A right-wing team blocking Gaza support receives tax-deductible gifts from the US and Israel

As part of the US campaign, Israel has pledged to deliver large amounts of humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza Strip. However, at the same time, the US and Israel allow tax-deductible donations to far-right groups that have banned that aid from being distributed.

A study by the Associated Press and Israeli investigative page Shomrim found that three groups that have prevented humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza – including one accused of looting or destroying supplies – have raised $200,000 from donors in the US and Israel. Have raised more than. Crowdfunding Web Sites and Alternative Crowd Data.

Encouraging those donations by making them tax-deductible runs contrary to the United States and Israel’s alleged continuation of allowing unlimited food, water and medicine into Gaza, says a group working to get additional aid to the region. Teams. Charity has also suffered losses following sanctions imposed by the US against these types of groups.

I am no longer sick of those groups, said Tania Harry, executive director of Geisha, an Israeli nonprofit that has long called for Israel to provide aid. Have done. Promoting conditions within the region.

“If you are saying on the one hand that you are allowing aid, but then also facilitating the actions of the groups that are preventing it, can you really say that you are facilitating aid? Are?” He mentioned.

Israeli officials did not respond to requests for comment. The US Shape segment said it was committed to ensuring the delivery of aid, but criticized fundraising efforts by far-right groups.

Israel has repeatedly noted that it no longer intercepts humanitarian aid and that the United Nations has not distributed thousands of truckloads of products arriving in the region. The United Nations and aid teams say deliveries have been repeatedly disrupted by military operations, chaos within Gaza and delays in Israeli inspections.

Three groups examined by the AP and Shomrim have slowed aid deliveries by blocking vehicles heading toward Gaza, either by blocking traffic or standing in front of the main Kerem Shalom crossing in Gaza.

Since those organizations are not the main obstacle to supporting the shipment, they have received tacit support from some Israeli leaders. Israel’s ultranationalist minister for national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has said that aid shipments to Gaza should be banned and he supported the right of fighters to disperse, although he said this should not be done violently. .

The AP and Shomrim found that one of the largest teams, Mothers March, has raised more than $125,000 using the Israeli crowdfunding page GiveCheck. The crowd also raised approximately $13,000 using JGive, an American and Israeli crowdfunding web page. Donations to charitable organizations in Israel and the US are tax-deductible

Mom’s March no longer picks up cash without delay. In turn, it works with a partner called Torat Lechima who raises the budget on its behalf.

Torat Lechima, whose name is roughly interpreted as “battle theory”, is active in Israeli nationalist circles and, according to its website, aims to “strengthen Jewish identity and fighting spirit” among Israeli infantrymen. Works. Torat Lechima continues to demand a budget for the Mothers March in America on the Zegiv web page

By the time it was given end-of-life approval, a third team, Tzav 9, had raised more than $85,000 from at least 1,500 donors in the US and Israel through JGway. JGive noted that donations to Tzav 9 were stopped before the ban was imposed and were not traced to the gang.

All three teams, which have long-standing legitimate ties to Israeli ultranationalists, say Israel should not help Palestinians as long as Hamas is holding dozens of hostages. Furthermore they declare that Hamas is stealing a lot of support, even though aid teams deny this.

“Not the kind of ‘humanitarian’ aid that fuels the enemy who wants to kill us! Not for the hundreds of trucks that pass through Kerem Shalom every day – and hauling war! The Moms March was mentioned in a contemporary crowdfunding marketing campaign. It noted that price caps were needed for demonstrations, shuttles, printing materials and demonstration campaigns.

Many workers set up tents at Kerem Shalom for several nights in early February to stock up on support supplies. Moms March leader Sima Hassan was briefly detained by Israeli police in January during a vehicle stop.

Israeli information studies have shown that huge convoys of vehicles are blocking support vehicles from traveling on Israeli highways, in addition to activists looting vehicles and destroying supplies.

In its sanctions layout, White Space accused Tzav 9 of violently blocking roads, destroying support vehicles and providing roadside dumping. In May it was mentioned that nine people looted Tajik and I am preparing to set fire to two cars in the Western Cabinet in support of the message sent to Gaza. On the final day, White Space imposed sanctions on the co-founders of Crew.

Israeli police, which fall under Ben-Gvir’s authority, have made few arrests, even though the gang has restricted its activities in recent weeks.

Tzav 9 defended its movements as “a democratic protest, within the framework of the law.” In this, America’s sanctions were called “undemocratic interference”.

Neither Moms March nor Torat Lechima responded to requests for comment.

Israel launched its offensive into Gaza following an October 7 attack by Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.

According to the local state government, the attack has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, and caused a humanitarian catastrophe in the densely populated area. More than 80% of the community has been displaced, and global officials say thousands are on the brink of famine.

Two global courts have accused Israel of war crimes and genocide – Israel denies these charges because it is a matter of honor to maintain the support flowing into Gaza.

Those who violate the sanctions against Tsav 9 will have their assets seized or face passport and visa restrictions.

It is clear how effective those sanctions will be. Extremist Israeli settlers in the Western cabinet say US sanctions imposed on them have had little impact, partly because Israeli leaders have helped contain them.

Top Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace declined to comment. The Justice Ministry, which regulates nonprofits, said it would investigate but said its additional comments were inaccurate.

Zegiv noted that it complied with Israeli regulations. With the donation of Cold Tzav 9, it was noted that the Mother’s March campaign ended four months early.

The US Shape segment said this has prompted Israel to provide assurances that aid can safely reach Gaza and to punish those aiming to prevent it.

It added, “The targeting of aid trucks by violent extremists is unacceptable, and we have made this clear to the Israeli government.” It declined to comment on the teams’ fundraising efforts.

Harry, of the Israeli activist group Geisha, said the efforts of the Moms March and Tjav 9 “feel like I have become sick in recent weeks.” However, as they continue to look for donors, they said they will resume activities at any time.

“They are getting signals from various places in the government that Gaza should be completely cut off,” he said.