkite clips of the TV news. You need to tear down your old ways of communicating and start over from scratch.”
He concluded the letter by stressing the stakes: “In my opinion, you are losing the information war which will eventually translate into less political and military support from America. The Holy Land is so important to my life, and it pains me to see support for Israel slip away.”
Kirk Letter
Following Kirk’s assassination, authorities identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect.
Robinson was arrested the next day and has been charged with aggravated murder.
Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty.
Robinson appeared via video for a court session on Monday where his attorneys requested a preliminary hearing.
That hearing has been scheduled for October 30.
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