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AMP condemns Daniel Pipes & Tom Nisani’s Intrusion on Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem

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In a deeply offensive and provocative stunt, anti-Muslim bigots Daniel Pipes, founder of the Islamophobic Middle East Forum (MEF), and Tom Nisani intruded on Al-Aqsa compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary (or Al-Haram Al-Sharif), and posed for pictures with the Golden Dome of the Rock mosque in the background.

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Nisani is an Israeli extremist who supports complete Israeli sovereignty over the holiest Muslim site in occupied East Jerusalem, which Israel invaded and annexed in clear violation of international law. Nisani recalled fondly that “the Israeli flag was raised above the dome of the rock for a few hours” in 1967, and currently encourages a policy of allowing a slow and gradual Jewish takeover of the Noble Sanctuary until “finally, we will feel free to have the Israeli flag inside and pray.” Pipes is an American anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim bigot known for promoting discrimination and surveillance against American Muslims, and for supporting Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine.

Allowing bigoted provocateurs like Pipes and Nisani onto the Noble Sanctuary in occupied East Jerusalem is intended to taunt Palestinian Muslims, many of whom are not even able to visit their own holy sites due to Israeli restrictions. More disturbingly, this visit is a sign of the kinds of provocations that we can expect to be facilitated by the incoming Israeli government, which will be the most fanatical right-wing Israeli government to date.

We call on everyone who believes in peace, decency and respect for people’s religious beliefs, including in theBiden administration, to speak up against provocation and to warn Israel’s apartheid government against further actions that aim to inflame tensions, especially under a status quo filled with daily murderous provocations by the Israeli military in every part of Palestine. This policy of allowing Israel to continue receiving unconditional military funding while it commits crimes on a regular basis must come to an end.

According to the U.S. Treasury Regulation itself, Treas. Reg 1.501(c)(3)-1(d)(3)(i) states that “an organization is not educational if its principal function is the mere presentation of unsupported opinion.” Pipes “Middle East Forum” should not be an exception. We call on the IRS to look into the MEF’s tax deductible status and ensure that organizations that function on the basis of promoting hate and bigotry, incite violence, and advocate for the violation of international law do not enjoy such a status.