Are U.S. tax dollars helping fund Israeli terrorism?
While it is no surprise that more U.S taxpayer money goes to Israel than any other country—in the form of military aid—it is surprising that the U.S. has authorized tax exempt charity donations to go towards Israeli groups that financially support Zionist terrorists in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
According to a press release from T’Ruah:
As a rabbinic organization committed to human rights and the pursuit of justice in both Israel and the United States, we are deeply concerned about the likelihood that U.S. tax exempt donations are being used to finance terrorism within Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Today, T’ruah filed a request to the Office of the New York State Attorney General to investigate the American fundraising arm of Honenu and its fiscal sponsor, the Central Fund of Israel, regarding their use of charitable funds to support of Israeli Jews who have engaged in terrorist activities.
Honenu declares its primary purpose as legal defense for Israeli Jews accused of terrorist activities. If this were Honenu’s only activity, we would have no complaint. Everyone deserves a fair trial with a lawyer. But Honenu also admits to making cash payments to Israelis convicted of terrorist acts and to their families.
A complaint filed with the New York State Attorney General highlights the methods Honenu uses to hide these activities. On their English website, the charity organization only mentions the legal aid they provide, while on Hebrew site they list the financial support they give to individuals convicted of terrorism and their families.
Honenu’s support for terrorism is not a secret. In an exposé on Israel’s Channel 10 News, it was reported that Honenu has given funds to a wide range of Zionist terrorists including one Israeli man who murdered seven Palestinians in May 1990, two Israeli men who were convicted of attempted murder for planning to bomb a Palestinian school in 2002 and a man who kidnapped and tortured a Palestinian boy.
However, as the Foundation for Middle East Peace points out, it is unlikely that the United States government will take any action around Honenu’s tax exempt status because none of the terrorist groups being supported by Honenu are on the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations.
The fact that U.S. taxpayer money is supporting right-wing zionist terrorism,—while the popularity of extreme right-wing and openly racist political parties is on the rise in Israel—is extremely frightening. It also highlights the U.S. government’s double standards when it wages war against terrorism.
