Democratic PR firm SKDK prematurely terminates $600,000 deal with 'Israel'

A prominent US public affairs firm with deep ties to Democratic politics has ended its contract with the 'Israeli' government months earlier than expected, cutting off a USD 600,000 deal that had been focused on shaping media coverage of 'Israel’s' war on Gaza, Politico reported.

SKDK, which has advised multiple Democratic administrations and campaigns, confirmed it terminated its work for 'Israel' on August 31. “SKDK stopped this work on Aug. 31 and has begun the process of de-registering,” a company spokesperson said. Asked why, the spokesperson offered only that the project “had run its course.”

The arrangement, originally disclosed in a March filing under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), involved collaboration with European ad giant Havas on behalf of Lapam, 'Israel’s' government advertising agency, with the 'Israeli' Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the ultimate client. It marked the first time SKDK had represented 'Israel' directly, though the firm has previously supported pro-'Israel' advocacy campaigns.

According to filings, SKDK’s early assignments included promoting international attention on the Bibas family tragedy, a family taken hostage in Gaza, three of whom were later confirmed killed. Later, the firm worked to book pro-'Israel' voices on US news programs and other media outlets. The contract had been expected to run through March of next year.

The termination announcement came just a day after Sludge, an investigative outlet, reported that Stagwell, SKDK’s parent company, had committed to a digital campaign designed to “amplify pro-Israel narratives” across major social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The report cited FARA documents.

SKDK denied involvement in such a program. “Our work focused solely on media relations and nothing else,” the spokesperson said, adding that neither SKDK nor Stagwell operated bot networks.