In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas accused his Senate opponent, Democratic candidate Rep. Colin Allred, of being financially backed by powerful families who support anti-Israel and antisemitic demonstrations at universities across the country. Cruz specifically pointed to donors such as the Soros, Rockefeller, Pritzker, and Gates families, who he claimed were connected to organizations supporting protests against Israel. He stated that Allred had received around $80,000 from these donors, and emphasized the need for Allred to choose whether to stand with the people of Israel or keep the money.
Cruz highlighted the significant number of arrests and detentions that occurred during protests at college campuses across the country between April 18 and May 3, stating that these demonstrations were being funded by Joe Biden and the Democrats’ top donors. He accused Allred of accepting financial support from donors like George Soros, the Rockefeller brothers, and the Gates family, who also supported the anti-Israel protests. Cruz’s claims centered on the idea that these donors were connected to groups that were actively working against Israel, urging Allred to make a decision about the funds he had received.
The Open Society foundation, founded by George Soros and chaired by his son Alexander Soros, emphasized that their funding was directed towards civil society groups advocating for a fairer world. A spokesperson for the foundation stated that the majority of the funded groups had no involvement in protests, with some amplifying dissenting voices through peaceful means. Other donors, like the Pritzker’s Libra Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, were reported to be funding social justice organizations engaged in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also supported the Tides Foundation, although they denied funding demonstrations indirectly.
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund had granted money to organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace, known for staging anti-Israel protests and adopting an anti-Zionist stance. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s support for the Tides Foundation and Tides Center, which are associated with anti-Israel organizations, raised concerns about indirect funding for the demonstrations. While the Gates Foundation clarified that they no longer had active grants with the Tides Foundation and denied direct or indirect support for demonstrations, questions remained about the impact of their previous donations.
In response to Cruz’s allegations, Allred’s campaign, along with the Pritzkers’ Libra Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, chose not to provide a comment to Fox News Digital. Cruz’s questions about Allred’s stance on the issue highlighted the conflicting interests between accepting financial support from donors linked to anti-Israel demonstrations and standing with the people of Israel. The call for Allred to decide whether to return the money from these donors reflected broader concerns about the influence of such funding on political campaigns and their potential impact on policy decisions. The debate surrounding these allegations underscored the complexities of campaign finance and the ethical considerations that candidates must navigate.
