Here's Lara Friedman's piece. Lara, you know, was the Jerusalem Consulate General Political Officer a decade ago (or so) with the responsibility of overseeing the Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria (Gaza went with the Tel Aviv Embassy). Many a coffee we shared.
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Some excerpts from "APN on US tax-exempt funding of settlements":-
For years settlers have openly fund-raised in the United States - including in synagogues, on booze cruises, in churches and at gala dinners.
[note that slight element of disparaging sarcasm, especially as that's how APN raises money although a cruise I am not sure of - as for booze, I'm sure they've imbibed some alcohol at their cocktail parties]
...millions of dollars have flowed, tax-exempt, to settlers and settlement-related causes, including to support settler extremists in Hebron and East Jerusalem, and even to support the settler-run hesder yeshivas (programs that combine IDF military service and study) that many believe are inculcating soldiers with an extremist, seditious ideology.
[is everything "extremist"? nothing normative?]
...we have tracked this phenomenon for years. We regularly comb through guidestar.org - a website tracking non-profit organizations (NPOs) - to collect the tax filings of groups that fund settlers and settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem...It is clear that since the Obama Administration came into office and began taking a harder line on Israeli settlements, more attention has been focused on the issue...
[ah, so it is a matter of political policy rather than law, otherwise previous administrations would have applied the law]
The New York Times also notes, correctly, that most of this money appears to go to purposes that are legal under US laws governing tax-exempt funding. However, the Times adds a very serious allegation: that these funds have "also paid for more legally questionable commodities: housing as well as guard dogs, bulletproof vests, rifle scopes and vehicles to secure outposts deep in occupied areas."
['allegation', Lara. I can allege all sorts of things. so can you]
...we believe it is appropriate for activists to demand accountability and for policymakers to demand a closer look at the phenomenon of US private funding for settlements.
[and why not Peace Now & APN? And B'tselem? And a host of others. Watch it, every sword could be double-edged]
After so many years and so much tax-exempt money going to settlements, it is time for the US government and Congress to take a close look at the flow of funds from US citizens to settlements.
Grassroots efforts in this regard could include:
* Asking Congress to demand a report from the General Accounting Office on the general phenomenon of US tax-exempt funds going to settlements...
* Urging the Department of Justice to investigate whether tax-exempt funding is going to support activities that are illegal...
[just exactly is 'illegal'?]
... The first reaction of many of us when we hear about tax-exempt US funding for settlers is: the US opposes settlements, right? How can it be possible that the US is indirectly subsidizing settlements...But [the issue] is not so simple...it is dangerous and irresponsible to argue that an organization should be ineligible for non-profit status if its ideology/activities are inconsistent with US policy (as opposed to US law). Such an argument has very frightening implications...Targeting non-profits using the argument that "their activities violate US policy" is a slippery slope that should concern all of us who care about free speech and civil society organizing...
[yep. that double-edged sword again but people can nbe persuaded to adopt a double-standard as they've done that on terror already]
Complicated - legally, ethically, morally and professionally.
There are many other aspects and Lara, we're working on this as well.
Complicated - legally, ethically, morally and professionally.
There are many other aspects and Lara, we're working on this as well.
;->)
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