Samidoun: A Controversial Arm of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
A Samidoun flier with an anti-Israel slogan. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
An Israeli-designated terrorist group banned by the German government is part of an American dark money network funded by progressive billionaires, including George Soros.
Samidoun, known for organizing numerous anti-Israel protests following Hamas’s recent attacks, is revealed to be a subsidiary of the Alliance for Global Justice, according to records. The German interior minister, Nancy Faeser, strongly condemned their “anti-Semitic, inhuman worldview” in an October 12 statement when announcing a nationwide ban on the organization. Additionally, Israel has designated Samidoun as a terrorist group, alleging its affiliation with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Syria-based terrorist group.
Samidoun operates under the fiscal sponsorship of the Alliance for Global Justice, blurring the legal distinction between the two entities. Such arrangements are common on the left, as seen with the Adalah Justice Project, a vocal American defender of Hamas, which is fiscally sponsored by the Tides Center, as Washington Free Beaconreported.
However, Samidoun’s actions have led to the severing of ties with at least one ally of the Alliance for Global Justice. The New Venture Fund stated, “We condemn terrorism and violence against civilians in all forms and do not support any projects or provide any grants to organizations that fund terrorism,” announcing the discontinuation of grants to projects hosted by the Alliance for Global Justice. In 2021, the New Venture Fund, along with the Soros-backed Tides Center and Tides Foundation, contributed over $9 million to the alliance.
Multiple requests for comment from both Samidoun and the Alliance for Global Justice have gone unanswered.
Arabella Advisors, a prominent dark money network on the left, has also distanced itself from Samidoun, unequivocally condemning terrorism and violence against civilians. Arabella Advisors clarified that Samidoun has never been a client of theirs. However, tax records show that two of Arabella’s clients, whose operations are closely guided by the firm, transferred more than $1 million to the Alliance for Global Justice in 2022.
The exact timeline of Samidoun’s absorption into the Alliance for Global Justice and the specific donors earmarking funds for Samidoun remain unclear. As of the last available public tax filings in 2021, the Alliance for Global Justice had over $6.2 million in assets and spent more than $54 million.
Since the Hamas attack in October, Samidoun has maintained a “Calendar of Resistance” on its website, informing activists about opportunities to protest against the Jewish state. This month, the group collaborated with the Arab Resource and Organizing Center to blockade a U.S. government ship in a Washington port, suspecting it was headed for Israel. Federal officials have initiated a criminal investigation into the protest.
Samidoun has a long history of supporting terrorists, particularly the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. On its website, Samidoun dismisses evidence of its affiliation with the group as “Zionist disinformation.”
However, one of the group’s leaders, Charlotte Kates, and her husband, Khaled Barakat, co-founder of the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, were barred from entering the European Union due to their ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Israeli intelligence has also accused Barakat, who resides in Canada, of holding a high-ranking position within the terrorist organization.
Recently, Samidoun hosted a screening in Chicago for a documentary about Georges Abdallah, a member of a Lebanese offshoot of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Abdallah was sentenced to life in a French prison for the 1982 murder of a U.S. military attaché and an Israeli diplomat in Paris. Abdallah has expressed no remorse for the killings, stating that his actions were driven by the injustice faced by Palestinians.
Samidoun’s mission is to secure the release of all Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of terrorism. The group emphasizes that Palestinian prisoners are at the forefront of the struggle for Palestinian liberation.
Leading online fundraising platforms such as PayPal and Stripe banned Samidoun from their platforms in October following a congressional investigation into the group’s ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, as reported by the Washington Examiner.
Despite these setbacks, Samidoun continues to fundraise by instructing supporters to send checks payable to the Alliance for Global Justice at its headquarters in Tucson, Arizona.
Samidoun’s association with terrorist groups extends beyond the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The organization plays a role in organizing the annual “Palestinian Prisoners’ Action Week,” which includes marches worldwide. In the 2021 protests, the Muhjat al-Quds Foundation, which the Treasury Department recently sanctioned for providing support to the Gaza-based terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad, participated.
Jewish organizations worldwide have called for Samidoun to cease its operations in their respective countries. Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs initiated a petition this month urging the government to designate Samidoun as a terrorist group.
Why have Samidoun and the Alliance for Global Justice not responded to multiple requests for comment regarding their connection and funding sources
In recent news, Samidoun, a controversial arm of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), has come under scrutiny for its affiliation with terrorist activities and its connection to a dark money network. Samidoun has gained attention for organizing anti-Israel protests following Hamas’s recent attacks and has been designated as a terrorist group by both Israel and Germany.
According to records, Samidoun is revealed to be a subsidiary of the Alliance for Global Justice, a left-wing organization. This connection blurs the legal distinction between the two entities and is part of a common arrangement on the left. Similar cases can be seen with organizations like the Adalah Justice Project, which is fiscally sponsored by the Tides Center and is a vocal defender of Hamas.
However, Samidoun’s actions have led to the severing of ties with at least one ally of the Alliance for Global Justice. The New Venture Fund, a prominent dark money network, condemned terrorism and violence against civilians and announced the discontinuation of grants to projects hosted by the Alliance for Global Justice. In 2021, the New Venture Fund, along with the Soros-backed Tides Center and Tides Foundation, contributed over $9 million to the alliance.
Despite these revelations, both Samidoun and the Alliance for Global Justice have not responded to multiple requests for comment. It is unclear when exactly Samidoun became absorbed into the Alliance for Global Justice and who specifically earmarked funds for the group. As of the last available tax filings in 2021, the alliance had over $6.2 million in assets and spent more than $54 million.
Since the October Hamas attack, Samidoun has maintained a “Calendar of Resistance” on its website, informing activists about opportunities to protest against Israel. The group recently collaborated with the Arab Resource and Organizing Center to blockade a U.S. government ship in a Washington port, suspecting it was headed for Israel. Federal officials have initiated a criminal investigation into the protest.
Samidoun has a long history of supporting terrorists, particularly the PFLP. The group has been known to dismiss evidence of its affiliation with the PFLP as “Zionist disinformation.” However, one of the group’s leaders, Charlotte Kates, and her husband, Khaled Barakat, co-founder of the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, have been barred from entering the European Union due to their ties to the PFLP. Israeli intelligence has also accused Barakat of holding a high-ranking position within the terrorist organization.
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