The terrorist organization Hamas, regarded by the United States, carried out a raid in Israel on October 7 last year, killing civilians and kidnapping 253 hostages, triggering the ongoing conflict with Israel. Over the past seven months, the death toll on both sides has exceeded 30,000, with the most severe casualties among women and children in the Gaza Strip.
Around the world, young supporters of both sides have taken to the streets to protest. In the past two weeks, a sudden surge of pro-Palestinian students camping on campuses from the West to East Coast of the United States has sparked public debate, including discussions on the financiers behind pro-Palestinian organizations and protesters.
On April 25, NGO Monitor released an investigation report stating that since October 7, incidents of anti-Semitic violence, incitement, intimidation, and harassment have escalated exponentially on American campuses and their surroundings, not as spontaneous protests but with close coordination and substantial funding from radical and often anti-Semitic non-governmental organizations (NGOs) network.
NGO Monitor specifically named five NGOs, including the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and Jewish Voice for Peace, as holding extremist anti-Jewish rhetoric.
According to NGO Monitor’s research, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights received $355,000 from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund from 2018 to 2023 under the guise of “Middle East justice and peace education.” Between 2018 and 2024, the organization also received a total of $700,000 from the Open Society Institute under the same guise.
The New York Post reported on the 26th that the Open Society Institute founded by “financial giant” Soros and the Rockefeller Foundation funded campus protests against Israel and indirectly supported anti-Israel organizations.
The New York Post also pointed out that the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights provided up to $7,800 in funding to “community researchers” and $2,880 to $3,660 in funding to campus “researchers” in exchange for their participation in “activities led by Palestinian organizations” for 8 hours per week, making them the main voices against Israel in American universities.
Nidaa Lafi, the former chair of the Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Texas, was arrested for protesting at an event attended by President Biden. Craig Birckhead-Morton, a researcher for the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, was arrested for occupying the Yale University square. Malak Afaneh, co-chair of the Students for Justice in Palestine at the UC Berkeley School of Law, entered the home of the law school dean, chanting anti-Israel slogans, and accused the dean’s wife of assault.
According to NGO Monitor’s investigation, the Students for Justice in Palestine is present on campuses across the United States, but not every branch is registered as an NGO. The organization’s largest funder is the Westchester Peace Action Committee Foundation, a leftist and anti-Israel group.
Despite the right to assembly, association, and freedom of speech protected by the US Constitution, NGO Monitor’s investigation revealed that the aforementioned anti-Israel pro-Palestinian organizations “support the October 7 massacre and other attacks and defend them,” yet these NGOs present a challenge to the media due to their opaque funding and structure.
The question remains whether the funds received by pro-Palestinian organizations are solely used for activities on American campuses. The Washington Post journalist Philip Bump refuted the New York Post’s view that attributed all campus protests to Soros on the 26th, acknowledging that the foundation he founded indeed funds pro-Palestinian groups.
The Washington Post reported on the 26th that the Students for Justice in Palestine denied receiving any funding from the Westchester Peace Action Committee Foundation, stating that the foundation neither funds nor influences their political activities, but extends its legal tax-exempt status to support their mission.
The statement did not clarify the source of their funding, mentioning that in the context of the American-funded, militaristically and politically supported genocide, they rejected baseless allegations regarding their funding.
Moreover, aside from financial giants and the Rockefeller Foundation, another grassroots organization opposing Israel through “actions” is suspected of receiving funding from supporters of the Chinese Communist Party – The People’s Forum in New York and American businessman Neville Roy Singham.
In November 2023, The People’s Forum organized nationwide anti-Semitic activities, with one event held at Fort Hamilton High School in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn, receiving special promotion and support from Tajh Sutton, chair of the Brooklyn District 14 School Board. Sutton was warned by senior officials of the New York City Department of Education for inciting students to skip school to participate in anti-Israel marches.
In August of the same year, The New York Times exposed American businessman Neville Roy Singham, currently residing in Shanghai, as a worshipper of Mao Zedong’s ideology. Apart from being a donor to extreme left-wing causes in the United States, Singham promotes Communist propaganda abroad and funds promotional activities. Singham has funded The People’s Forum and the Indian media company NewsClick located in Manhattan, New York.
Florida Senator Marc Rubio wrote a letter urging the US Department of Justice to investigate organizations possibly funded by Singham, such as The People’s Forum, Code Pink, and Dongsheng News. The Times of India also reported that due to allegations of receiving funding from the Chinese Communist Party and assisting in external propaganda, NewsClick’s offices in over a hundred locations in India were raided, with the website’s editor-in-chief and HR manager arrested by a special unit of Delhi Police.