While Muslim and Palestinian charities in the U.S. face prosecution and terrorist labeling even for non-violent initiatives like donations to hospitals, organizations promoting violence against Muslims and Palestinians enjoy tax exemptions. This glaring double standard highlights the contradictions within the “nonprofit industrial complex,” which, like the military-industrial and prison-industrial complexes, perpetuates deeply rooted structures of domination.
The difference is that this nonprofit version operates under the guise of benevolence and love. U.S. charities donating to humanitarian projects in Gaza have been held liable for deaths attributed to Hamas, based on the theory that “money is fungible” and that “giving money to Hamas is like giving a loaded gun to a child.” Yet, American courts frequently dismiss lawsuits against nonprofits supporting illegal settlements.
These absurdities reveal a troubling reality: charities that genuinely aim to help those in need are penalized, while those promoting violence and occupation are rewarded with tax breaks. This unjust system not only undermines the integrity of charitable work but also perpetuates cycles of violence and oppression. We can work towards a more equitable and just society by exposing these contradictions.
The role of Christian Zionism
In the following video, we sit down with Rev. Dr. Jennifer Hosler, pastor at Washington City Church of the Brethren in DC, to discuss Christian Zionism, what it is, and how it influences U.S. politics.
Related Links
Philanthropic colonialism: US non-profits supporting Israel’s settlements Al Jazeera, Sept. 2024
Exposing the Hypocrisy and Crimes of the Pro-Israeli Charities, CODEPINK Substack, July 2024
The Nonprofits Fundraising for Israel’s Military on U.S. Campuses, Progressive.Org, 2024
Pro-Israel Billionaires Line Up Behind NC Republican Leading Campus Witch Hunt, Truthout, 2024
Christian Right Cites Violent Biblical Amalek Trope to Justify Israel’s Tactics, TruthOut, 2023
US giving to Israeli nonprofits – how much Jews and Christians donate and where the money goes, The Conversation, 2023
Revealed: how US residents are funding illegal settlements in the West Bank, The Guardian, 2023.
New York Charities Send Combat Gear to West Bank Settlements, New York Focus, 2023.
Socialist legislators back bill to block New York charities from funding Israeli settlements, City&StateNY, 2023
Hidden in Plain Sight: U.S. nonprofits as drivers of Israeli settlements, Just Security, 2022.
Americans in Jerusalem Are Helping Kick Out Palestinians [Video], Youtube, 2022.
Letter to Treasury Secretary seeking Treasury Dept examination into charities supporting illegal settlements in Palestine, Center for Constitutional Rights, 2021.
Tax breaks for colonization? Law and Political Economy Project, 2021.
Tax-Exempt U.S. Nonprofits Fuel Israeli Settler Push to Evict Palestinians, The Intercept, 2021.
The money trail behind the Jerusalem eviction battle that sparked the latest Israeli-Palestinian violence, exposed, Forward, 2021.
Jared Kushner By Day: Mideast Peace. Kushner Companies By Night: Donating to a West Bank Settlement, ProPublica, 2017.
Fund Headed by Trump's Israel Ambassador Pumped Tens of Millions Into West Bank Settlement, Haaretz, 2016.
Haaretz Investigation: U.S. Donors Gave Settlements More Than $220 Million in Tax-exempt Funds Over Five Years, Haaretz, 2015.
Tax-Exempt Funds Aid Settlements in West Bank, New York Times, 2010.
US tax-exempt donations fund Israeli settlements, The Electric Intifada, 2010
U.S. Group Invests Tax-free Millions in East Jerusalem Land, Haaretz, 2009.
