Biden’s envoy to Israel backed grant to delegitimize Israel, per emails.

Biden Administration’s Ambassador to Israel Approved Controversial Grant to Delegitimize Israel

U.S. ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides approved the funding project in a January 2022 internal “action memo,” according to a trove of internal emails obtained by the America First Legal Foundation through a Freedom of Information Act request for information about the grant.

The grant, which was intended to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, instructed those applying to probe the Israeli government for “documentation of legal or security sector violations and housing, land, and property rights.” Critics argue that this would empower activist groups critical of Israel to pursue false claims that the Jewish state is systematically abusing Palestinians and stealing their land.

The taxpayer-funded initiative, which the Free Beacon first reported in March 2022, prompted a congressional investigation. Lawmakers accused the Biden administration of working to isolate Israel and bolster the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS), which wages economic warfare on the Jewish state.

Ambassador’s Involvement Draws Scrutiny

The ambassador’s involvement in the funding effort is certain to attract congressional scrutiny as Israel’s defenders on Capitol Hill worry the Biden administration is alienating the Jewish State. President Joe Biden has been openly critical of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the State Department was found to be bankrolling far-left groups seeking to topple the prime minister’s governing coalition.

The ongoing opacity surrounding the program threatens to reignite a congressional battle with the State Department, which has been under pressure for more than a year to pull the taxpayer funding. Congressional sources who have been tracking the issue said it is unacceptable for the State Department to withhold information about a publicly available grant program.

Pro-Israel Advocacy Groups View Funding as Part of Larger Effort

Lawmakers and pro-Israel advocacy groups view the funding as part of a larger effort to mainstream the BDS movement and undermine Netanyahu’s government at a time when Israel is facing a renewed wave of terrorism. The State Department in particular has come under scrutiny for hiring several people who worked in the anti-Israel community and promoted the BDS movement.

The State Department, in its comment to the Free Beacon, maintained that these “programs are intended to foster respect for human rights and the rule of law and support democracy globally.” The State Department “carefully reviews all eligible proposals per our well-established and rigorous review process.”

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