(NewsInsights.org) – Pro-Palestinian protesters in the US have objected to the Biden administration’s financial and military support of Israel as it has defended itself against Hamas aggressions and worked to prevent future attacks like the October 7 surprise assault that left 1200 dead and resulted in Hamas terrorists taking more than 250 hostages, almost 130 of whom remain captive. Yet, a POLITICO article published May 5 probably surprised those same protesters regarding who footed the bill to help organize their demonstrations.
The media outlet revealed that some of the same philanthropists working hard toward President Joe Biden’s reelection have also contributed directly or indirectly to the groups organizing and supporting the pro-Palestinian protests. For example, demonstrators at Columbia University, one of the first campuses to host pro-Palestinian protests, credit Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and IfNotNow (INN) as organizations that helped coordinate and publicize the tent encampments on campus.
POLITICO pointed out that the Tides Foundation supported both of those organizations. Additionally, the outlet said major Democratic donors like George Soros, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund have contributed to the Tides Foundation. The media source also pointed to Hyatt hotel heirs Susan and Nick Pritzker’s Libra Foundation as another support avenue.
However, a May 5 article in Rolling Stone (RS) highlighted factual inaccuracies in POLITICO’s initial article, causing the latter to implement corrections and republish. Moreover, Rolling Stone pointed out that while donors like Soros contributed to the Tide Foundation, they also specified the projects to which they were donating their funds. None of them included support for INN or JVP.
In their research, RS journalists found that Soros’s Open Society Foundations donated directly to JVP and INN, disclosing donations of $225,000 to JVP in 2022, with an additional $150,000 for JVP and $200,000 for INN in 2021. Additionally, the Rockefeller Brothers directly donated $500,000 to JVP in 2019 and $100,000 to INN in 2020, according to tax records. The Rockefeller Brothers apparently earmarked past donations to the Tides Foundation for the Green New Deal Network.
Despite protesters’ contempt for Biden’s Israel policies, it appears they may have more in common with the administration than they initially realized.
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