The pro-Israel special interest group is
one of the most significant and pervasive special interest groups in the United
States. It consists of numerous institutions and individuals that work to
influence Congress, the president, academia, the media, religious institutions,
and American public opinion on behalf of Israel. It has been active in the U.S.
for many decades.
Below is a partial list, in no
particular order, of groups and individuals that publicly support Israel.
Some of these are official lobbying
groups whose primary purpose is to lobby governmental officials for pro-Israel
policies. Others are groups or individuals that work to influence the media,
academia and/or others in a pro-Israel direction. Some do this full-time;
others as one portion of a diverse array of activities. While they span
the political spectrum and range from hardcore supporters of the Israeli right
to liberal critics of some Israeli policies, all support Israel.
We will
continue to update and add entities to this very incomplete list as staffing
and time allow.
We have
been creating this roster for a number of years, so some links below may now be
broken, and some information may need to be updated; we are working to fix
these.
Below
this list are some recommended books and additional resources on the Israel
lobby.
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Hollywood gala on November 2, 2017 to
raise funds for “Friends of the IDF”, which supports Israeli soldiers. The
event raised $54 million. Since FIDF has been made tax exempt in
the U.S, donors were able to write their donations to soldiers for a foreign
military off their U.S. taxes. (See video here and below.)
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• The
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC): AIPAC is the most prominent
governmental lobbying organization on behalf of Israel. Fortune Magazine typically rates it as
the second most powerful lobby in the U.S. AIPAC
frequently writes legislation for members of Congress, which
extraordinarily large majorities of both parties typically endorse. It has a $100 million endowmentand annual revenue of about $60 million and spends about $2-3 million each year in lobbying Congress. AIPAC’s
annual conventions are typically a who’s who of high government office from
both parties pledging their loyalty to Israel. Some years ago an AIPAC official
announced that they planned to take over student governments.
• Pro-Israel Political Action
Committees (PACs): AIPAC
does not give campaign contributions itself but instead uses a campaign finance
network consisting of around thirty Pro-Israel
Political Action Committees (PACs), which AIPAC is constantly signaling. Only four
of these PACs have names that indicate their true agenda, such as ‘Allies for
Israel’ or ‘World Alliance for Israel.’ The rest have innocuous names like
‘National Action Committee’ or ‘Heartland PAC.’ Constituents usually don’t
realize their candidates are receiving money from PACs that advance the
interests of a foreign government. (More info below)
• Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations (CoP): This group of 51 organizations also advocates on behalf of Israel, including a focus on Iran. It had revenues of over $2.2 million in 2011. All members of the CoP sit
on AIPAC’s executive committee. The Conference of Presidents focuses on
lobbying the Executive branch while AIPAC concentrates on Congress.
• The American Israel Education
Foundation (AIEF): AIEF is a subsidiary of AIPAC that takes
Congressional Representatives on all-expense-paid trips to Israel. In August 2011, 81 members of Congress from both parties took trips to
Israel with the AIEF. Its annual budget is over $26 million, and its executive director, Richard
Fishman, is officially “not compensated,” but he receives $395,000 annually from affiliates. Roll Call reports that in 2012 “The American Israel
Education Foundation spent more than $650,000 last year — more than any other
group — to send more than 60 lawmakers and staffers to Israel for tours of
Jerusalem, seminars on Israeli politics and discussions of asymmetric warfare,
according to congressional travel filings.”
• The Washington Institute for
Near East Policy (WINEP): WINEP is a highly influential think tank
that pushes Israel-centric Middle East policies. It was founded by a former
AIPAC employee, and while it claims to promote a “balanced and realistic”
understanding of the Middle East, it is “funded by individuals deeply committed to advancing Israel’s
agenda.” It is
frequently called upon by both the government and the media to provide “expert”
analysis on Middle East issues. Its 2010 revenues were $9.4 million, and its net assets total $23.5 million. Former AIPAC member MJ Rosenberg stated:
“I was working at AIPAC and it was Steve Rosen who cleverly came up with the
idea for an AIPAC controlled think-tank that would put forth the AIPAC line but
in a way that would disguise its connections.” More information is here.
• Anti-Defamation League (ADL): The ADL bills itself as a civil rights institution devoted to
stamping out anti-Semitism. But in practice, it regularly works to promote
Israeli interests and
attacks virtually any prominent person who criticized Israel and labels them
“anti-Semitic.” It has also been involved in a large spying operation against American citizens who
opposed the policies of Israel and the Apartheid regime in South Africa. It is
an architect of “hate crimes legislation” that may effectively criminalize criticism of Israeli
policies. The ADL
is a member of the CoP with revenues of around $68 million and as of 2008 had net assets of
over $185 million. Abe Foxman, its former national
director, made $688,280 per year. When he retired he took a position at an Israeli think
tank. The
current director is Jonathan Greenblatt.
• International Fellowship of
Christians and Jews (aka Stand for Israel): Founded in 1983 by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein “to
promote understanding between Jews and Christians and build broad support for
Israel,” it promotes advocacy for Israel among mostly right-wing Christians.
It has annual revenues of nearly $100 million.
• Central Fund of Israel, based in Manhattan, says it funds “over 250 charitable causes
in Israel.” A Ha’aretz investigation found it funneled much
of its money to settlements; it has sent money to an extremist Israeli
organization in which the “rabbis heading the yeshiva published a book
that discussed the circumstances in which non-Jews can be killed.” It has
received “tens of millions of dollars” in
donations. In 2015 its revenue was $20 million.
It also sponsors Reservists on
Duty, established in 2015 by Israeli soldiers to travel to US college
campuses to advocate for Israel and to train American Jewish students to speak
on behalf of Israel.
The Gideon Project was created by Reservists On Duty
“to give students fluent in English a chance to represent and defend Israel
internationally after their service.” Soldiers speak on campuses throughout the
U.S. Video here.
• Christians United for Israel
(CUFI): CUFI is a right-wing Evangelical
Christian organization run by David Brog, a Jewish American
attorney who previously practiced corporate law in Tel Aviv, Israel. He’s
the author of Reclaiming Israel’s History. In 2007, the Forward newspaper
listed Brog in its “Forward 50” most influential Jews in America. The titular
founder of CUFI is John Hagee. CUFI, which distorts Biblical
teachings, has high-level contacts with the Israeli government. Despite a
budget of $7 million, it may be losing ground as more evangelicals learn the facts
about Israel. It has a lobbying arm, called CUFI Action Fund, first reported in The Washington
Post, run by
Gary Bauer, one of the signers of the Statement of Principles of Project for the
New American Century (PNAC) on June 3, 1997. Bauer also serves on the board of
the Emergency Committee for Israel. In 2010 he received the Defender of Israel Award from the Zionist Organization
of America. CUFI
Action Fund’s Communications Director is Ari Morgenstern, an Israeli citizen who previously served at the
Israeli Embassy in Washington. The fund, Bauer said, will have a
multimillion-dollar budget and a dozen staffers who will focus on pro-Israel
lobbying among members of Congress and presidential candidates. In 2017 it
began a scorecard of legislators’ every vote and
comment about Israel.
• Simon Wiesenthal Center: According to its website: “The Simon Wiesenthal Center is a global
Jewish human rights organization that confronts anti-Semitism, hate and
terrorism, promotes human rights and dignity, stands with Israel, defends the
safety of Jews worldwide, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust for future
generations.” It has “a constituency of over 400,000 households” in the US. It
is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in New York, Toronto, Miami,
Chicago, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Jerusalem.” It gave its “Humanitarian Award”
to Harvey Weinstein in 2015 despite the open secret of
Weinstein’s assaults on women. In 2011 it had an annual budget of $24 millionand net assets of $67 million.
• The Israel Project: Founded in 2003, the Israel Project specializes
in pro-Israel propaganda targeting the press and the American public. In 2009,
a secret handbook commissioned by The Israel Project and written by Republican
pollster and strategist Frank Luntz, “The Global Language Dictionary,”
was exposed by two Newsweek reporters. The handbook crafts language and talking points for Israel advocates in simplistic,
diversionary, and dishonest ways. The organization has 70 employees and
an $11 million annual budget. In 2011 it
opened additional bureaus in India and China and launched a website in Arabic.
• Friends of the Israeli Defense
Forces (FIDF): This
American organization supports the Israeli armed forces. It hosts lavish
fundraisers and
has fourteen regional offices in the U.S. and one in Latin America. FIDF also
brings hundreds of Israeli soldiersto the U.S. every year to lecture at
synagogues, universities, and schools in order to increase American support for
Israeli policies. It has annual revenues of around $60 million and net assets of $80 million.
• Hadassah (Women’s Zionist
Organization of America): Founded in 1912, Hadassah is “a volunteer organization that
inspires a passion for and commitment to its partnership with the land and people of
Israel.” It has
chapters across the U.S. and “more than 330,000… Members, Associates and supporters.” It
regularly advocates on behalf of Israel and is currently pushing anti-Iran legislation. It has annual revenues of nearly $100 million and $400 million in net assets.
• America’s Voices in Israel
(AVI): A
project of the Conference of Presidents, AVI works to “strengthen American
understanding of and support for Israel by inviting U.S.-based radio talk show
hosts to see Israel and broadcast their programs live from Jerusalem.” It also
brings celebrities and other “opinion makers” on guided tours of
Israel.
• The Jewish Agency for Israel: The name is often shortened to just
“The Jewish Agency.” According to its website, founded in 1929, this links
“Jews around the world with Israel as the focal point… ” Major activities
include Jewish Zionist education and building a global Jewish community. “In
addition to extensive programs in Israel, it operates in close to 80 countries
on five continents through a network of over 450 emissaries, including hundreds
of formal and informal educators. The world Jewish community participates in
the Jewish Agency’s decision-making process through the Assembly, its supreme
governing body, and its Board of Governors, which is responsible for policy
making and oversight.” The Jewish Federations of North American are a fundraising partner, with individual
Jewish Federations from numerous American cities listed.
- James S. Tisch: Chairperson of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors. According to its website, Tisch is President and Chief Executive Officer of Loews Corporation, chairman of the Board of Directors of Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc., a member of the Board of Directors of CNA Financial Corporatio, a director on the board of the General Electric Company, Chairman of the Board of WNET, parent of WNET Channel 13 and WLIW Channel 21, a member of the Board of Directors of The New York Public Library, serves on the Executive Committee of the Partnership for New York City, a Trustee of the Mount Sinai Medical Center, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, President and Chairman Emeritus of Federation Employment and Guidance Service (F.E.G.S.), past Chairman of the Board of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, past Chairman of the Board of United Jewish Communities, past President of UJA-Federation of New York, and a former director on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
• Young Judaea: According to its website, the organization was founded in 1909 and is “the
oldest Zionist youth movement in the United States.” It brings young
people to Israel and also has numerous summer camps in the
US that serve to “instill a lifelong love” of
Israel. It’s
annual budget is approximately $200,000.
• American Friends of Likud: According to its website, AFL “has
developed unparalleled relationships with the Likud [a right-wing Israeli
political party] Ministers and Members of Knesset as well as other Israeli
dignitaries and policy and opinion makers. Our programs feature these
individuals as guest speakers, lecturers and educators. Our special
relationships with Israel’s leaders, dignitaries, journalists, etc. have
been developed over the years and are based on a mutual belief in a
right-leaning Likud philosophy.” Based in New York City, it is a has an annual
budget of approximately $300,000. AFLis reported to be “one of hundreds of ‘Friends
of’ Israel organizations in the US – all 501c3 tax-exempt charities
raising funds to send to their parent organizations in Israel.”
• American-Israeli Cooperative
Enterprise (AICE) [Jewish Virtual Library]: This nonprofit organization was
established in 1993, according to its website, in order to “strengthen the U.S.-Israel
relationship.” Its principal publication is Myths & Facts: A Guide to the
Arab-Israeli Conflict. It also works to fight “the
delegitimization of Israel,” producing materials to oppose the BCS
campaign and publishing the StopBDS.com website. There seem to be a number
of AICE branches. The one in Chevy Chase assets of almost $11 million as of 2013. Its leader is Mitchell
Bard. The organization sometimes funds professorson US campuses.
• The Israel Allies
Foundation: Its
website states: “Pioneered by MK Rabbi
Binyamin Elon, the Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) works with Congress and
parliaments around the world to mobilize political support for Israel based on
Judeo-Christian values.” Officially titled International Israel Allies Caucus
Foundation, it coordinates similar caucuses in 35 countries and has approximately $2 million in resources.
• Americans United with Israel: The American branch of the international
organization United with Israel, which states that it is “a global community comprised of
individuals who are deeply committed to the success and prosperity of Israel.
Our primary mission is to build a massive network of pro-Israel activists and
to educate and promote unity with the People, Country and Land of Israel.” It
is a tax-exempt organization. 2014 revenue was $590,000. It’s head is Kaylene Ladinsky, associate publisher of the Atlanta
Jewish Times.
• The Jewish
Policy Center: Its website says it provides timely perspectives
and analysis of foreign and domestic policies by leading scholars, academics,
and commentators” and “passionately supports … U.S.-Israel security
cooperation, and missile defense. We support Israel in its quest for legitimacy
and security.” The JPC also says: “We also support U.S. efforts to spread
democracy in the Middle East. We believe it is critical to reduce America’s
dependence on foreign oil. We support Washington’s efforts to deter dangerous
states from acquiring nuclear weapons. Finally, we lend our full support to
Israel in its long war for security in the Middle East.”
• The Haym Salomon Center: According to its website, The Haym Salomon Center is a news and public policy
group that produces content that often appears in mainstream and new
media outlets. Its articles have been published in USA Today, the New
York Daily News, Fox News, The Hill, the Washington Times, the Wall Street
Journal, etc. Many of its articles focus on Israel, the dangers of
“political Islam,” and”antisemitism,” which frequently means opposition to
Israeli human rights violations. It operates under Over the Horizon nonprofit organization, which in 2014 had approximately a quarter of a
million dollars.
• The Foundation for Jewish Camp: This nonprofit foundation states on its website that in in Jewish
camps “Israeli culture is celebrated through song, food, art, and dance,”
and reports, “The magic of Jewish camp is rooted in its 24/7
atmosphere” and says that “connection to Israel” is “entwined with basketball,
arts and crafts and swimming.” It notes that some camps are particularly
“focused on Zionism and the role of Israel in Jewish life.” It reports that in
one of these, CAMP INC., “Israel education will be embedded in the program as
campers learn about Israel through the lens of their entrepreneurial sector.
Campers will learn from high-level mentors, teachers, and business pioneers.
Camp Inc., under the direction of Josh Pierce, will be operated by the Boulder
JCC.” Another, URJ 6 POINTS SCIENCE ACADEMY “will
immerse them in a vibrant Jewish community filled with Jewish music, Shabbat
experiences, and living connections to Israel.” It states that the Academy, the
14th in the Union for Reform Judaism’s camp system, will be located in the
Boston, MA area. Funding comes from a grant of $8.6 million jointly funded
by The Jim Joseph Foundation and
the AVI CHAI Foundation.
• The Jim Joseph Foundation: This is a DBA of the Shimon Ben Joseph Foundation, which faqs.org reports has assets of $837,220,914. Its website reports that among the activities its
sponsors is “Israel Education,” which includes “twinning day schools with
schools in Israel; integrating Israel education with learning taking place in
general studies courses; and showcasing Israel’s arts and culture so students
and teachers are in direct contact with what is happening in Israel today.”
• The Avi Chai Foundation: According to its 2010 form 990 report it had total assets of $614,997,808.
One of its primary North American focuses, according to its website, is “Promoting Jewish Peoplehood and Israel.” It states: “Israel studies and Israel
advocacy have become centerpieces of AVI CHAI’s peoplehood efforts in North
America. All of the day schools receiving support from AVI CHAI have agreed to
include in their materials, as an expression of their own philosophy, the
following statement: “The creation of the State of Israel is one of the seminal
events in Jewish history. Recognizing the significance of the State and its
national institutions, we seek to instill in our students an attachment to the
State of Israel and its people as well as a sense of responsibility for their
welfare.”
JTA reports: “The Avi Chai Foundation, one of the
leading supporters of Jewish day schools, includes on its website a section on
Israel Education and Advocacy. It requires all schools receiving its support to
abide by a statement saying that they ‘seek to instill in our students an
attachment to the State of Israel and its people as well as a sense of
responsibility for their welfare.’ It provides books on defending against
anti-Israel campaigning on college campuses.”
• Stand with Us: Stand with Us has headquarters in Los
Angeles and chapters in Israel, Europe, Britain, Australia, and South Africa.
Its annual budget is at least $4 million, though this may only
cover the U.S. section. It has a number of divisions, including StandWithUsCampus, StandWithUs
International, United4Freedom, Stand4Facts, LearnIsrael, Librarians for Fairness, and Emerson Fellows. Student leaders are trained to advocate for
Israel on campuses around the country. The organization has erected numerous
pro-Israel, anti-Palestinian billboards around the U.S. “Israelis invested $57
billion in U.S. Companies” is one of them. For a deconstruction of this
billboard go here.
Washington observers may feel there is no
obvious shortage of pro-Israel lobbyists in the city—but a group of leading
American conservatives thinks otherwise and has set up a new campaign group to
attack President Obama over his ‘anti-Israel’ stance. The Emergency
Committee for Israel presents
a potent combination of Republican Party neoconservatives and Evangelical
Christians. The new group’s board includes Weekly Standard Editor
William Kristol and Gary Bauer, a former Republican presidential candidate who
leads the group American Values, as well as Rachel Abrams, a conservative
writer and activist.
Its website says: “The Committee for Israel is committed
to mounting an active defense of the US-Israel relationship by educating the
public about the positions of political candidates on this important issue, and
by keeping the public informed of the latest developments in both countries.
Join us to help support Israel and her many friends here in the United States.”
The group makes his videos, Its board is here.
The Committee produced an advertisement against Ron Paul that ran in South Carolina
because of Paul’s opposition to U.S. aid to Israel and other countries, and
another one against Rush Holt, who was defeated by Cory Booker, whose
largest donor was a pro-Israel PAC. ECI funded tens of thousands of dollars
worth of anti-Obama advertising.
• Leona M. and Harry B Helmsley
Charitable Trust: The
trust fund is valued at between $4 billion and $8 billion. Among the main areas its grants support
are programs focused on “the security and development of Israel.” According to Jewish Week:
“[Leona Helmsley] left instructions for
her charitable trust fund… to benefit dogs. But the courts ruled that the Leona
and Harry Helmsley Trust Fund she had established after her husband’s death was
not legally bound to fund animals only, and that its grants should be directed
solely at the discretion of the trustees she had appointed. Fortunately for the
State of Israel, Mrs. Helmsley chose Sandor (Sandy) Frankel, 69, a local Jewish
attorney who worked closely with her the last 18 years of her life, to be one
of the four trustees who now oversee that major trust. Frankel, who is married
to an Israeli and has visited Israel frequently since he was a teenager, is
proud to say that he has a passion for the Jewish state.
Among the projects receiving its
multi-million grants was a new press center in Israel.
At its opening Frankel announced: “Our hope is that with the opening of the
club’s doors, the press will flock here, and will accurately report” on the
country and its people.
• AMIT: According to its website: “Founded
in 1925, AMIT is the world’s leading supporter of religious Zionist education
and social services for Israel’s children and youth, nurturing and educating
Israeli children to become productive, contributing members of society.” It has
numerous chapters throughout the U.S. It sponsors lectures about Israel, holds screenings of Israeli films, participates in pro-Israel parades, etc. In 2011 its annual expenses were over $8 million and its net
assets were $11,705,151. Its executive vice
president was paid $120,292.
• Aaron and Marie Blackman
Foundation, Inc: Net
assets of about $7 million (see also here and here). Distributes grants to various Israeli organizations and
other organizations with relationships with Israel.
• Jewish Day Schools: Many of these schools work to “instill in our students an attachment to the
state of Israel.” (they sometimes use this version: “we seek to instill in our students an
attachment to the State of Israel and its people as well as a sense of
responsibility for their welfare.” They frequently have school trips to Israel
(e.g. the Jewish Day school in Seattle), and include it in
curricula, e.g. in Sacramento: “sixth-graders pursue a curriculum
centered on Israel.” Their mission statements note that they teach “the
centrality of the State of Israel” (see Contra Costa
Jewish Day School). These
are usually tax exempt institutions, which means they are subsidized by U.S.
taxpayers. JTA reports: “In April 2002, day schools throughout
the country — Block Yeshiva High School in St. Louis, the Ramaz School in New
York and the Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Chicago, to name a few — sent students
by bus or plane to a pro-Israel rally in Washington, D.C. “’They drove us
to every single rally,” said Shira Galston, a 2004 graduate of Ramaz. “There
was no question [of] do you want to go to the rally. We’re going to the rally.
Whenever there was something that happened, there was never a question of what
side the school was on.’” The Frisch school (Jared Kushner is an alum) hosts
training sessions for a project in which teens carry out social media missions
assigned from Israel. The Avi Chai Foundation, one of the leading supporters of
Jewish day schools, includes on its website a section on Israel
Education and Advocacy. It requires all schools receiving its support to abide
by a statement saying that they “seek to instill in our students an attachment
to the State of Israel and its people as well as a sense of responsibility for
their welfare.” It provides books on defending against anti-Israel
campaigning on college campuses. See this statement by
Avi Chai. (It is
important to note that such support for Israel came only after years of
pro-Israel efforts to obtain this. The American Jewish population did not
originally support Zionism, and there are many groups and individuals today who oppose this
ideology, both in the U.S. and in Israel itself.)
• Jewish Council for Public
Affairs (JCPA): The Jewish
Council for Public Affairs acts as an umbrella for many smaller organizations. One of its three goals, as announced in
its mission statement, is to work for “the safety and security
of the State of Israel.” Its annual funding is $3,128,795 and comes
primarily from private individuals.
• Jewish National Fund (JNF): The Jewish National Fund is an
international organization founded at Basil Switzerland by Theodore Herzl in 1901. The fund was originally created with
for the purpose of purchasing land in Palestine for a future Jewish state.
Today the main focus for the JNF is land “reclamation” and
forestry. However,
the group also serves to fund IDF military
installations. The
organization is well funded by donors with total assets of $1.15 billion dollars.
• Zionist Organization of America
(ZOA): The
Zionist Organization of America was established in 1887, making it the oldest
pro-Israel organization
in the US. Their goal is to spread the Zionist message wherever in all aspects
of American life. Their objectives include spreading Zionism on American campuses,
work to advance the interests Israel and Jewish people within the American
legal system. They also engage in pro-Israel lobbying, with
expenditures totaling$299,900 in 2009.
Their finances include over $8
Million in assets and $2.5 million from donors.
• American Jewish Committee (AJC): The American Jewish Committee, founded in
1906, is based is San Francisco. In its mission statement, the AJC espouses support for leftist
values, such as “shared democratic values” and “energy independence of the US,”
while also advocating the
right of Israel to
exist as an exclusionary Jewish state. Its annual income is about $49,525,000 and comes largely from private
individuals, with its assets totaling$132,310,000. It played a major role in creating the
new Israel-centric definition
of antisemitismthat is
being embedded around the world.
• World Jewish Congress: The World Jewish Congress is an
international organization representing Jews in 100
countries. Supporting Israel is one of the key components of its
mission. Although its global finances are unknown, its US offices have an
annual revenue of $5,521,674.
• Friends of Aish Hatorah: Aish Hatora, Hebrew for “fire of the Torah,”
is an Orthodox Jewish organization founded in 1974 and headquartered in
Jerusalem. The group is known for a number of pro-Israel programs, including
The Theodore Herzl
Mission, which
brings heads of state to Israel for one week each year. They also have a
program called the Hasbara Fellowship, where people can come from around the world
to learn how to effectively engage in pro-Israel propaganda. The group has also
been linked to the distribution of an anti-Islamic propaganda film during the 2008 American
presidential campaign. Because Aish Hatora is based in Jerusalem with various
global branches, the details of their funding are unknown.
• Chabad: Chabad-Lubavitch, based on an 18th century
Hasidic movement,
is one of the the largest Jewish organizations in the world. It is a fervent supporter of Israel. One Chabad Rabbi has encouraged Jewish people to kill
“Arab men, women, and children.” Chabad sometimes openly teaches that “the soul of the Jew is
different than the soul of the non-Jew.” The group has a reported net worth of $1 billion dollars.
• Republican Jewish Coalition: The Republican Jewish Coalition Jewish is
a lobbying group whose mission statement includes the “embrace of pro-Israel
foreign policy.” The RJC maintains close links to the Likud party of Israel. They also control
a Super Pac, which has upward of 2 million dollars in
their war chest. Their Annual revenue is $10,067,507. The vast majority of their funding comes from various organizations.
• National Jewish Democratic
Council: The National Jewish Democratic Council is a group dedicated to maximising
Jewish support for the Democrat party, increasing support for “Jewish domestic
and foreign policy priorities,” and “secur[ing] a democratic Jewish state in
Israel.” NJDC supports Likud policies and pushes for a hawkish stance against
Iran, urging the President of the United States to “stand with Israel.” Its annual income is $1,161,195 and is funded by private
individuals.
• Foundation for Defense of
Democracies: The
Foundation for Defense of Democracies is an international organization
whose claimed goal is “fighting terrorism and promoting
freedom” and “defend[ing] free
nations from
their enemies.” It developed from the educational initiative Emet, which was created to “win American
sympathy for Israel’s response to the Palestinian intifada.” While its mission
may appear neutral, the organization is dedicated to promoting the security of
Israel. Among
its other projects is the Iran Project, which revolves around “supporting energy
sanctions.” It is funded largely by private
individuals’ donations. Its
annual income is$7,267,839.
JINSA: JINSA is a non-profit organization
whose mandate includes promoting a “a strong U.S.
military, a robust national security policy, and a strong U.S. security
relationship with Israel…” Their total revenue is $3,332,140 from contributions and program
services.
• Saban Center at Brookings: The Saban Center for Middle East Policy is
part of the Brookings
Institute. Its
mission statement includes a two-state solution for Israel/ Palestine. “Ardent
Zionist” Haim Saban, a former AIPAC official, funds the institute.
• Center for Security Policy: Founded and led by neoconservative Frank Gaffney, a longtime Israel
partisan, CSP
works to promote a close US-Israelrelationship and to position Israel’s enemies as allegedly US adversaries. It’s
annual budget is approximately $4 million and Gaffney himself earns over $288,000 yearly. The Institute for Policy
Studies states: “…(CSP) is a prominent member of the
neoconservative advocacy community that has promoted extravagant weapons
programs, an Israel-centric view of Middle East peace, and a broad “war on
terror” against ‘Islamofascists.’……A primary target of CSP’s work is Iran.”
• MEMRI: The Middle East Media Research
Institute is an organization founded in the US in
1998. It’s stated objective is to “inform the debate over US foreign policy
in the Middle East.” However, MEMRI is a shadowy
organization that
does not disclose names of staff members nor office locations. Analysts have
commented that MEMRI appears to function as a propaganda organization that
circulates biased translations in order to portray Arabs in the most
negative possible light. One of the organization’s founders worked as
an Israeli military intelligence officer. MEMRI has full non-profit
status in the US and receives donations and grants amounting to $4,872,208
annually.
• Hillel: Hillel is a Jewish international student
organization. According to its web page, Hillel “fosters an enduring commitment to Jewish
life, learning and Israel.” Its president has stated:
“We are a pro-Israel organization. It is part of our mission to encourage
students to build an enduring commitment to Israel as a Jewish and democratic
homeland.” Hillel sponsors and promotes free “birthright” trips to Israel.
These trips position Israel as the “homeland” for European and American Jews.
Hillel collects annual revenue of
$25,920,017, primarily from gifts, grants, and contributions. Hillel has had
a program to
try to expand its reach by “paying students to attract other students” to
Hillel.
In 2014 some
students launched an Open
Hillel to challenge the Hillel establishment
and work to allow campus groups “to adopt policies that are more open and
inclusive than Hillel International’s, and that allow for free discourse on all
subjects within the Hillel community” and that represent “a
Jewish community where the full diversity of Jewish views on Israel-Palestine
is accepted and celebrated.”
• Birthright Israel: Birthright Israel is an organization that
provides free ten-day holidays to Israel for young Jewish adults, age 18 to 26.
Their objective is to, “strengthen Jewish
identities, Jewish community, and solidarity with Israel…” Their web page
strongly emphasizes support for
Israel.Philanthropists,
along with 14,000 individual donors, fund Birthright Israel. Their total revenue is $101,960,863.
• David Project: The David Project is a non-profit
educational program for the dissemination of pro-Israel propaganda in schools.
Their primary goal is justification for Israeli actions, which is often referred to in the Hebrew
term, “hasbara” (explaining). Their objective is, “work[ing] directly with
students and Israel groups to help them reach out to their peers and talk about
Israel.” The David Project has annual income of $2,824,763. However, the source
of this income is unclear.
• Amcha Initiative: The Amcha Initiative is a group
whose stated objective is to protect Jewish students from
anti-Semitism. Their definition of anti-Semitism is broad and
encompasses virtually any criticism of Israel, including criticism of Israel’s
human rights abuses. The group also lists the Boycott Divest and Sanction
movement as an example anti-Semitism. Their annual income is $199,155. The source of this
income is unclear.
• Young Israel: The National Council of Young Israel is a
group of 146 Orthodox
Jewish congregations. Starting
in 1912, Young Israel’s web page claims that the group has always
been “fiercely Zionist” and even boasts the acquisition of arms for the Jewish
terror group Haganah. Young Israel currently offers material support to the Israeli Defense Force as it engages in
attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. Because Young Israel is an umbrella for over
100 individual non-profit organizations, it is difficult to ascertain the
amount and sources of the group’s income.
• Ateret Cohanim: American Friends of Ateret Cohanim is a
non-profit organization based in Jerusalem. The purpose of the organization is
the urban renewal of Jerusalem through Jewish gentrification. Their web site boasts of a new Jewish
presence in the Christian and Muslim quarters of the Old City, and proclaims
Jerusalem to be a city belonging to every single Jew, in spite of the fact that
Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem is still not recognized under international law. The group maintains an office in New York with annual revenue of $1,054,618.
• Elad: The Ir David foundation (Amutat EL-AD) is
a non-profit organization established in 1986 by David Be’eri, a former elite
military commander of the IDF. According to their web page, the group “is dedicated to the
preservation and development of the Biblical City of David and its environs.”
However, the Ir David foundation is best known for its policy of “Judaization of
east Jerusalem” through
forced evictions and housing purchases. In recent years, their activity in East
Jerusalem has been linked to violent clashes between Palestinians and the new
Jewish residents. Ir David has a US auxiliary in New York called Friends of Ir
David with total annual revenue of $5,884,950.
• BBYO (formerly B’nai B’rith Youth Organization): Its website says: “BBYO is the leading
pluralistic teen movement aspiring to involve more Jewish teens in more
meaningful Jewish experiences. For 90 years, BBYO has provided
identity enrichment and leadership development experiences for hundreds of
thousands of Jewish teens.” It pridesitself on its “unwavering commitment
to the State of Israel.” The site says: “BBYO’s history is closely tied to that of the State
of Israel. As the future leaders of the global Jewish community, it is our
responsibility to learn about, appreciate and advocate for Israel.” Its 2015
annual budget was $27 million.
• Israeli-American Council: According to the Jewish Daily Forward, the Israeli American Council (IAC) aims to establish
the Israeli expatriate community living in the U.S. community “as a ‘strategic
asset’ for Israel in the U.S.” The goal is to be a “a potent political force in
the future.” IAC was established in Los Angeles in 2007, but expanded
dramatically in 2013 when casino mogul Sheldon Adelson’s began to serve
as its main funder. About 700 expatriate Israelis participated in the
“first-ever national political conference exclusively devoted to the expat
Israeli community” in Nov. 2014. It has an annual budget of $17.5 million.
According to a 2013 report, “Current IAC programs include: Tzav 8 (recruiting thousands for pro-Israel
rallies); Financing the Israeli “Shlichim” at all major campuses in Southern
California; Organizing and funding the Los Angeles
Independence Day Festival – the largest Jewish festival in
North America, as well as dozens of ceremonies, holidays and mass events for
the community; Sifriyat Pijama B’America,
through which 10,000 families nationwide enjoy Hebrew bedtime books sent to
their kids by mail, free of charge on a monthly basis; IAC-BINA club, consisting of approximately 1,500
Israeli and American Jewish young adults who convene discussions and activities
relating to Jewish identity and support for Israel; establishing and funding
the IAC-Care project in which thousands of
the community members volunteer and organize large scale drives; and Mishelanu (the leadership program for
Israeli-Americans students). More information is available on its website.
• America-Israel Chamber of
Commerce Chicago: An
American 501(c)6 tax-exempt organization founded in 1958 that facilitates
trade and investment between the US and Israel, promotes Israeli goods and
services, trade delegations and business match-making events, and works
closely with the Government of Israel to advance bilateral trade. It is a
sponsor of the website BuyIsraelGoods.org. The organization, which is tax
deductible in the U.S., urges people to buy goods from a foreign country.
This is just one of a
dozen such tax-exempt America-Israel Chambers of Commerce in the U.S. listed by the The Association of
America-Israel Chambers of Commerce.
Influential Pro-Israel Individuals
• Daniel Shapiro, past US Ambassador to Israel, gave a
speech in which he detailed his extremely close, life-long ties to Israel,
concluding: “[A]s a committed Jewish American, with deep roots in the American
Jewish community and warm bonds of affection with Israel, I will have an
opportunity to draw on those associations to help make the U.S.-Israel
relationship, strong as it is, even stronger in the years ahead.” He stated
that “ensuring Israel’s future” drives all US policies. See “US Ambassador: Support for Israel drives all US
policies”
According to Wikipedia: Shapiro served as a professional
staff member on the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, he was a legislative assistant and senior foreign policy adviser
to Senator Dianne Feinstein, he sat on the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton, he was deputy chief of staff
(primarily on foreign policy issues) for U.S. Senator Bill
Nelson, he
was vice president of the Washington, D.C., lobbying firm Timmons
& Company, served
as an advisor to then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama on Middle East and Jewish community also assisting as strategist and
fundraiser, accompanied Obama on his July 2008 trip to Israel; In January
2009, Shapiro was appointed senior director for the Middle East and North Africa
of the U.S.
National Security Council. Focusing on Israel, he attended every Israel-related meeting, and met
with every senior Israeli diplomat and military officer who visited Washington, D.C. Shapiro often accompanied U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George
J. Mitchell on
his trips to the region, and played a central role in talks regarding the
Middle East Peace Process and the strengthening of military cooperation between
the U.S. and Israel. He maintained close relations with Benyamin
Netanyahu, in spite
of tensions between the Israeli prime minister and President Obama.[14] Shapiro took leave of the President
of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, on January 17, 2017 before holding his
final meeting with Netanyahu two days later, which one newspaper described as a
“terse farewell.”After concluding his service as ambassador to Israel, Shapiro
became a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (Israel) at Tel Aviv University.
• Howard Berman, Democratic
Congressman from California, acknowledged in a 2008 interview with the Forward, “Even before I was
a Democrat, I was a Zionist.” He went on to explain that “an interest in the
Jewish state” was one of the main reasons he first sought a seat on the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs, where he is the top Democrat. Berman, who is
known as “the Congressman from Hollywood,” also told the Forward, “He is particularly keen on getting the
House more involved in Iran-related issues.”
• Martin Indyk, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel (he was
naturalized as an American citizen before being nominated for this position);
currently Special Envoy for Israeli Palestinian Negotiations. At one point he
had his security clearance revoked, the only time this has happened to a
U.S. ambassador. See video.
• Haim Saban, multimedia mogul whose net worth is
over $3 billion dollars, has said, “I’m a one-issue guy and my issue is
Israel.” In
2010, he told New Yorker magazine that his greatest concern is to protect
Israel by strengthening the United States-Israel
relationship. Saban
has bluntly outlined his formula for gaining influence in American
politics: make donations to political parties, establish think tanks, and
control media outlets. He tried to buy Time and Newsweek magazines, and has made repeated bids for the Los
Angeles Times because he considers the paper to be pro-Palestinian. He donated $9 million to Democrats in the 2002 election cycle alone.
• Sheldon Adelson, a businessman and casino
magnate, is worth over $28 billion dollars. He owns a number of resorts as well as the Israeli
newspaper Israel Hayom, the most largely circulated paper in Israel. Adelson set a new
record in political donations by giving $70 million (to Republicans) in the 2012
elections, nearly triple the previous highest amount. He also funds pro-Israel
organizations such as Birthright Israel, which takes thousands of young Jewish
Americans on recruiting visits to Israel.
• Rahm Emanuel, powerful Democratic politician, was a
Congressman, chair of the House Democratic caucus, mayor of Chicago (despite
allegations that he had not been a Chicago resident), in Bill Clinton’s
administration (had been Clinton’s main fundraiser), White House Chief of Staff under
President Obama, etc. Volunteered with the Israeli military during the first
Gulf War (his father had served in the pre-Israel terrorist group the Irgun),
was Israeli citizen until age of 18. Jeffrey Goldberg says Emanuel “is deeply and emotionally
committed to Israel and its safety. We’ve talked about the issue a dozen times;
it’s something he thinks about constantly.” See video.
• Stuart Weitzman, shoe designer, donated $1 million to Maccabi USA. The Maccabiah is an
Olympics-style competition held every four years in Israel.
• David Satterfield, U.S. diplomat who holds the rank of “Career Minister” who has worked on Middle East issues for
over 40 years.. Among his positions have been second-highest diplomat at
the US Embassy in Baghdad. In 2002 Satterfield discussed secret national security matters in two meetings with Steven J. Rosen, a top AIPAC
official.
Other individuals include:
Journalists
The Islamophobia Industry: Institutions and individuals who promote
Islamophobia, including Aubrey and Joyce Chernick, Frank Gaffney,
Pamela Geller, David Horowitz, Stephen
Emerson, David
Yerushalmi, and others. (more)
Eric Weider, publisher of American
History, Civil War Times, Military History, and eight other history
magazines.
Hollywood tycoon Arnon Milchan, who produced Pretty Woman, Mr. &
Mrs. Smith, and Fight Club, worked for the Mossad.
More information here
Politicians
(we have just begun compiling this
category)
Charles “Chuck” Schumer, top Democraatic leder in the Senate
There’s no card to carry that says one is
part of the Israel lobby. But taken as a whole, this sampling of powerful
pro-Israel organizations demonstrates how information is systematically skewed
before it reaches the American public. Politicians and journalists are systematically harassed,
often losing jobs, if they step out of line.
There is no comparable pressure from the
Arab-American side, much less from stateless Palestinians, who have no army,
little money, and very little cultural influence or PR savvy. By contrast to
the $3 million given by pro-Israel PACs in 2010, the two Arab-American
PACs—Arab American Leadership Council PAC and Arab American Political Action
Committee—gave a total of $36,500.
* PACs: Usually a PAC can only donate
$5,000 for a primary and $5,000 for general elections. But with thirty
“unaffiliated” PACs marching in lockstep behind AIPAC, this can balloon up to
$300,000 for any given candidate. The extent of this influence remains hidden
from view. They also use “bundling,” which means taking various individual
donations and handing them over en masse to a candidate, so that on the books
it shows up as several individual donations, but everyone except the FEC
understands who’s really controlling the money.
A 1996 book called Stealth PACs reports that “in 1988, Israel’s lobby
had 78 PACs spending more than $5.5 million to bribe Congress to vote more aid
for Israel. That was more than total contributions together of
the two next largest special interests in the United States—the real estate
lobby and the teamsters.”
During the 2010 elections, Israel-affiliated contributions were the
third highest of any special interest at nearly $3 million (with almost equal
amounts given to Democrats and Republicans). But because that number was broken
into pieces and hidden behind unrelated names, pro-Israel contributions didn’t
“officially” make the top twenty.
One example is Washington Pac, founded by
Morris Amitay, former head of AIPAC. Its website states: “…over three million dollars has been
carefully distributed on a bipartisan basis to Senators, Representatives, and
candidates… Its Capitol Hill location enables the PAC to meet with
Representatives and Senators on an almost daily basis. The Advisory Board holds
regular luncheons with U.S. Senate candidates, and the PAC’s newsletter has
earned an esteemed reputation for its analysis of the U.S. Senate races.”
• Teva: Not all PACs with connections to
Israel are included in the pro-Israel list. For example, the parents company of
the Teva PAC Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, is Teva
Pharmaceutical Industries, an Israeli company, the world’s largest generic drug
maker. It has achieved its astronomical sales by at times infringing on patents (although Judge Sidney Stein just rejected a similar claim – Stein also rejected a freedom of speech law suit related
to the Palestinian issue ). Teva’s website states, “Teva Government & Public Affairs seeks to
provide legislators and policy makers with both policy and political assistance
on issues of importance to patients, the company, its customers, and the
pharmaceutical industry as a whole.
The Washington
Report on Middle East Affairs reports on PACs frequently.
For example, see their list of pro-Israel PAC contributions to
candidates in 2010..
Recommended books:
They Dare to
Speak OutThey Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel’s
Lobby, by Paul
Findley
The Lobby: Jewish
Political Power and American Foreign Policy, by Edward Tivnan
The Israel Lobby
and U.S. Foreign Policy, by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt
Against Our
Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel, by Alison Weir
Additional resources
We also recommend subscribing to the If Americans Knew news blog, where
we post new items on this category frequently, as well as on Israel-Palestine in general.
Source
: 
Merci de traduire l'article ci-dessus en...français.
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