Article updated: Fri 3 May 2024 (Sleekit Scotsman ☮️🏴 articles are updated periodically to add latest information on the subject of the article for relevance).
Synopsis
As Israel for the first time in history appears to struggle to receive continuing unquestioning support from the US - whatever the cost - it is worth considering how that influence has been maintained to date.
There is a complex system of lobbying and influence groups in the US across multiple industries and institutions of civil society, bound by the common goal of maintaining a pro-Israeli narrative, silencing dissenting pro-Palestinian voices and ensuring political expediency in US Congress and importantly the UN with the US Veto vote on Israel’s behalf.
This article exams the lobby in detail.
Contents
🏛️ CONGRESS: Ensuring US Political Advocacy
15 March 2024: Bill to ban Tik Tok - identified as a major threat to the pro-Israeli agenda
December 2023: Motion equating criticism of Zionism as antisemitism
The Ultimate Bill: Creating a Federal Israel-defined “Antisemitism” Department in Government
April 21 2024: Largest aid package to Israel approved since Oct 7: $17Bn USD
January 2024: $14Bn USD Israel Aid Package passed through the House
🇺🇳 UNITED NATIONS: Ensuring A Free Rein
APPENDIX A - Criticism of structured pro-Israeli lobbying is not antisemitic
APPENDIX B: EXISTING ANTISEMITISM MEASURES IN THE US
Introduction
It is absolutely critical Israel maintains its strongest possible lobby in the US who provide direct aid, weapons supply, military intervention and importantly a veto blocker vote and/or resolution wording influence in the UN Security Council preventing any real action against Israel.
Israel cannot take any chances with voices of dissent at any level within the US and maintains the narrative through the silencing of pro-Palestinian voices through organisation and senior industry figures in addition to the obvious political funding.
Specific examples of this are listed in this article.
What is NOT included in this article:
The Fourth Estate - media influence in the US
Other Institutions - Other Institutional Influence; Finance etc.
Arts & Entertainment Advocacy - covered in other article, see Related Articles section at the end.
Nixon’s Take
Someone I am loathe to quote - but on the subject of Israeli lobbying nonetheless gives a valid historical voice on the issue - President Nixon.
“an American President must make a decision that does not in effect give Israel a blank cheque”
From the Richard Nixon Foundation:
In the end - Nixon saved Israel by sending “everything that can fly” to Israel to fight in the surprise 1973 Yom Kippur War as a foreign policy decision - but his views remained stern on internal lobbying in the US.
Calling out foreign nation influence not Antisemitism
We should be clear that criticising a system of pro-Israeli advocacy within a society - as a criticism of the State itself - is not antisemitic. APPENDIX A: Criticism of structured pro-Israeli lobbying is not antisemitic at the end of this article covers this in some detail for reference.
The reason is it in an Appendix is that I think we’re all tired of the false flag blanket antisemitism accusations that have been bandied about the last six months and its transparent enough.
🏛️ CONGRESS: Ensuring US Political Advocacy
The Pro-Israeli Lobby in US Politics is the largest most influential international affairs lobby in the US. It is composed of a number of pro-Israeli lobbying groups, the largest being the America-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that works hand-in-hand with the American Defamation League (ADL) as PR for lobby policies.
In Politics, Modus Operandi is typically:
Political influence individuals - heavy campaign funding, political lobbying, sponsored private trips to Israel (particularly here in Australia).
Political use of antisemitism - examples below - essentially continuing to band criticism of Israel with criticism of all Jews and hence antisemitic, and taking recorded action in Congress whether legally binding or not. Nobody wants to be tarred with antisemitism and who's going to look at the technicalities.
Antisemitism Smearing
Antisemitism smearing - there’s been an incredible amount of McCarthyite hysteria on this in the US in particular and here.
This ranges from the ignorant association of a Palestinian flag or keffiyeh with Hamas, terrorism and some sort of condoning of the events of October 7th to influential lobby groups dangerously associating peaceful protest with antisemitism.
Indeed an independent AP News Factcheck in 20191 confirmed that the keffiyeh scarf is NOT associated with Hamas, in the context of a complaint then at Palestinian US Congresswoman Senator Rashida Tlaib wearing the scarf.
Senator Tlaib gave an impassioned speech on human rights on the floor in Congress on November 7th (video below 4m36s):
“"I can't believe I have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable."
Soon after this address on 7 Nov 2023, she was censured by Congress2 234 votes (including 22 Democrats) to 188 (including 4 Republicans) for allegedly:
“defending terrorism” - calling for the end of “the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance” - when multiple United Nations and other NGO reports state this, and the Secretary General himself effectively said this on the floor of the UN Security Council two weeks earlier on 24 Oct - “these events have not occurred in a vacuum”
“calling for destruction of the State of Israel” - sharing a video with peaceful protesters chanting “From the River To The Sea, Palestine Will be Free” (despite multiple evidence that this is not an antisemtic chant, most recently see example of this from the march today and why NOT antisemitic).
It’s a bullshit narrative and people need to get wise to that.
Note: Rashida Tlaib was named by vile pro-Israeli website StopAntisemitism.org as “Antisemite of the year”3. Appalling hate.
I have gone to lengths to research this and call out what is and what isn’t antisemitic and why (including “from the river to the sea”) and have this statement available to read, guiding the intent of my writing (article below).
Statement on Antisemitism v Free Speech with review and examples of terminology and nuance:
Funding pro-Israeli internal and opposition candidates
A huge part of pro-Israeli lobby funding and effort is spend negatively campaigning against the opponents of candidates it wishes to endorse.
The funding is either for Republican opponents or in Democratic primaries - the key being to remove the progressive pro-Palestine or less Israel-supporting incumbent.
This can take the form of negative TV advertising, grassroots campaigning on behalf of the official politician campaigning, cash donations to the political campaign and others.
Particular targets are “The Squad” - progressive Democratic candidates (and 1 Republican)4:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: NY-14
Jamaal Bowman: NY-16
Rashida Tlaib Michigan-12
Cori Bush Missouri-1
Ilhan Omar Minnesota-5
Ayanna Pressley Massachusetts 7
Greg Casar Texas 35
Delia Ramirez Illinois 3
Summer Lee (Republican) Pennsylvania 12
Notably two of “The Squad” are Muslims - Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. The Third Muslim member of Congress Andre Carson is a black centrist democrat (an Islam convert from Baptist) not in the Squad.
Islamophobia in Congress - Commending Heritage Months
There are motions every year to celebrate Black History Month and Jewish Heritage Month which are proposed on the floor and passed immediately as a formality recognition.
In 2023 two similar formality motions were introduced to the House by a Muslim Senator to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month - they were both not passed5.
Demographically Muslim Congress members make up 0.5% of Congress (3), Black members 11% (60) and Jewish members 7% (37)6.
Conflating Anti-Zionism with Antisemitism
Throwing in the whiff or suggestion of antisemitism is a common disruptive debate tactic. If you can keep someone on the front foot defending themself on a thing we all agree is BAD - you obfuscate and deflect the actual issues.
More damaging - it disempowers the ability to call out a true act of antisemitism, whether the perpetrator is aware or not (with a follow up Act now proposed, see below).
As public opinion for Israel’s actions in Gaza rapidly dropped from February 2024 culminating in 1st April 2024 deaths of World Central Kitchen aid workers - the rhetoric on broadening the definition of “antisemitism” greatly increased. There was much more legislation being introduced on the floor of the House from a heavily AIPAC-funded Congress together with campus crackdowns on protests against Israel and support for the Palestinians - again defining this as “antisemitic”.
If legislative crackdowns continue (see next sections) by a political class operating separately from the general populace there is bound to be open dissent at the crackdown on free speech.
Greens Presidential candidate Jill Stein has been a breath of fresh air in positioning the discussion - however challenging to counter the pro-Israeli rhetoric and huge AIPAC spending working against her and other reasoned voices7.
On 6th December 2023: A House of Representatives non-legally binding motion on antisemitism passed on the floor set a dangerous precedent by redefining anti-Zionism as equivalent to Anti-Semitism amongst other statements.
🇺🇸🇵🇸🗣️🚫🇮🇱 It has contributed to laying the groundwork for shutting down free speech and increase the weaponisation of the accusation. I wrote an article on the dangers of this below:
Congress opportunistically redefining antisemitism (6 Dec 2023):
Political Action Committee (PAC) Funding
Money talks of course.
Funding from political lobby groups is by far the greatest influence in US politics and spread across both parties.
The pro-Israeli lobby in America is the largest contributor of funds to political candidates. Of the 400 members of Congress 80% of them have been given funds by pro-Israeli organisations.
There are registers of members interests where donations to individual Members of Congress can be reviewed and tracked but there are also huge donations to political parties by megadonors.
All political lobby groups no matter their organisational legal status or broader activities - must be registered and reported under “Political Action Committee” legislation.
The largest and most powerful lobbying group in the US across all issues (including the NRA lobby) is the America Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC).
They are clear on their stated aims with regard to lobbying and transparent on donations.
This gives clarity in cause and effect.
With the current crisis the direct correlation between AIPAC funding of political candidates and their advocacy is becoming painfully transparent.
Fortunately there are various monitoring groups that are calling out the hypocrisy:
Political funding monitoring group - OpenSecrets.Org
Social Media activism and monitoring - TrackAIPAC with highly effective Infographics posted on politicians timelines post pro-Israeli pronouncements, virally shared, increasing the transparency.
Note: the figures in PAC funding are only disclosed contributions to individual politicians.
What is not included are:
“dark money” - where the source of funding is not disclosed (and legally protected)8
donations not to individual politicians but to political parties - see next section - a Jewish billionaire donating $424M over a 5 year period to the Republican Party.
Billionaire MegaDonors
There are many rich individuals who donate directly to political parties. In 2021 USA Today reviewed media moguls revealing millions of dollars of donations including Bob Iger of Walt Disney, David Zaslav of Warner Bros (the highest paid Executive in Hollywood) and Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook9.
By far the greatest political donor to the Republican Party is the Adelson Foundation a family foundation to “strengthen the State of Israel” run by late Jewish business magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam.
Sheldon’s widow Miriam Adelson is a billionaire and the richest Israeli in the world. The Foundation is a long-term “megadonor” to the Republican Party and described as “Kingmakers”. They supported and heavily funded Trump’s 2016 election and between 2016 and 2021 gave over $424M to the Republican Party10.
Miriam Adelson was controversially presented with America’s top Honour, the Medal of Freedom, the following year to intense criticism11.
Notably Trump then took a staunch pro-Israeli position announcing a move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2017 enacted the following year.
Presumably Adelson will also be heavily bankrolling Trump in the current 2024 campaign.
Source: NPR News Dec 11 219 - “Trump Signs Order Against Anti-Semitism At Colleges, Worrying Free Speech Advocates“ - here
In addition to political donations the Adelson Foundation funds global programs targeted at developing pro-Israel advocacy in youth outside of Israel:
Macabee Task Force - a US-based not-for-profit furthering pro-Israeli advocacy on US college campuses and also funds national Jewish student groups in other regions for similar outcomes (in Australia Macabee funds the Australasian Union of Jewish Students networked across ANZ Universities)
Birthright Israel which provides free trips to Israel for young people 18-26 globally to encourage migration to Israel at the grass roots level
Post October 7th Miriam Adelson was interviewed in a Forbes Israel article12 and essentially described anyone supporting the Palestinian cause as:
“If you condemn Hamas and then add a “but” followed by condemnation of Israel, you’re dead to us”
and calling for
“…we must disavow and shame them, deny them employment and public office, defund their colleges and political parties…”
Is furthering this objective and speaking out on behalf of Israel a precondition of receiving Adelson Foundation funding?
Other Billionaires
Other billionaires funding Super PACs to fund candidates and negative campaigning against others.
In seats where Democrats would be likely to win the pro-Israeli lobby focuses on the Democratic candidate pool. Democratic candidates are funded in primaries who are sympathetic to Israel to run against progressive sitting Democrats.
The greatest victory for AIPAC in 2022 was to reset Andy Levin from his House seat in Michigan. Levin was one of the most prominent Jewish members of the house and a former synagogue president but he had indicated support for a two-state solution. He was replaced by a non-Jewish Israel sympathetic candidate Haley Stevens13.
Republican Billionaires who have done this:
Bernard Marcus: ex-CEO of Home Depot; gave $7M to Trump in 2016 and $1M to Trump directly in 2020 and $10M to PACs supporting Trump. He has signed a pledge to give 50% of his funding back to Israel related causes.
Bob Kraft: New England Patriots owner; gave $1M to Trump; pulled funding from Columbia over pro-Palestine protests and organised other Jewish funders to pull funding.
Paul Singer: hedge fund manager, largest contributor to Republic PAC National Republican Senatorial Committee. He funds the pro-Israel Christian organisation The Philos Project and other pro-Israel causes.
Jan Koum: founder WhatsApp. Donated over $10M to right-wing Israel causes Macabee Task Force, Friends of Israel David, Central Fund of Israel.
Jonathon Jacobson: Financier - gave $2.5M funding last year UDP against pro-Palestine Democratic incumbents.
David Zalik: Israeli entrepreneur gave $2M funding to UDP.
Jeff Yass: Fund Manager, largest 2024 donator of $46M to GOP PACs ($30M in 2020, $5M 2016) inc. $6M to Texas Governor Greg Abbott (“the largest single contribution in Texan history”). Yass does own most of TikTok so perhaps he can persuade Trump on election to reverse the proposed ban!14 Yass donated over $16M to right wing anti-Muslim and pro-Israel groups advocating for a US war with Iran15. He is also the biggest funder of a campaign to oust Republican pro-Palestine incumbent Summer Lee.
The above list of political donators is from The Guardian16 and also The Slate and New Yorker. These are the biggest donators in US Politics - and the common denominator is that every single one of the biggest donators to political funding in US Politics is pro-Israeli.17.
Money talks and the biggest funding of candidates will usually get the result (wouldn’t it be nice if that money was spent on things that make a humanitarian difference?).
But like the protestors out on campus against already pro-Israeli Congress who are not accountable to public opinion - is this right?
A huge demographic of incredibly rich people all dedicated to supporting Israel and getting rid of voices of dissent in the law making body, against public and world opinion.
This is vicious circle. It’s transparent but what can you do - short of a foreign influence campaign funds law, or Foreign Agents Registration with the Department of Justice of AIPAC (good luck to the last person who tried FARA registration with AIPAC - Kennedy!).
Anti-Defamation League: concerns fast-tracked to legislation
The Anti Defamation League (ADL) is a long established organisation in the US whose primary mission was combatting antisemitism.
The ADL has been criticised for having a heavily right-wing and very much pro-Israeli agenda18 and have conflated criticism of Israel with antisemitism for many years, becoming only too transparent now. Ironic that fighting true antisemitism was the remit of the original organisation The Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith.
Congress seems to immediately respond to concerns raised by the (ADL) which are fast-tracked through to legislation, working together with AIPAC.
Political scientist John Mearsheimer writes on the lobby in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs in April 202419 noting:
“the lobby is the primary reason US politicians continue to overwhelmingly support Israel despite growing alarm among Americans regarding its actions”
adding
“the key to understanding how the lobby works is that they focus most of their attention on the elites. What they're really interested in doing is putting tremendous pressure on people who formulate policy, both in the Executive Branch and in Congress”
James Zogby, the founder and president of the Arab American Institute is quoted in the article saying
“… AIPACs campaign contributions have two purposes:
to reward candidates who vote their way” and
as “a cudgel that is used to keep people in line,” citing AIPAC’s past attack ads against Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Summer Lee and Rep. Jamaal Bowman
This image (with some questionable spelling!) gives an illustratory relative view of funding underscores a fairly logical return on investment:
Interestingly the article notes the America Israel Education Foundation - a sister organisation to AIPAC - funds trips for politicians to Israel, and is “considered a right of passage for Congress”.
The operating model of funded politician trips to Israel is precisely the same in Australia via the Australia Israel Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC - an affiliated organisation with the American Jewish Committee) albeit less visible and on a targeted basis.
For a more detailed article on pro-Israeli lobbying in Australia see here:
ADL use of own inflated hate crime statistics
We hear about the huge increase in antisemitism the argument used by the ADL to pressure Congress to pass multiple motions and even legislation to combat the issue.
On reviewing the statistics quoted by the ADL and the only official FBI data reveals:
The ADL makes up its own data which is inflated and this is what is quoted by the ADL, politicians and media
Using OFFICIAL data - Muslim and anti-Arab hate crime is in fact a greater issue than antisemitism
The bottom line - Muslim & Arab American hate has been a larger issue than Antisemitism over a 10 year period.
Let that sink in.
The official Government data provided by the FBI shows that statistically Islamophobia is a bigger issue than antisemitism
ADLs proprietary data which it produces itself grossly inflates the antisemitism figures and cannot be cross referenced with other populations to validate statistical significance (even assuming those populations used exactly the same capture methodology which they would not)
Other minority groups likely do not have the resources or time to run proprietary surveys and data capture as the ADL do even if they wanted to.
Regardless a central source of truth using consistent data needs to be used for comparison and that must be the FBI store.
How can a case be made for exceptional treatment as a minority population when claims are based off statistics that cannot be compared with other populations to justify the exceptional measures?
Who actually questions these stats? Clearly not the media or politicians.
For a review of the statistical data behind this if required see article below:
Statistic review of official religious hate crime statistics:
Jewish Americans Opposing AIPAC
There is a huge backlash against AIPAC currently noting the irrefutable connection between the voting in unison between both major Parties with very few exceptions on favourable pro-Israeli issues cross referenced with the fact every single one of the members voting has taken huge funds from the pro-Israeli lobby.
Various groups have sprung up and various petition groups have sprung up including Jewish Americans Opposing AIPAC.
Perhaps another one for the ADL to add to their monitoring list together with Jewish Voices for Peace and Students for Justice for Palestine, those “long-tracked, problematic organisations”.
One unbiased Congressman
On 21st April Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson of Illinois District 1 tweeted in honesty the situation in Gaza after Congress voted for a $17Bn aid package to Israel in the face of unparalleled transnational aggression and domestic genocide.
The responses to his tweet are shocking - no longer “but Hamas” - blind hatred.
🇺🇸🇮🇱💰🏛️ Out of interest, I had a look at the other Illinois Representatives (not Senators) and noted 13 out of 17 were funded by AIPAC two in particular very heavily:
Jackson is in his first term ... so watch how much 💰💰AIPAC dump on the other candidates for his place at the Election (together with the 3 Muslim Representatives in the House - note: wonder how AIPAC and pro-Israeli lobby political funding tracker TrackAIPAC will do just that for candidates also).
Israeli Influence Hiding in Plain Sight and changing the laws as quickly as they can whilst there's some momentum and hysteria from the media. Top-down enforcement of a foreign power’s influence against the clear will of the people protesting for humanity. Shame.
🏛️ CONGRESS: Bills and Motions passed addressing perceived antisemitism or assisting Israel
The follow are a list of examples of the disproportionate number of highly visible high-impact motions and legislation bills that bipartisan are passed through Congress.
Organised by category, and then reverse-chronological order to see the building pattern:
Shutting down free speech
The Ultimate Bill: Creating a Federal Israel-defined “Antisemitism” Department in Government
Aid Package Bills
Exceptionally these are often passed through at short notice - and the issues addressed are often aired publicly (or behind closed doors by ADL).
Considering the majority of the House receives funding from AIPAC - how could you possibly not draw a direct correlation?
Note: This list is constantly being updated as the goalposts are shifted. You can see the building pattern here.
SHUTTING DOWN FREE SPEECH
2 May 2024 - Legally imposing IHRA definition of antisemitism on Universities: Shut down freedom of protest
This is a shameful response to the peaceful protests on US College campuses - literally shifting the goalposts so students cannot criticise Israel.
Bill HR.6090 was introduced by NY Republican Mike Lawler (AIPAC funded: $185,540) on 26th October 2023 and was rapidly passed through on 2nd May in response to perceived unrest in campus protest camps. A calculated reaction doubling-down on Trump’s 2019 Executive Order to extend IHRA to Federal Government20.
They didn’t like language criticising Israel. Literally.
The bill legally imposes the IHRA definition of antisemitism on educational institutions in applying their disciplinary procedures to students on campus.
The IHRA definition basically outlaws criticism of Israel - never mind the actual interpretation of chants (intifada, from the river) - but that legislation will be coming soon.
IHRA Contemporary Examples and extending the logic proposed
The IHRA definition contains “contemporary examples” of antisemitism - many of which are indisputably antisemitism and repulsive including Holocaust denial.
However the troubling ones are more general.
It is VERY clear that the protests are NOT against Jewish people worldwide - a logical conclusion;
Still the protests are conflated with antisemitism. It’s anti-Israel.
The reality of course is:
It is NOT Jewish people protesting against (which WOULD be antisemitic)
It is protesting against Israel Government policy, and therefore disagreeing with those that blindly support Israeli Government policy no matter what (pro-Israeli supporters) - direct cheerleaders and enablers (e.g. University research ties, AIPAC-Funded politicians, those bribing institutions by threatening to remove funding unless a pro-Israel position is taken)
Therefore in the contemporary examples given in IHRA - to see what they are really talking about banning, in the language of IHRA substitute the word “Jew” with “Pro-Israeli Supporter” and you get the below:
Seriously?
By contrast, consider the definition put forward by 100 prominent Jewish leaders from the Israel & Antisemitism Task Force21. They met specifically to discuss the intersection between Judaism and Zionism (“Nexus”) to help clarify the issue - and provided the definitions to President Biden in defining his 2023 strategy.
This is the distilled clarity they have produced:
This is the reality that should be used - in addition to shutting down the accusations of making statements about all Jewish people collectively - when it is clearly against Israeli State Government Policy - the current murderous Gaza crisis and the indisputably racist apartheid laws applied in the country.
2023 European Study of the impacts of IHRA on College Campuses
To illustrate the impacts of this - a study was conducted in 2023 in Europe which gives insight into the issues here.
The European Legal Support Centre - an NGO monitoring the legality of free speech on Palestine in the EU - produced two reports on legal violations of free speech and right of assembly, citing generalisations of interpretation of the IHRA definition.
Violating the rights to freedom of expression and assembly
in the European Union and the UK (June 2023)22
Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom in UK Higher Education: The Adverse Impact of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism (Sep 2023)23
Both reports look at 96 cases studies between them over a 5 year period between 2017 and 2022 and conclude adoption of the IHRA definition leads to suppression of freedom of speech in its “catch all” phrasing.
This is off the back of an open letter to the UN General Secretary in April 2023 from 104 human rights organisations, raising concerns on the IHRA definition and possible use by the UN making it more difficult to call out human rights violations.24
2016 Legal Review of the UK Government acknowledgement of IHRA
The IHRA definition - which is merely a non-legally binding working definition “acknowledged” by institutions - is problematic because it conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
This was noted by one of the world’s foremost human rights lawyers Geoffrey Robinson AO KC in 2016 when the UK Government under David Cameron acknowledged the definition.
Robinson wrote a 28 page legal review outlining the problems that the British Government would have working with the definition “ANTI-SEMITISM: THE IHRA DEFINITION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION”.25 It makes for interesting reading, quote below from a later interview:
You won’t be able to accuse Israel of being an Apartheid state
Specifically the right to call out Israel’s Apartheid ('“calling Israel a racist state” is against IHRA). So who has said Israel is an Apartheid State:
The ICJ Case 186 Feb 2024: 50 Countries gave evidence at the ICJ case on the impact on Palestinians of Israel’s occupation. MULTIPLE countries called out Israel’s Apartheid Regime.
The United Nations rapporteurs: called out multiple times in their reports to the UN over the years (not that Israel lets them on their territory to review)
Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) UN Human Rights Council: Source Report A/78/198 The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel: Latest Report 5 Sep 202326
UN Office of Human Rights: Source Report A/78/545 Situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967 (20 October 2023)27
Amnesty International: detailed 2022 “Israel’s Apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime against Humanity”28
B’TSelem NGO: 2021 report “Why Israel Meets the Apartheid Threshold”29.
Coded Protests? Welcome to the United States of Israel. Or the People’s Republic of the United States.
So in order to protest - are protestors in the “democratic” United States of America now going to have to adopt the measures in Palestine on Israel’s crackdown?
Just as the watermelon image was adopted in lieu of the Palestinian flag, is coded language going to now have to be used in lieu of certain outlawed phrases? Similar to China’s monitoring of Chinese social media and how people get round this using certain phrases.
Unbelievable.
Who Voted?
A lot more Congress people voted AGAINST the Bill including many Republicans citing just the above concerns on free speech but it still went through 320-91 (18 not voting)30.
Republican Nays (21):
US: Against World Opinion again
So in the face of the above opinions on IHRA, the Apartheid nature of the Israeli regime and the consensus votes in the United Nations General Assembly against Israel - the US - over a barrel by Israel - goes against global opinion again.
If there was ever a more blatant heavy handed imposition of the silencing of free speech - this is it.
Just wait until you see the new Government Department for “Antisemitism” applied below to apply this across the rest of Civil Society. No joke.
Israel has played the master-stroke of getting onside the right-wing Nazis who used to be truly antisemitic to support them in demonising humanitarian protestors and make illegal criticism of them as a State.
Welcome to America.
April 2024 - Resolution - non-legally binding - on “from the River to the Sea” chant and cynical timing
And sure enough … whilst the above Bill goes through Congress - a Motion was put on the floor on the “From the River Chant” as antisemitic - and duly passed.
This is on top of earlier motions in December and as above … seeding the ground for later legislation on these words. Despite Netanyahu presenting a map in the UN in September 2023 showing just Israel in “The New Middle East”.
The Motion
H.RES.883 was introduced by Republican Anthony D’Sotta of NYC - who is sponsored by AIPAC together with 20 cosponsors also funded by AIPAC31. This echoes an earlier Motion introduced in The Senate (S.RES.497) by Senator Tom Cotton also sponsored by AIPAC.
The Bill goes further than decrying a slogan as antisemitic - which it is not (calling for peace and equality in a geographic area - see article here in the context of weaponising antisemitism). It is poorly written, opinionated - which is the point of a Motion but not written like this.
First off - tucked away on page 4 the real driver behind this bill backed up with AIPAC money:
With the motive of shutting down discourse.
Selected points:
Hamas Condemnation Motion: - the Motion condemns Hamas in great detail which is a central tenet of the Bill. It’s like getting out frustration for what wasn’t in any UN Resolutions on the floor of Congress.
Conflates “Jewish” with “Israeli”: calls Oct 7th attack against the “Jewish” people. It was the Israeli people. Many Jewish people do not consider the actions of the state representative of them never mind an attack.
Questionable salacious detail - carefully worded: “REPORTEDLY … beheaded babies .. “
Nonsensical excuse to mention hostages: “Whereas this slogan neglects the fact that innocent civilians are used as human shields by Hamas”..
Supposition and Assumption:
“this cry CAN promote violence …against the Jewish community globally”
“this slogan incites fear within the Jewish community in the US and around the world”
Generalisation and Demonisation:
Generalisation/Supposition/Demonisation: “slogan used by same people who utter “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” - implication: terrorists or pro-Palestinian protestors in America? Seeds it for the “U-S-A” crowd
Demonisation of Students, Supposition of Jewish student impact and characterisation of VIOLENT PROTESTORS - as a small subset.
And finally:
Israeli Deaths regretted / Nothing on Palestinian- the Motion goes into great detail on Israeli Deaths - whilst not acknowledging the deaths of any Palestinians
An utter ridiculous Motion that might as well have been written by the Israeli Ambassador to the UN as a statement.
Background on the Motion and Timing
The timing of the Motion is awful. Off the back of Iran launching missiles in a “phony war” pre-announced, staged to be shot down measured as ineffective “attack” on Israel - in response to attacking a sovereign Consulate in Syria - the House introduced a suite of Bills sanctioning Israel.
Whilst Israel appeared to have the moral high ground after the Iranian response - the motion was passed with a suite of anti-Iran sanctions.
On Israel’s original attack on the Iranian Embassy in Syria - it was a calculated and cynical move:
To deflect attention from Gaza: from the continuing slaughter of civilians, but after the 1st April murder of western aid workers.
To try to draw the US in to open conflict with Iran by provoking them (the US said they would NOT attack Iran with Israel in response… but clearly these bills a softer for Netanyahu)
On that second point … the last time an aggressive nation attacked a sovereign state territory in order to provoke a regional war was 1991 - ironically Saddam Hussein back against the wall - launching Scud missiles into Israel. Israel themselves had the same calculation here32.
The Vote and Impact
Back on the Motion.
Although the motion passed (377-44)- as people get wise to AIPAC’s control and as Israel’s behaviour in Gaza is revealed - with many more votes against that the motion in December at the height of “antisemitism” hysteria - 43 Democrats and 1 Republican33.
This Motion has the same goal - to shut down pro-Palestine rallies and give a “moral” reference point in the House. Who cares about the difference between legally binding and non-legally binding, the timing of the motion with a suite of other measures and the influence of AIPAC on voting?
15 March 2024: Bill to ban Tik Tok - identified as a major threat to the pro-Israeli agenda
A recording reputing to be the voice of the CEO of the Anti Defamation League was leaked in which he heavily denounces TikTok as the tool turning a generation against the pro-Israeli cause, requiring focused effort to “solve” and also confirms monitoring of named pro-Palestine groups “that we’ve long tracked and have long been problematic”.
It is unclear of the date of the recording but October 7th is mentioned so clearly this is in the last six months.
The two pro-Palestine groups named specifically in the recording were banned suddenly at Columbia University in November 2023 citing a rule-change that the University had made in their policies 17 days earlier behind closed doors without announcement or consultation.
“… and so WE REALLY HAVE A TIKTOK PROBLEM ... A Gen Z problem that our community needs to put the same brains that gave us all these other amazing innovations, need to PUT OUR ENERGY TOWARD THIS LIKE FAST …
…because again like we've been chasing this left right divide it's the wrong game the real game is the NEXT GENERATION and the Hamas and their accomplices…
the USEFUL IDIOTS IN THE WEST are falling in line in ways that are terrifying
last thing I'll just say we saw a dramatic change in the language of the activists here in America on October the 8th the language of groups that WE'VE LONG TRACKING WHO'VE LONG BEEN PROBLEMATIC like Students For Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voices For Peace they flipped like this and went to like Iranian propaganda….”
On March 16 2024 a Bill was RAPIDLY passed in Congress to ban TikTok in the US unanimously by both parties. It is currently in the Senate for review34.
It has been pointed out that accelerating a bill through Congress so quickly coincidentally with his comments indicates a rapid response by the Government in stark contrast not seen for long-standing critical domestic issues that would greatly benefit Americans.
The vast majority of members across both parties voting on the legislation had taken funding from pro-Israeli Lobby groups.
And sure enough on 24th April 2024 bundled up with a Bill to fund Ukraine, the President signed the TikTok ban into law.
Owners Bytedance have 9 months to sell the company to a US-owned company with servers based onshore in the US or they will be shut down and banned in the US35.
Unbelievable.
Surely Bills like these need to go through rounds of committee review before being passed into law? The reality is the other way round and (hopefully) longer. Legal action and appeal to the Supreme Court may take years in response to the ban.
Although I suspect somehow the backlog may clear at the Supreme Court to make a ruling here the same empirical way Congress bipartisan rushes through legislation proposed by the ADL months earlier.
December 2023: Motion equating criticism of Zionism as antisemitism
The non-binding motion in the house equating anti-Zionism as anti-semitism as above, discussed in a speech given by CEO Jonathan Greenblatt in March 202336 during which he also denounced Palestine rights groups in the US as “extremist” - noting this was over six months before the current conflict.
The Ultimate Bill: Creating a Federal Israel-defined “Antisemitism” Department in Government
This is the one to worry about.
9th April 2024 - THE ULTIMATE Pro-Israeli Lobby Bill - “Countering Antisemitism Act”
The most concerning measure yet in summary:
Institutionalising Israeli Influence: Essentially making anti-Israeli speech illegal by Federal Law (couched in “antisemitism”) and creating new Government Departments to police
Note: This Bill is so impacting long-term for Israel influence in the US that I will later take this out into its’ own article. Surprised at the lack of Press coverage here.
On 9th April 2024 a new bill was introduced into Congress by Senator Jacky Rosen. Senate Legislative Bill S.4091 is described simply as “A bill to strengthen Federal efforts to counter antisemitism in the United States” and proposes a structure that would effectively embed exceptionalism of one minority group into the United States Government.
The Bill has also been sponsored by six staunchly pro-Israeli politicians who have received jointly $2,330,477 from pro-Israeli lobby groups including Katherine Manning (received $550,806 from the lobby37) who Chairs the already existing Bipartisan Task Force to Counter Antisemitism.
This group - explicitly dedicated to counter Antisemitism across politicians - has existed since the 1990s but seems to be in for a long-haul campaign here with a new Twitter Account set up in March 202438.
Main Proposals
The Bill would create a new Government Departments, and new roles and activities:
Create a new Federal Government Department of Antisemitism: a new taxpayer funded Government Department with the new roles of a federal coordinator to oversee efforts to counter domestic antisemitism and create an interagency task force to coordinate the implementation of federal strategies.
New department conduct an analysis of antisemitism online.
New role in the Department of Education: to serve as advisor on the agency’s efforts to combat discrimination in higher education
Police the Campus: In the ADLs own words: “[the Bill will] address the scourge of antisemitism on college and university campuses across the country”
Provide additional Federal funding for Jewish security firms - via the Non-Profit Security Grant Program
New “Jewish Heritage Month” designated in May (it is already designated “Jewish AMERICAN Heritage Month” - the same format as other minority group months)
The Bill is couched simply as “Countering Antisemitism Act” and welcomed (not written of course!) by the ADL39.
The ADL themselves summarise the proposals in this document on their website:
Recap that the “justification” used for this Bill is the ADL’s own over-inflated data on anti-semitism. In fact at the end of the report on the “audit” data accompanying the Bill the ADL states:
“The 2023 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents documents historic levels of antisemitism in the United States which require a concerted whole-of- government, whole-of-society response”
The data is clearly not correct and completely self serving.
Why the ADL Data DOES NOT document “historic levels of antisemitism” as it claims
The data is so convoluted it is not open to fair comparison with other minority groups using standardised reported data - which shows Islamaphobia to be a greater problem.
Definition of Antisemitism is what suits ADL’s own Agenda (“ADL-Defined Antisemitism”):
Uses much broader definition of “antisemitism” via the IHRA definition - which takes into account political factors
Protest defined “antisemitic”: from October 7th - the definition was actually changed to specifically include “criticism of Israel” and “criticism of Zionism” - e.g. protest against war atrocities and protest against apartheid regime
So rather than “Antisemitism” this must be called “ADL-Defined Antisemitism”
Includes the not just real-world but online: vastly over-inflate numbers
Online ADL-Defined Antisemitism: it is easier to be a biased keyboard warrior than it is to commit a physical crime (as FBI Data)
Includes Multiple self-reporting channels open to bias - all internal to ADL:
Public reported ADL-Defined Antisemitism incidents to ADL direct (online form, email, phone)
Partner institution reported ADL-Defined Antisemitism incidents reported to those institutions and passed on to ADL:
BBYO
Community Security Initiative (CSI)
Community Security Service (CSS)
Chabad
Hillel International, Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) - monitoring campus protests
Jewish Federations of North America
Secure Community Network (SCN)
Union of Reform Judaism
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Israeli American Council (IAC)
ADLs own creation of ADL-Defined Antisemitism incidents from other channels not in any of the above (bear with me):
ADL monitoring media outlets and recording ADL-Defined Antisemitism
ADL online monitoring and record ADL-Defined Antisemitism
This is quite staggering when you think about it. These are the numbers that all the AIPAC-funded politicians have readily available in press conferences and pretty infographics to justify this Bill.
It’s as ridiculous as asking the IDF to investigate themselves…
So the Bill is…
Relying on statistics produced by a minority group themselves, unverified and uncheckable, to…
Justify introduction of legislation to benefit that minority group, and…
Passed by politicians paid for by agents of that minority group.
The blatant skewing of this data to support a pro-Israel narrative should concern “the whole-of-society” expected to support it. And to present this as a “fait accompli” says a lot more about the people pushing it.
Issues:
Hate Crime Statistics Unreliable/Overstated - quite frankly contrived: Scandalously inaccurate.
Duplication - Antisemitism is already treated differently in multiple places in Government and Institutions so in particular…
Exceptionalism - With existing laws in place on Hate Crime and other provisions, Why does Antisemitism need to be treated differently with its own legislation? Other forms of bias do not have legislation associated with them specifically and as above there are already a number of measures in place Federally and also at the State level.
Government Department & New Role - not just changing speech in existing legislation to cover certain terms or symbols (e.g. recent change in Hate Speech in Australia specifically outlawing Nazi Salutes and Swaztikas) - the legislation proposes a whole new Government Department with Inter-Agency responsibilities with a whole level of specific reporting and bureaucracy. Why is this appropriate never mind needed for one particular bias in the US?
Definition of Antisemitism: exactly what definition of antisemitism would be policed by this new Department? In the UK as at April 2024 the pro-Israeli Lobbies are pushing the Police and the Government to use the IHRA definition to police pro-Palestinian rallies - conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism and making their job even harder never mind being incorrect.
Look at the definition of antisemitism the ADL use in their own data “criticism of Israel or criticism of Zionism” - is that political and State definition (Israeli atrocities, Israeli Apartheid laws) what is expected to be outlawed?
Pro-Israeli Language
On the definition of antisemitism - there was a non-legally binding Motion passed in Congress last December which equated anti-Zionism (criticism of Israel) with Antisemitism amongst other dangerous proposals affecting free speech.
The key points in the December Motion - which is now a “tested” reference point whether legislative or not at this point:
Defining Anti-zionism as antisemitism
“From The River to the Sea” interpreted as calling for the destruction of the State of Israel - and hence would be illegal hate speech
“Free Palestine”, “Free Gaza”, “Gaza will win” language implied as antisemitic
IHRA definition of antisemitism - legally adopting this in legislation - which is open to defining criticism of Israel as antisemitic
Many of the politicians who voted on this legislation - at the height of the hysteria and witch hunt around antisemitism in the US early December as a domestic political distraction and silencing tactic - felt pressured into voting. Hey, who’s going to vote against something that says “antisemitism” or explain the nuances to constituents?
See article below outlining the issues with this motion and precedent below, which now seems to be ringing true:
When you consider the ADL Data - including political criticism of Israel and Zionism - clearly the December motion was testing the waters for a definition. This is the legislative follow-up - effectively making specific anti-Israel language illegal with a legal enforcement and monitoring mechanism behind it.
US Government - Already heavily invested in combatting antisemitism and Islamaphobia is as much of an issue
So the question remains on the Bill to create a new anti-Government antisemitism inter-agency department - why do you need it?
In fact when you look into this it is clear that the US Government has already heavily invested in combatting antisemitism compared to other minority groups over and above need (APPENDIX B).
As noted - the true picture on the only reliably comparative data - reported by the FBI in a standard agreed legally defined format - is that on a tiny Muslim and Arab American population - Muslims/Arabs are experiencing a higher level of hate crime than antisemitism.
This has not been presented, has been understated or completely absent from debate.
And remember this is just REPORTED crime. A large number of Arab Muslims feel oppressed by authorities in particular with the US ongoing conflicts with Middle Eastern Countries. Who is to know the difference between an Iranian and a Jordanian speaking Arabic or even know that person’s religion?
If anything - Islamophobia and other forms of hate crime need investment in particular when so many other exceptional measures to combat antisemitism are already in place and frequently referenced in house motions and Bills.
There bill is clearly driven by the Israeli lobby political agenda.
Long reaching impact: Institutionalising Pro-Israeli Department in the Federal Government
This is a disturbing development. Considering the majority of Congress have taken funding from AIPAC and the speed they get legislation through the house - it’s clearly future planning to shut down pro-Palestinian free speech and in fact protect Zionism in law and mechanism.
Utterly preposterous.
However… perhaps the tide has turned post April 1st murder by the IDF of western aid workers - where a cross party of MPs are calling for an arms embargo to Israel.
Is it now acceptable to criticise and drill-down on antisemitism without recursively being called antisemitic?
Will politicians feel ready to speak out on this at the different stages of scrutiny rather than get railroaded like the motion?
You can only hope.
Update 22 April. President Biden slipped reference to the Bill into the end of his lengthy Passover Statement40:
Aggressively implement - with the level of scrutiny and questioning above I would hope to reveal the true purpose of the Bill and long term implications for Free Speech.
AID PACKAGE BILLS
April 21 2024: Largest aid package to Israel approved since Oct 7: $17Bn USD
On 21st April 2024 the House passed a Bill to provide $17Bn of aid to Israel - in the face of their escalation with Iran to try to draw in regional powers, world revulsion of their killing of Western Central Kitchen aid workers on 1 April (white people die - people sit up) and the ongoing genocide in Gaza including imminent assault on Rafah and other regions41.
The package came with some additional aid for Gaza on the stipulation NO FUNDS WOULD BE SENT TO UNRWA.
UNRWA - Recap
Recap on UNRWA - the central relief and services agency for Gaza:
After the ICJ verdict of “plausible genocide” Israel’s vindictive pre-prepared Plan B was to suddenly unveil “evidence” of a small number (13) of 13,000 UNRWA staff allegedly participating in October 7th activity. UNRWA immediately stood down the staff whilst investigation took place.
Immediately the US ceased all funds to UNRWA - as did multiple countries around the world - on zero evidence - just at the time the ICJ demanded the additional protections of sending more aid to Gaza to prevent genocide.
Over a period of months as countries realised essentially their mistaken knee-jerk reaction on no evidence, they began restoring aid.
The US by comparison passed a Bill outlawing any aid to UNRWA to 2025
On 23 April 2024 an independent investigation by a French team confirmed that there is no evidence of any participation in October 7th activity by UNRWA staff and Israel are yet to provide any evidence42.
On 24 April 2024 possibly Israel’s biggest supporter after the US 🇩🇪 Germany restarted funding back to URNWA in response to the UN Report43. Unlike other countries who realised quickly the inhumanity and ludicrous response on zero evidence they were obliged to wait for a report to save face and still point to their self-claimed “special obligation” to Israel - in the face of whatever behaviour Israel shows. Hopefully this decision will mark a break in this.
Recap the decision to cut funding to UNRWA - relying solely on IDF claims with no evidence provided then or to date - ceased funding the critical agency for food aid and services in Gaza - at the time plausible genocide was determined by the ICJ specifically noting that humanitarian aid needed to increase.
Just breathtaking.
Use of the $17Bn Funds to Israel
The confirmed use of the $17Bn funds are:
$5.2 billion for the Iron Dome
$3.5 billion for advanced weapons systems
$1 billion to enhance weapons production
$4.4 billion for other defense supplies and services provided to Israel
$2.4 billion to US operations in the region amid the Gaza war
Never mind the hypocrisy and lack of humanity - how does the American taxpayer feel about these decisions taken by an Israeli-influence stacked Congress?
January 2024: $14Bn USD Israel Aid Package passed through the House
After a huge aid package was passed through Congress, The Intercept reported an increase in funding from AIPAC to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson44.
🇺🇳 United Nations: Ensuring A Free Rein
Of course - the ultimate authority on the actions of a State is the United Nations which Israel has been a member of since 1949.
For actions against world peace you’d be called out and reined in, right? Not when you’ve achieved the above influence on US politicians with US Government representatives at the United Nations with your back.
🇺🇳 United Nations: International Political Advocacy - The UNSC
The sum total of US Advocacy for Israel is the continued political support for Israel as essentially a representation of their interests on a key body the US sits on.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) is the only legally binding resolution making body in the UN and votes on issues that can compel a state to cease actions.
The Allied victors of WWII when the UN was formed bestowed themselves with veto votes on the UNSC - if a resolution comes up that any one of them does not like, any member can veto the resolution.
Over the years multiple resolutions have come up to compel Israel to comply with International Law and unanimously the US has vetoed on Israel’s behalf.
It is blatantly obvious how Israel is supported by the US in the UNSC and empirically measurable. The charts below are telling.
What has essentially happened - and we have seen most visibly from the Gaza crisis - is that the US has historically and continues to veto or water down virtually every single UNSC Resolution that could have the the power to affect Israel’s behaviour.
This is hypocritical double-standards - achieved through extensive campaign funding, political lobbying and other influence in the US.
🇺🇳 UN: Blocking Palestinian Full Member Status
On 18th April 2024 there was a vote to determine if Palestine’s UN Observer status could be upgraded to full member status45.
Of course the US vetoed this resolution.
Notably there was a shift in voting. Rather than abstaining indicating surruptious support for the US line, many voted for the motion notably:
Russia (P5)
France (P5)
China (P5)
Japan
Republic of Korea
This clearly indicates the US’s further isolationism due to its hypocritical unquestioning support for Israel during the Gaza crisis.
It is clear the veto is the only thing propping up Israel in the international community - hence why the lobby of US Congress and influence across Government and Civil Society is the most important influence Israel must maintain.
Haaretz Counter-narrative
On Apr 24 2024 Haaretz printed an alternative view on the US Veto.
❝ On the face of it, these are important measures that reflect a change in the U.S.' approach to symbols of the occupation, the settlements, apartheid and Kahanism.. Look, the Biden administration is imposing sanctions on the right-wing extremist Benzi Gopstein and the Lehava organization, a few weeks after levying sanctions on violent settlers.
For the first time, the U.S. government is planning sanctions on the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, whose name has been linked to several incidents of extreme violence against Palestinians in recent years. The most notorious involved the death of Omar Abdalmajeed As'ad, 80, an American citizen, after he was detained by soldiers from the battalion who placed him in restraints and then beat him, gagged and blindfolded him, threw him on the ground and left him to die, lying face-down.
Apparently, the measures are meant to show Israel the route it must take if it wants to continue enjoying international legitimacy and the special protection it receives from its best friend in the world, the United States. It is the way to set boundaries for Israel, literally and metaphorically: yes to a democracy that respects international law and human rights within its sovereign territory, no to the settlement enterprise and the plunder and apartheid beyond the Green Line. ❞
I recall early in the crisis Netanyahu calling for the cancellation of Haaretz. With his call to ban Al Jazeera in Israel for publishing non-editorial news surely Haaretz’s days are numbered with the current Government in publishing with a conscience?
🇺🇳CONCLUSION
The US is the most important partner for influence for Israel and they cannot put a foot wrong in lobbying in the country.
When you holistically look at the lobby top to bottom it is clear as day the direct correlation between this influence and the inhumanity and frankly irrationality of the US Government response to current events in Gaza, contrary to mainstream media narrative.
The influence is clear to see across multiple institutions and maintained with an iron grip, leading to the current climate of fear of retribution.
Almost a return to McCarthyite days.
APPENDIX A: Criticism of structured pro-Israeli lobbying is not antisemitic
By noting a multi-pronged approach to advocacy for the Israeli position - typically through silencing smears of antisemitism for any criticism - invites itself to “conspiracy theory” accusations - noting that any concept of a “Jewish Conspiracy” is defined antisemitic but the IHRA definition of antisemitism46:
Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
HOWEVER - this is NOT a “Jewish Conspiracy” - if anything it’s an “Israeli State Influence Conspiracy” - as much as Chinese spies or other actors embedding themselves in a country in influential positions acting on behalf of a foreign State.
Yet again - JUDAISM should not be conflated with Israeli Nationalism (ZIONISM) - otherwise you remove all avenues for criticism of Israeli State actions as a political strategy.
Just as pro-Israeli organisations try to tar any criticism against Israel as “Jewish” and therefore antisemitic you need to take the same approach of literally cutting and pasting the word “Jew” and replacing with “Israeli State Lobby” to be fair on people of the Jewish faith and reflect the reality.
See below cut and paste on the IHRA statement above - replacing the word “Jews” with “Israeli State Lobby” and you have a more accurate non-antisemitic statement which is closer to reality:
Making
mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegationsfactual statements about the Israeli State Lobby as such or the power of the Israeli State Lobby as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, themythreality about a world pro-Israeli State Lobby conspiracy or of pro-Israeli actors controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions - [is NOT antisemitic]
Comments on above adjusted statement:
Let’s not get too carried away; the “world pro-Israeli State lobby conspiracy” is to me melodramatic and implies evil intent and a bit of paranoia as opposed to furthering the cause of a State through advocating State policy mostly in individual institutions vs. globally (as many other States would like to do).
You would not “dehumanise or demonise” when talking about an organised approach, not talking about the individual who is just a spokesperson whether they happen to be of the Jewish Faith or not.
These claims are not “mendacious” or “sterotypical allegations” - based on the track record of suppression of pro-Palestinian speech - just as the track record of US Vetos in the UNSC is empirically measurable - it is a statement of fact.
The above is not antisemitic in particular when the IHRA definition states:
“criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic”
As stated - I would be just as critical of the same approach taken by Chinese or other actors influencing different areas for a State cause. In the case of China there is clear and open criticism:
In 2017 an Australian Senator Sam Dastyari quit parliament after being accused of being an agent of influence for the Chinese Government47
In 2019 an Australian MP Gladys Liu was heavily criticised for not declaring her membership of organisations linked to the Chinese Government’s foreign influence operations48
In 2023 Malcolm Turnbull criticised the blatant Chinese foreign influence operation in Australia, not declared on the AUS Government Register Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS). There is a loophole in FITS regulation that allows not-for-profits not to register their lobbying activities or links with foreign Governments which is exactly how the local pro-Israeli lobbies get around this.
It is NOT antisemitic - it’s anti-Israel influence - in particular when there are common patterns and inter-Institutional alignment.
APPENDIX B: EXISTING ANTISEMITISM MEASURES IN THE US
Looking at the April 2024 proposed Bill to Counter Antisemitism - it is worth considering the true need - and the raft of existing measures and exceptional treatment that already exists in particular in comparison to other minority groups.
The Bill Proposes:
Create a new Federal Government Department of Antisemitism: a new taxpayer funded Government Department with the new roles of a federal coordinator to oversee efforts to counter domestic antisemitism and create an interagency task force to coordinate the implementation of federal strategies.
New department conduct an analysis of antisemitism online.
New role in the Department of Education: to serve as advisor on the agency’s efforts to combat discrimination in higher education
New “Jewish Heritage Month” designated in May
It is worth reviewing the different points in turn.
Legislation for new “Jewish Heritage Month” to replace existing “Jewish American Heritage Month”
Designating May as Jewish Heritage Month dropping the word “AMERICAN”
It is unclear why legislation is needed as Jewish American Heritage Month (Jewish AHM) already exists as do equivalents Black History Month (Black HM) and Arab American Heritage Month (Arab AHM) for example along with other Heritage months and Identity Recognition Days49.
I would imagine “Heritage” already covers the culture of Black people, Jewish people and Arabic peoples outside of America by definition - it’s a celebration of culture brought to America from overseas shores.
Jewish Heritage Month was first proclaimed by President Bush in 2006 and proclaimed by every US President since then including a motion in the house passed just last year. It is an established tradition supported by multiple sponsors with 2024 events planned on the Jewish American Heritage Month website.
But Black History Month does not have a legal bill associated with it - so why does Jewish Heritage Month need one wrapped up in this Act?
Unless it is to secure taxpayer funding - in which case why does Black History Month not have the same?
Comparisons of Heritage Months
It is worth comparing different Heritage Months and their treatment in Congress - Jewish American Heritage Month (Jewish AHM), Black American History Month (Black AHM) and Arab American Heritage Month (Arab AHM) plus a proposed Islamic American Heritage Month (Islamic AHM).
Date of Establishment and Demographics
Date of Establishment and % demographics:
Jewish HM: MAY 2021 (1.9% of the population)
Black HM: OCTOBER 1976 (13.6% of population)
Arab AHM: APRIL 2021 (0.66% population)
Islamic AHM: Not established but proposed see below (0.6% of population)
Latest Presidential Declarations launching the month
Jewish AHM - Apr 28 2023
Black HM - Jan 31 2024
Arab AHM - Mar 29 2024
Islamic AHM: Not established
Latest House Commendation Motions of the Month
Jewish AHM
17 May 2023 S.RES.203 - Sen. Jacky Rosen (D) - AGREED
11 Jun 2023 H.RES.382 - Rep. Debbie Schulz Wasserman (R) - AGREED
Black HM
14 Feb 2023 S.RES.63 - Sen. Rory Booker - AGREED
8 Feb 2024 S.RES.551 - Sen. Rory Booker - AGREED
Arab AHM
10 Apr 2023 H.RES.286 - Rep. Rashida Tlaib (R) - NOT PASSED
13 Apr 2023 H.RES.297 - Rep. Rashida Tlaib (R) - NOT PASSED
Islamic AHM:
Proposed- Rep. Rashida Tlaib (R) - NOT PASSED
Websites:
Jewish AHM:
Central Page - https://jewishamericanheritage.org
Government Website 2023 - https://www.jewishheritagemonth.gov/index.html
Black HM
Central Page: https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/celebrating-black-history-month
Government Website - https://www.blackhistorymonth.gov
Arab AHM - TBC
White House Initiatives:
Jewish Americans:
23 May 2023 - First National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism announcement and strategy document
Notably the strategy document refers to Israel several times in the context of US support, but notes antisemitism is “when Israel is singled out BECAUSE of anti-Jewish hatred” (clearly delineating antisemitism and criticism of Israel) and does not mention “Zionism” once
One of the Jewish groups providing a detailed paper to the White House to formulate the Strategy was the Nexus Task force composed of 100 prominent Jewish Americans. In particular they define the “nexus” between Judaism and Zionism and hence assist defining antisemitism on their website here.
Bipartisan Task Force to Counter Antisemitism which has existed since the 1990s but seems to be in for a long-haul campaign here with a new Twitter Account set up March 2024.
Black and African Americans:
Arab Americans:
Federal Agencies Countering Hate Crimes:
FBI
Criminal and Counter-terrorism Division focus
Domestic Terrorism-Hate Crimes Fusion Cell est. 2019
National Anti Hate Crimes Campaign (2022)
Department of Homeland Security
RELATED ARTICLES
Other:
1 November Israeli Ambassador wearing Jewish Star to UN - (Original Sleekit Scotsman Facebook Post) - https://www.facebook.com/sleekit.scotsman2/posts/pfbid0kRYNrCPv4Mi8tWHiwg153hPZ3gvbED5U7ywaL5fwqsknRRvMFrV5GUVwj1vfZbBcl
Summary of Substack Articles Referenced in this article:
Pro-Israeli Influence in Hollywood - The Arts & Entertainment Industry:
Pro-Israeli Influence in Academdia:
Statement on Antisemitism v Free Speech with review and examples of terminology and nuance.
Congress opportunistically redefining antisemitism (6 Dec):
Australia pro-Israeli Lobby:
Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics: How the ADL uses artificially inflated hate crime data to justify legislative changes:
AP News Dec 19 2019 - “Michigan congresswoman’s scarf is not a symbol of ‘Hamas terrorists’“ - https://apnews.com/article/archive-fact-checking-8335620018
New York Times 7 Nov 2023 “House Censures Rashida Tlaib, Citing ‘River to the Sea’ Slogan“ - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/07/us/politics/tlaib-censure-house-israel-gaza.html
StopAntisemitism.org website: “antisemite of the year” - https://stopantisemitism.org/antisemite-of-the-year/
Politico 2 Apr 2024 - “The Squad at a crossroads“ - https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/04/squad-at-a-crossroads-00139318
H.RES.286 10 Apr 2023 “Expressing support for the recognition of April as National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) and celebrating the heritage and culture of Arab Americans in the United States“ - https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/297?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Arab+American+heritage%22%7D&s=3&r=1 and H.RES.297 13 Apr 2023 “Expressing support for the recognition of April as National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM) and celebrating the heritage and culture of Arab Americans in the United States“ - https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/297?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Arab+American+heritage%22%7D&s=3&r=1
Pew Research Feb 7 2023 “The changing face of Congress in 8 charts“- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/07/the-changing-face-of-congress/
The Guardian 22 Nov 2023 - “Jill Stein formally launches 2024 White House bid as Green party candidate“ - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/21/jill-stein-2024-presidential-election-green-party-candidate
Open Secrets Dark Money Basics - https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money/basics
USA Today Sep 8 2021 - “Media moguls and political donations: We tracked where news executives give their money“ - https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/09/08/tracking-media-owners-political-donations/5719743001/
NewsWeek Jan 12 2021 “Sheldon Adelson Gave Trump and Republicans Over $424 Million Since 2016“ - https://www.newsweek.com/sheldon-adelson-donald-trump-republicans-donations-1560883
NBC News Nov 17 2018 “Trump giving Miriam Adelson the Medal of Freedom captures the transactional nature of his presidency: This was not what President John F. Kennedy envisioned when he re-established the honor in 1963.“ - https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-giving-miriam-adelson-medal-freedom-captures-transactional-nature-his-ncna937121
Forbes Israel Nov 20 2023 - “Dead to Us: Miriam Adelson in a Special Column for Forbes Israel“ - https://forbes.co.il/e/dead-to-us-miriam-adelson-in-a-special-column-for-forbes-israel/
The Slate Feb 7 2024 “There Sure Are a Lot of Republican Billionaires Funding the Democratic Primaries“ - https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/02/ilhan-omar-jamaal-bowman-rashida-tlaib-aipac-israel-lobby-democratic-primary-megadonors.html
New York Magazine The Intelligencer 27 mar 2024 “Who Is Jeff Yass, the GOP Billionaire Donor Dominating 2024?“ - https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/who-is-jeff-yass-the-gop-billionaire-donor-dominating-2024.html
The Guardian 24 Apr 2024 “Billionaire Jeff Yass linked to $16m in donations to anti-Muslim and pro-Israel groups“ - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/24/jeff-yass-anti-muslim-pro-israel-donations
The Guardian 22 Apr 2024 - “The pro-Israel groups planning to spend millions in US elections“ - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/22/aipac-pro-israel-lobby-group-us-elections
Jewish News of North California Sep 25 2020 “Meet the top 15 Jewish political donors of the 2020 election cycle“ - https://jweekly.com/2020/09/25/meet-the-top-15-jewish-political-donors-of-the-2020-election-cycle/
The Boston Review May 23 2019 - “The Anti-Defamation League Is Not What It Seems“ - https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/emmaia-gelman-anti-defamation-league/
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, vol. 43, no. 2, Mar.-Apr. 2024, "John Mearsheimer: Israel Lobby Now Plays 'Smash-Mouth Politics' - https://www.wrmea.org/congress-u.s.-aid-to-israel/john-mearsheimer-the-israel-lobby-now-plays-smash-mouth-politics.html
Source: NPR News Dec 11 219 - “Trump Signs Order Against Anti-Semitism At Colleges, Worrying Free Speech Advocates“ - https://www.npr.org/2019/12/11/787176743/trump-to-sign-order-against-anti-semitism-at-colleges-worrying-free-speech-advoc
Israel & Antisemitism website: Nexus Task Force - https://israelandantisemitism.com/nexus-task-force/
European Legal Support Centre Website - Report Jun 2023: Violating the rights to freedom of expression and assembly in the European Union and the UK - https://res.cloudinary.com/elsc/images/v1685978238/The-Practice-of-Suppressing-Palestinian-Rights-Advocacy-FINAL-PP/The-Practice-of-Suppressing-Palestinian-Rights-Advocacy-FINAL-PP.pdf?_i=AA
European Legal Support Centre Website - Report Sep 2023 - Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom in UK Higher Education: The Adverse Impact of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism: https://res.cloudinary.com/elsc/images/v1694507437/Freedom-of-Speech-and-Academic-Freedom-in-UK-Higher-Education-BRISMES-ELSC/Freedom-of-Speech-and-Academic-Freedom-in-UK-Higher-Education-BRISMES-ELSC.pdf?_i=AA
Human Rights Watch April 4 2023 “Human Rights and other Civil Society Groups Urge United Nations to Respect Human Rights in the Fight Against Antisemitism: Joint Letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Under Secretary-General Miguel Ángel Moratinos“ - https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/04/human-rights-and-other-civil-society-groups-urge-united-nations-respect-human
Geoffrey Robinson AO KC - “ANTI-SEMITISM: THE IHRA DEFINITION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION“ - https://prc.org.uk/upload/library/files/Anti-Semitism_Opinion_03.09.18eds.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1JGAkofecdSgKEyTo8OhhantJKJZeGVconpx5V4sIsjJIThZK1s0ZJDF8
UN Human Rights Council: Source Report A/78/198 The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel: Latest Report 5 Sep 2023 - https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N23/260/71/PDF/N2326071.pdf?OpenElement
UN Office of Human Rights: Source Report A/78/545 Situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967 (20 October 2023) - report delivered by Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, detailing events prior to 7 October, an annual report coincidentally delivered post 7 Oct. The report - independent from 7 October events - lists in detail the history to date, impacts and the breaches of international law - https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/a78545-situation-human-rights-palestinian-territories-occupied-1967y from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid” - https://www.btselem.org/topic/apartheid
Amnesty International Website 1 Feb 2022 “Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity“ - https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/5141/2022/en/
B’TSelem Website 12 Jan 2021 - “A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid” - https://www.btselem.org/topic/apartheid
House of Congress: Vote Roll Call on Bill H.R.6090 - https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024172
Politico - April 16 2024 - “House passes host of bills targeting Iran after attack on Israel“ - https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/04/16/congress/house-iran-pushback-bills-israel-attack-00152601
CNN 2 Apr 2024 “Iran vows revenge as it accuses Israel of deadly airstrike on Syria consulate in deepening Middle East crisis“ - https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/02/middleeast/iran-response-israel-damascus-consulate-attack-intl-hnk/index.html
US House Role Call Vote 134 H.RES.883 - https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024134
The Guardian 14 Mar 2024 - “The House passed a TikTok bill. Will the US really ban the app?“ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/13/will-us-ban-tiktok
BBC News 24 April 2024 “TikTok vows to fight 'unconstitutional' US ban“ - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87zp82247yo
Jewish Currents Mar 8 2023 “ADL Staffers Dissented After CEO Compared Palestinian Rights Groups to Right-Wing Extremists, Leaked Audio Reveals“ - https://jewishcurrents.org/adl-staffers-dissented-after-ceo-compared-palestinian-rights-groups-to-right-wing-extremists-leaked-audio-reveals
Source Opensecrets.org Pro-Israeli candidate fund receipts - https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary?code=Q05&cycle=All&ind=Q05&mem=Y&recipdetail=S
Bipartisan task force for combatting antisemitism twitter account (set up March 2024) - https://twitter.com/HouseBTFCA
ADL Website Press Release 10 April 2024 - “ADL Praises Members of Congress for Introduction of Historic Countering Antisemitism Act“ - https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-praises-members-congress-introduction-historic-countering-antisemitism
White House Passover Statement 21 Apr 2024 - https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/21/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-passover
Times of Israel 20 Apr 2024 “House okays $17 billion in military aid for Israel under major spending package“ -https://www.timesofisrael.com/house-approves-26-billion-in-aid-for-israel-and-gaza-under-major-spending-package/
The Guardian 23 Apr 2024 “Israel has yet to provide evidence of Unrwa staff terrorist links, Colonna report says“ - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/22/israel-unrwa-staff-terrorist-links-yet-to-provide-evidence-colonna-report?
The Times of Israel 24 April 2024 “Germany to resume funding for UNRWA after probe“ -https://www.timesofisrael.com/germany-to-resume-funding-for-unrwa-after-probe/
The Intercept Jan 20 2024 “AFTER HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON PUSHED THROUGH ISRAEL AID PACKAGE, AIPAC CASH CAME FLOWING IN“ - https://theintercept.com/2024/01/20/israel-aipac-house-mike-johnson/
Reuters 19 Apr 2024 - “US stops UN from recognizing a Palestinian state through membership“ - https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-security-council-vote-thursday-palestinian-un-membership-2024-04-18/
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance website - “What is antisemitism?“ 2016 - https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definitions-charters/working-definition-antisemitism
Financial Times December 12 2017 - “Australian MP quits in Chinese influence scandal“ - https://www.ft.com/content/7ac14e70-ded8-11e7-a8a4-0a1e63a52f9c
ABC 12 Sep 2019 - “Gladys Liu did not disclose membership of Chinese Government-linked organisations before Liberal Party preselection“ - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-12/gladys-liu-did-not-disclose-membership-of-chinese-groups/11506428
Harvard University Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging; Heritage Months - https://edib.harvard.edu/heritage-months
Love your photo of Neturai karta. I bet you think that’s a real religious mainstream group.