Senate Republicans are demanding an investigation into the tax-exempt status of organizations supporting anti-Israel and antisemitic protests at universities. Senator Joni Ernst called on the IRS to probe the Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Foundation, the Tides Foundation, and the Westchester Peace Action Committee Foundation for their involvement in these demonstrations. American Muslims for Palestine, fiscally sponsored by AJP, denied any direct involvement with student groups but acknowledged issuing small grants for events that align with their educational mission. The Tides Foundation and WESPAC did not provide comments on the matter.
A lawsuit filed in Virginia against AJP and the National Students for Justice in Palestine by victims of a terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel claims that AJP is a propaganda arm for Hamas and controls hundreds of NSJP chapters at schools in the U.S. Senate Republicans, including John Thune, Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, and Mitt Romney, signed a letter calling for an investigation into these organizations’ tax-exempt status based on the lawsuit’s allegations. The plaintiffs claim that AJP and NSJP were prepared for Hamas’s call to mobilize, indicating materials were created before the terrorist attack.
The letter also referenced an investigation by Virginia’s Attorney General into whether AJP used funds for impermissible purposes, including supporting terrorist organizations. The Republicans highlighted the need for their own investigation into AJP’s tax-exempt status, citing ongoing legal scrutiny and official inquiries. The recent rise in arrests and detentions during protests at college campuses involving illegal activities, encampments, and antisemitic language has raised concerns among lawmakers about the organizations’ activities and motives.
The letter comes amid heightened scrutiny of organizations supporting anti-Israel protests following the surge of campus demonstrations across the country. Ernst and other Senate Republicans are urging the IRS to investigate the tax-exempt status of AJP, the Tides Foundation, and WESPAC based on allegations of supporting antisemitic and anti-Israel activities. The involvement of American Muslims for Palestine and a lawsuit against AJP and NSJP in connection to a terrorist attack have led to calls for official investigations into the organizations’ operations and possible ties to terrorist groups.
The allegations outlined in the lawsuit against AJP and NSJP suggest a coordinated effort to support Hamas and control student chapters across U.S. campuses. Senate Republicans have expressed concerns over the organizations’ fundraising and financial activities, calling for a thorough examination of their tax-exempt status. The ongoing protests at universities involving illegal behavior and antisemitic rhetoric have prompted lawmakers to take action and investigate the groups behind these activities to ensure compliance with federal laws and regulations.
The involvement of high-profile Republican senators, including Thune, Rubio, Graham, and Romney, in calling for an investigation into the tax-exempt status of organizations supporting anti-Israel protests underscores the seriousness of the allegations. The demand for accountability and transparency in the activities of these organizations reflects growing concerns about their potential ties to terrorist organizations and their impact on campus climate. The letter to the IRS signals a bipartisan effort to address the root causes of anti-Israel and antisemitic activities on college campuses and hold accountable those responsible for promoting division and hostility.
