The Marxist “Squad” sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to request that her department review and revoke non-profit status from pro-Israel groups, including the Central Fund of Israel, for violations of international and federal law, Jewish Insider reported.
In the letter, seven Democratic House Reps. expressed concern that the federal government, by granting tax exemptions, has given an “effective subsidy” to organizations that “abuse” Palestinians.
Led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the group writes that CFI funds the “dispossession and displacement of Palestinians to make way for Jewish Israeli settlers.”
Much of the CFI’s money goes to the Israel Land Fund, which sponsors Jewish settlement in “occupied East Jerusalem.”
The federal government thus supports “serious breaches of international law and violations of internationally recognized human rights related to the expansion of the illegal Israeli settlement enterprise.”
The letter also targeted American Friends of Bet El Yeshiva Center, Qomemiyut and The Hebron Fund.
Three other Squad members—Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.,—signed the letter along with André Carson, D-In., Mark Pocan, D-WI, and Betty McCollum, D-Minn.
Former President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, was the Bet El Yeshiva Center’s president.
The Qomemiyut’s leaders include right-wing Israeli politicians.
The Democrats told Yellen, a Jew, to outline the Treasury Department’s 501(c)(3) policy regarding organizations that fund the “forced evictions of Palestinian families” and submit that report to the House and Senate.
CFI Director Jay Marcus called the letter “outrageous” and defended the organization’s charitable activities.
“CFI supports hundreds of charities in Israel and we never choose to give support or discriminate due to location,” he said. “Our only criterion is if the organization is worthy. We support soup kitchens, help for disadvantaged youth, many different medical programs and much more. Every organization we support is a registered nonprofit in Israel.”
He attributed the Squad’s disdain for CFI to their support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which seeks to financially punish Israel for its governance of the West Bank and Gaza.
“That BDSers, therefore, dislike CFI is not a surprise,” Marcus said.
