[Take action] No tax exemptions for Israeli settlements

US-based nonprofits and donors are funding Israeli settlements

Did you know that US-based private actors have been fueling the illegal Israeli settler enterprise on occupied Palestinian land through 501c3 charitable contributions? Yesterday, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and six of her colleagues sent a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, urging her to review the 501c3 status granted to organizations that fund the expansion of Israeli settlements.

Take action now to amplify the Congresswoman’s letter: Tweet at Secretary Yellen and urge her to address this important issue! Here are some sample tweets:

.@secyellen, please act immediately on @RepRashida’s letter to enforce U.S. law and end the 501c3 status of organizations such as the Central Fund of Israel, which is one of several U.S.-based groups fueling the dispossession of Palestinians to make way for Israeli settlers.

The 501c3 status of organizations funding Israeli settlements supports unlawful conduct that contradicts U.S. obligations under international law and established U.S. public policy. @secyellen must act immediately on @RepRashida’s letter and hold such organizations accountable.

Thank you @RepRashida, @RepCori, @RepAOC, @RepAndreCarson, @repmarkpocan, @BettyMcCollum04, @RepPressley for calling on @secyellen to investigate 501c3 status of US orgs colonizing Palestinian land.

Thousands of Palestinians have been, and continue to be, forced out of their homes because of the ongoing expansion of Israel's settlement enterprise. Palestinian families and establishments are being systematically replaced by the Israeli government with Jewish-only settlements. And in part of Jerusalem, Palestinians are being displaced --unbelievably-- to pave the way for a new theme park. All of this is happening in the midst of a global pandemic. 

These acts of dispossession devastate the Palestinian economy, cut off access to Palestinian farmland and water, displace communities, and separate families. Despite its illegality under international law, Israel continues to colonize Palestinian land every day, with the backing of private funders and NGOs in the United States. 

One example is the Central Fund of Israel (CFI), a US-based tax-exempt non-profit registered in New York State. Recent reporting shows that CFI funded nearly the entire budget of the Israel Land Fund (ILF), an organization that is a driving force behind the forced evictions of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. It is also a major donor to Ateret Cohanim, one of the organizations behind settlement expansion in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. CFI is just one example of many organizations that are funneling cash to the settlements. 

In her letter, Congresswoman Tlaib asks Secretary Yellen to engage in a thorough review of these 501c3 organizations to determine whether or not they are violating US obligations under international law. She also requested a response, and we can help get one by calling on Secretary Yellen to answer Congresswoman Tlaib by tweeting at her today. Bit by bit, we can slow down--and ultimately end-- the Israeli race to colonize Palestinian land, and we can start by ending our country’s complicity in it. 

Can you take a minute to send a few tweets to Secretary Yellen? 

Thanks for taking action for Palestine.