Israel Secretly Targets U.S. Lawmakers With Influence Campaign on Gaza War
New York TimesMAY 25 2024
Report: Israel Funding US Operations Targeting Anti-War Protests
Above: Pro-Israel protestors and Pro-Palestine protestors during a rally against the Baruch College Hillel campus organization at Baruch College on June 05, 2024 in New York City. Image copyright: Michael M. Santiago/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
According to a joint investigation between journalists Lee Fang and Jack Poulson in collaboration with The Guardian, Israel has spent millions of dollars on a program, known as Voices of Israel, to influence Americans in the debate over the Gaza war. Voices of Israel is led by the Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli.
Voices is reportedly a redesign of a previous program called "Concert" — known before that as Kela Shlomo — which was used to conduct "mass consciousness activities" to combat anti-Israel movements in the US and Europe.
From October 2023 to May 2024, Voices reportedly spent $8.6M funding pro-Israel nonprofits. One of them, the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), was cited by US lawmakers during their congressional hearings with university officials this summer.
The Spin
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israeli propaganda operations targeting US universities and pro-Palestine protests should be no surprise. The Israeli government, through its close ties to American billionaires, million-dollar joint US-Israel study abroad programs, and US lawmakers, has the power to threaten academic institutions with a withdrawal of funding should they go against the pro-Israel narrative. Unfortunately, these institutions cower in the face of being called antisemitic or losing donor money.
Pro-Israel narrative
Israel isn't funding censorship in America — it's trying to combat other foreign countries that have funded the violent anti-Jewish encampments seen across American universities. While Qatar funds pro-Hamas protests due to antisemitic, anti-Israel bias, China funds such movements because it benefits from dividing Americans on an issue they otherwise wouldn't be divided on. Antisemitism isn't an organic American phenomenon — it's created by foreign entities focused on destroying Israel and the US, and supporting public information is vital.
Metaculus Prediction
The Controversies
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
More neutral establishment stance articles
Sign Up for Our Free NewslettersSign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up!
Sign Up Now!