Israel Government Advertising Agency
Government advertising agency of Israel
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The Israel Government Advertising Agency (IGAA; Hebrew: לשכת הפרסום הממשלתית, romanized: Lishkat HaPirsum HaMemshaltit, lit. 'Government advertising bureau'), commonly known by its Hebrew-language acronym Lapam (LPM; לפ״מ),[1] is the state-run bureau responsible for executing public communications and advertising on behalf of the Cabinet of Israel.
| לשכת הפרסום הממשלתית Lishkat HaPirsum HaMemshaltit | |
Current logo[a] | |
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Government of Israel |
| Headquarters | |
| Employees | ~50 |
Parent department | Prime Minister's Office |
| Website | www |
History
The agency was originally part of the Ministry of Culture and Sport[2] and later operated under the Ministry of Communications before coming under the purview of the Prime Minister's Office.[3]
In July 2016, the government transferred oversight of the agency from the Prime Minister's Office to the Ministry of Culture and Sport, under Minister Miri Regev. The cabinet decision gave Regev the authority to appoint Lapam's director, marking a significant shift in political control over government advertising. At the time, Lapam managed an annual advertising budget of ₪133 million – approximately US$35,000,000 (equivalent to $46,952,995 in 2025) – a 13% increase from the previous year, placing it among the top ten advertisers in Israel.[4]
Mandates and structure
Lapam develops and manages advertising campaigns for government ministries, the military, law enforcement, public universities, state-owned corporations, museums, and other public sector entities. Its responsibilities span campaign strategy, market research, creative development, media planning, production, and ad placement—both in Israel and abroad, including campaigns for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration (see also Aliyah).[6]
Lapam is structured into multiple operational units, including research, creative, budgeting, film production, digital design, and ongoing campaign management. It is not funded through a central state budget, but rather operates on payments from the agencies it serves. Historically based in Tel Aviv's Shalom Tower, the agency moved to Jerusalem in 2023 — a relocation that prompted a wave of staff resignations.[7][8]
Between 2015 and 2021, Lapam shifted significantly from print to digital advertising: spending on internet platforms rose from 21% to 31% of the agency's media budget, while newspaper ad spending fell from 22% to 12%. Lapam also conducts mandatory government notices and public health campaigns, such as those during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a temporary increase in television ad expenditures.[6]
Although not named directly, the Government Advertising Bureau (Lapam) operates within the advertising ecosystem described in a 2024 report by the Knesset Research and Information Center, which analyzes advertising market trends and the role of government expenditures in the viability of media outlets in Israel.[9]
The shift in ministerial control in 2016 was significant given Lapam's function as one of Israel's top advertising spenders, often outpacing private-sector firms.
Leadership
As of May 2025, Gadi Margalit (Hebrew: גדי מרגלית) serves as head of the agency, following his appointment after leading the Ministry of Public Diplomacy. He succeeded Gali Sembira, who was dismissed in August 2023 by Minister Galit Distel-Atbaryan after only four months in the role.[6] Hebrew media reported that Sembira's dismissal followed internal Likud criticism labeling her a "leftist" — in part for publicly defending the independence of the judiciary amidst protests against the 2023 Israeli judicial reform.[6] Her departure left only one woman heading any of Israel's 33 ministries — a fact that drew concern amid what commentators described as a broader rollback of female leadership. A 2023 Haaretz editorial framed the trend as part of a deliberate sidelining of women in government, invoking the phrase "בנות מלך החוצה" ("Daughters of the King, Out") — a reversal of the biblical ideal of modest seclusion used satirically to critique the exclusion of women from power.[10]
Margalit had previously served as Lapam's director until 2016, when he stepped down and was later appointed municipal CEO of Haifa. During his tenure, he was praised for creative reforms but also faced criticism over alleged lack of competitive bidding in agency procurement.[11][4]
Partnerships and campaigns
In 2018, Lapam awarded a digital advertising contract to Adcore Inc. – a publicly listed Israeli marketing technology company, traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) – to support a government program aimed at increasing inbound tourism to Israel. The contract was extended in August 2023 for an additional ten months, with an estimated value of up to CAD $20 million (approximately USD $14.8 million as of August 2023)[12] in advertising spending. According to Adcore's public announcement, the campaign contributed to a 25% increase in tourist arrivals prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to target global audiences as borders reopened in 2023.[13]
Lapam has also used digital advertising platforms to disseminate public messaging, including paid content and native advertising formats that appear alongside editorial content on major news websites. These types of campaigns are designed to blend marketing with informational outreach and are commonly used in public diplomacy and tourism promotion strategies.
Immigration-related campaigns
In 2010, Lapam conducted a campaign on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior warning that the employment of undocumented foreign workers harmed the Israeli economy and constituted a criminal offense. According to political scientist Ami Pedahzur (Hebrew: עמי פדהצור), the campaign's economic rationale masked deeper demographic concerns, particularly fears that African asylum seekers would undermine the Jewish character of the state [b][c][14]
Israel's immigration policy is shaped in large part by the Law of Return, which grants preferential status to Jewish immigrants. Immigration from African or Middle Eastern countries has sometimes been described as a demographic concern in political discourse and media coverage.[citation needed]
Gaza-related campaigns
Shortly after Israel's operations in Gaza began accumulating backlash, the agency began airing ads on YouTube, X and other platforms, in a move that some people consider to be propaganda and misinformation.
Media and scholarly coverage
- Yaron, Lee [in Hebrew] (September 14, 2017). "Israel Government Advertising Agency Against Sign Language Accessibility: 'Hearing Public Will Be Harmed; Visual Overload Will Result'" [לשכת הפרסום הממשלתית נגד הנגשה לשפת הסימנים: ציבור השומעים ייפגע, ייווצר עומס ויזואלי]. Haaretz (weekly) (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) OCLC 434344719, 51249826, 1241106546.
- Gesser-Edelsburg, Anat; Hijazi, Rana; Cohen, Ricky (April 12, 2022). "It Takes Two to Tango: How the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign in Israel Was Framed by the Health Ministry vs. The Television News". Frontiers in Public Health. 10 887579. Lausanne: Frontiers Media. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.887579. PMC 9039239. Retrieved May 26, 2025. ISSN 2296-2565 (publication); OCLC 9489537802, 9485060215, 9635839563 (article).The authors argue that Lapam's campaigns contributed to a lack of transparency, suppression of dissenting voices, and reinforcement of the government's narrative—raising concerns about democratic oversight and public trust.
- Frenkel, Sheera [at Wikidata] (June 5, 2024). "Israel Secretly Targets U.S. Lawmakers With Influence Campaign on Gaza War". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 (print), ISSN 1553-8095 (online ed.).
- Blog ed.: "Israel Secretly Targets U.S. Lawmakers With Influence Campaign on Gaza War". Archived from the original on April 4, 2025. Retrieved May 24, 2025. ProQuest 3064471189 (U.S. Newsstream database).
- Print ed.: "Israel Secretly Targets U.S. Lawmakers With Influence Campaign on Gaza War" (Late ed.). p. 1 (section A). ProQuest 3065014907 (U.S. Newsstream database).
- TRT World (October 25, 2023). "Targeted Ads: Millions Spent on Israel's Bid for Western Influence – Amid the Barrage of Airstrikes Killing Palestinians, Israeli Authorities Are Pushing to Shape Public Discourse on the Israel-Gaza Escalations". Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- Bowler, Derek; Flannery, Maria (May 19, 2025). "Israeli Government Agency Paid for Adverts Targeting Eurovision Song Contest Public Vote". Eurovision News – "Spotlight". Geneva: European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on May 20, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.