WASHINGTON — According to the Guardian,
US residents have been contributing millions of dollars to IsraelGives, an
Israeli crowdfunding platform, to causes including illegal West Bank
settlements, paramilitary groups, and active
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
units in Gaza and the occupied West Bank since October 7. This comes amid an
escalating humanitarian crisis due to the Israeli occupation’s aggression on
Gaza.
اضافة اعلان
Founded by entrepreneurs Jonathan
Ben-Dor and Joseph Gitler,
IsraelGives is a distinguished non-profit
organization that has been at the forefront of providing essential online
fundraising tools and technology to over 4,000 non-profit organizations globally.
Since its establishment in 2009, IsraelGives has earned the reputation as
Israel’s most trusted website for charitable giving, reflecting its commitment
to facilitating transparent and reliable donation processes. Donors using
IsraelGives gain access to a vast network of 50,000 nonprofits in Israel,
offering them the opportunity to contribute to a diverse array of causes and
initiatives.
The organization allows donors to
receive tax receipts not only in Israel but also in key countries such as the
US, UK, Canada, Australia, and the EU. This capability showcases the
organization’s dedication to simplifying the donation process for an international
audience, encouraging cross-border giving and making it more attractive for
donors worldwide. Additionally, IsraelGives goes beyond traditional giving
models by offering a
Donor Advised Fund (DAF), empowering donors to deposit
funds into their account and receive an immediate tax receipt. The DAF provides
a strategic and flexible approach to philanthropy, allowing donors to manage
and dedicate their contributions to charitable causes both at home and around
the world, further enhancing the appeal of the organization as a comprehensive
platform for global charitable giving.
Controversial
fundraising campaigns on IsraelGives: allegations of support for settlements
and military actions.
Since
October 7, there have been over
450 detected live fundraising campaigns on the site. Recent campaigns are
related to seeking donations for tactical equipment or logistics specifically
to the settlements around the Gaza border. With a countdown stamp to the
donations, the campaign’s description urges people to help with things
regarding furnishing temporary housing, providing rent financing for those
opting to live there, and acquiring vehicles. The donations will go directly to
the suppliers, as mentioned on the organization’s site. The donors pledged $5.3
million to IOF, paramilitary, or settlers and a significant number of these
donors identified themselves as US residents.
Some of these campaigns might violate
US tax laws, as legal experts suggest, but enforcement on donors supporting
Israeli causes has been rare. IsraelGives facilitates residents from the US,
Canada, the EU, the UK, and Australia to claim tax deductions on donations that
contribute to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
There are campaigns specifically
fundraising for illegal settlements including support for Efrat, Tene Omarum,
Shavei Shomron, and Ma'on, a settlement responsible for the death of a
Palestinian man who was shot on October 13 at point-blank range by a settler.
Responding to inquiries, IsraelGives Ben-Dor asserted that the platform is a
"neutral broker" facilitating giving to various non-
profit organizations in Israel, claiming that the Ma’on campaign was created
automatically as part of a war-time program but emphasized that it had yet to
be vetted, approved, or funded.
Israeli
agricultural innovation amidst
Palestinian struggles and resource control
Additionally, these funds mention the
destruction of agriculture in the
kibbutz built around the Gaza strip. However,
while Israel thrives in agriculture technology, providing solutions to global
challenges like water scarcity, it simultaneously exacerbates Palestinian
struggles through control over resources. Formerly thriving agricultural and
fishing sectors in Gaza have been devastated by Israel’s blockade. Israel
turned Gaza into an open- prison where necessities are controlled. It even goes
as far as controlling the calories consumed by Palestinians living in the Gaza
Strip. Also, it is reported that Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are
forbidden from collecting rainwater.
Annual
expansion of settlements and controversial role of US charities in supporting
Israeli settlementsAccording to an article by the
Jerusalem Fund, every year, hundreds of new settlements throughout the West
Bank including East Jerusalem are approved for construction. The Gaza Strip was
also subject to the same policy before the Israeli unilateral redistribution of
troops and the blockade, which began in 2007. Despite international
condemnation and acknowledgment of the settlements as illegal, on November 18,
2019, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Israel’s settlements in
the West Bank do not violate international law.
Furthermore, there are US charities
that allegedly play a controversial role in supporting Israeli settlements.
American Friends of Ateret Cohanim, is a charity that aims to "re-unite
Jerusalem," suggesting support for the expulsion of Palestinians from East
Jerusalem and incentivizing settlers to move into newly built units. The
Central Fund of Israel (CFI) has also contributed substantial funds to various
Jewish charities and causes, including those supporting Israeli settlements.
Lastly, The
Israel Land Fund (ILF), a real estate company founded by Aryeh
King, deputy mayor of Jerusalem and a settler, focuses on acquiring land in
East Jerusalem with significant backing from influential Jewish American
donors.
US
aid to IsraelIsrael has always been a crucial ally
of the US. The
Biden administration has also sent 224 cargo planes and 20 ships
carrying 10,000 tons of military hardware to Israel since the Israeli
aggression on Gaza started.
Furthermore, The US provided $3.8
billion in aid to Israel in 2020, primarily for military assistance, as part of
a long-term commitment made under the Obama administration. In addition to
military aid, the US contributed $5 million toward resettling migrants in
Israel in 2020. The funds have historically enabled Israel to develop one of
the world's most advanced militaries, with notable purchases including F-35
combat aircraft and the development of the Iron Dome missile defense system,
BBC news reported.
Israel has used US aid to enhance its military
capabilities, purchasing advanced equipment and collaborating on military
technology. Israel's reliance on foreign aid helps compensate for its smaller
size compared to other regional powers, and the aid is viewed as crucial in
maintaining Israel's
Qualitative Military Edge (QME) over potential threats.
Despite historic commitments and mutual
strategic goals, some Democrats, including Senator Bernie Sanders, have raised
questions about the amount and use of US aid to Israel, calling for a
reexamination of the aid package and attempting to block specific weapon sales.
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