The US State Department is offering grants of up to $250,000 for programmes in Lebanon that put a positive spin on Washington's involvement in the country, with one Lebanese commentator telling The New Arab the initiative amounted to paying people to "promote American and Israeli hegemony in the region" amid a US was attempt to whitewash its image and push for normalisation with Israel .
The new grant was announced by the US Embassy in Beirut on X on Tuesday.
"We're looking for partners to implement programs that strengthen ties between the U.S. and Lebanon, with a focus on highlighting U.S.-led peace and stabilization efforts, and advancing digital literacy to help people identify and push back on false, adversarial narratives," the US Embassy in Beirut's X account posted, along with a link to the government's Grants.gov website.
On the website, the listing highlights "Increased local recognition of the United States' leadership and positive role in stabilizing Lebanon" as one of the key objectives.
It also lists the aim of reducing "acceptance of false narratives that portray U.S.-mediated engagements as arbitrary, destabilizing, or disengaged".
The announcement sparked criticism from many in Lebanon.
Popular Lebanese content creator and podcaster Anthony Sargon told The New Arab that it should come as no surprise that "the US embassy is willing to pay Lebanese corporations or individuals large sums of money to promote American and Israeli hegemony in the region".
"Lebanon already has a large facet of pro-US, pro-Israel individuals and political parties who desperately want to be associated with them, no matter the cost to their own country, dignity, and freedom," Sargon, who hosts the Do Not Worry Podcas t, said.
The podcaster also drew comparisons between the PR drive and Israel's propaganda campaigns.
"It reminds me of when Israel was shelling out $7,000 per post for US influencers to make pro-Zionist content in the US. It's another pathetic attempt to launder their image and distract from their countless war crimes," Sargon said.
While expressing scepticism about whether the programme will attract "new converts", Sargon highlighted potential issues with other facets of the drive.
"I'm more concerned about data collection and the use of AI, which the program heavily encourages. That data and information will certainly be turned against the Lebanese population at one point or another," he said, adding that "Anyone who accepts this funding, in my opinion, is a collaborator and a traitor working against Lebanon’s best interests and sovereignty."
The funding announcement came amid unprecedented direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in Rome , which were facilitated by the US.
Attempts to influence and gauge Lebanese public opinion on the country's future - particularly regarding engagement with Israel - come amid a renewed Israeli occupation, attempts to disarm Hezbollah, and US-backed dialogue between Beirut and Tel Aviv.
Earlier this month, Lebanese citizens received unsolicited SMS messages from a sender identifying itself only as "Peace Talks", which invited recipients to join a "historic conversation between Lebanese and Israeli citizens". A follow-up message urged recipients to "break the taboo" by joining the meeting, hosted on Zoom.
The source of the messages remains unknown but experts told The New Arab they were likely from inside the country.
The US's expanded involvement in Lebanon has come under US President Donald Trump's broader aim of implementing his vision for peace in the region.
A key plank of this agenda has been to push for normalisation between Israel and Arab states under the so-called Abraham Accords.
In Lebanon, this has included US-led efforts to disarm Hezbollah and two US-brokered truces between the militant group and Israel.