Speaking to a joint meeting of Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday made the case for why the U.S. must support the Jewish state as it fights Hamas and other Iranian-backed militias: "If you remember one thing from this speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory is your victory," Netanyahu said to a standing ovation in the House chamber.
But outside, in the streets of Washington, D.C. , thousands of protesters, some of them violent, sought to make their own case for why Netanyahu is a war criminal who should be charged with genocide over Israel's retaliation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They did this by burning an effigy of Netanyahu outside the historic Union Station , just blocks away from the Capitol, and burning American flags. The demonstrators, dozens of whom were arrested, clashed with police and vandalized monuments.
"Hamas Is Coming" was graffitied in red on the Columbus Memorial Fountain, a tribute to explorer Christopher Columbus unveiled in 1912 at the direction of then-President William H. Taft. At the Watergate Hotel, where Netanyahu stayed, pro-Palestinian activists backed by a New York-based charity under investigation unleashed a horde of maggots and set off fire alarms.
The protest, dubbed "Arrest Netanyahu! Surround Congress July 24 with the People's Red Line for Palestine," was orchestrated by a coalition called ANSWER that was founded as an anti-war group days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The coalition provided resources online to supporters to bus them into Washington, D.C., and instructed people to "Wear red!" as a symbol for the alleged genocide in Gaza, according to a flyer for the demonstration.
ANSWER is a project of Progress Unity Fund, a charity that lists a San Francisco address on tax forms.
A Washington Examiner review of social media posts and resources in connection to the planning of the protest found that a familiar cast of characters helped plan and execute the Wednesday rally that turned violent in the district. These organizations, which share ties to terrorist factions and some of the largest and most influential philanthropy networks funded by left-wing billionaires, touted on social media how they were behind the demonstration and sought to gin up support for the event in the lead-up to Netanyahu's arrival.
Several of the organizations also have opaque "dark money" funding streams that have, following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel, prompted federal investigations over national security concerns.
"We do know that Iran has been funding and encouraging some of the protest activity here in the United States," White House national security adviser John Kirby said on Thursday, echoing similar comments made earlier this month by Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence.
Outside the Capitol, one group leading the rally, Code Pink, posted a video of notorious antisemite Linda Sarsour telling the public that "progress" to turn the world against Israel "is because of our movement." Sarsour, a Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign activist , emphasized that supporters should "stay disruptive" as well as "make sure the Democratic Party continues to listen and to hear from you that they will not ever be an influential party in this country without heeding the calls of our movement."
Code Pink, which is connected to a pro-China propaganda network funded by businessman Neville Roy Singham, was one of more than a dozen groups behind the protests. Its funding stream also comes from the Tides Foundation and an assortment of donor-advised funds that allow the wealthy and well-connected to shield their giving from the public, tax records show.
Here are other groups behind the demonstrations.
Jewish Voice for Peace
Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Israel group, notably staged a sit-in at the Capitol's Cannon Building and wore t-shirts with the phrases "not in our name" and "Jews say stop arming Israel" this week. Capitol Police reportedly arrested some 200 JVP activists for "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding" inside the building.
JVP, like other groups, was listed on an early July flyer as a leader of the Wednesday "Arrest Netanyahu! Surround Congress July 24 with the People's Red Line for Palestine" protest.
JVP is funded by the George Soros-funded Open Society Foundations, the Tides Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Firedoll Foundation, and Kaphan Foundation, according to tax records.
Palestinian Youth Movement
The Palestinian Youth Movement, or PYM, set maggots loose at Netanyahu's hotel, the Washington Free Beacon reported . PYM is a project of the WESPAC Foundation, a nonprofit group in White Plains, New York, that also sponsors Students for Justice in Palestine.
This week, the Anti-Defamation League asked the IRS to investigate WESPAC's tax-exempt status over its unusual finances and alleged fomenting of antisemitism.
PYM's funding is opaque due to it being a project of WESPAC. However, records show that WESPAC has received large checks in recent years from the Tides Foundation , which is bankrolled by Soros, the Rockefellers, the Ford Foundation, Bill Gates, and other top donors.
WESPAC, a dark money group due to its housing of projects with non-public finances, also receives donations from donor-advised funds and the Rockefellers.
The People's Forum
The People's Forum, another group listed on a Wednesday planning flyer , alleged on social media during the demonstrations that police were engaged in unjust brutality against activists.
People's Forum is linked to the Code Pink-affiliated network that supports the Chinese Communist Party, prompting Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to launch an investigation. Rubio sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland about the pro-CCP network, citing multiple reports by the Washington Examiner.
People's Forum's funding is also largely opaque, though it received a staggering $12 million in 2019 from Goldman Sachs's donor-advised fund.
It also received cash from Code Pink and United Community Fund, an obscure nonprofit organization that lists its address on tax forms as a UPS store mailbox in New York City.
Palestinian Feminist Collective
Palestinian Feminist Collective, or PFC, also was behind the Wednesday protests. The Washington Examiner reported in November 2023 that PFC rakes in funding through WESPAC.
On Oct. 7 of last year, PFC posted a graphic on social media appearing to praise the Hamas-led attack, noting it “holds firmly the right of Palestinians to resist the Zionist colonizer."
PFC received a grant in 2023 from the Third Wave Fund, which "funnels grants to gay, lesbian, 'intersex,' and transgender advocacy groups in the name of 'gender justice,'" according to the Capital Research Center think tank.
The Third Wave Fund, according to tax records, is a project of a Massachusetts-based group called Proteus Fund that routes money to grassroots initiatives aligned with the Left.
Arab Resource & Organizing Center
Arab Resource & Organizing Center, also known as AROC, is an anti-Israel coalition that blocks ship ports with the goal of restricting U.S. weapons from going to Israel.
But AROC is technically a trade name.
It is sponsored by the Tides Center, an affiliate of the Tides Foundation that sponsors many anti-Israel groups . The Tides Center manages hundreds of millions of dollars in assets and used to fiscally sponsor the national Black Lives Matter group.
U.S. Palestinian Community Network
USPCN is another offshoot of WESPAC, making its own funding difficult to track. USPCN has also notably called on its website to free imprisoned Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist group members, including Khalida Jarrar.
One founding chapter member of USPCN is Rasmea Odeh, whom the U.S. government deported to Jordan in 2017 for her involvement in a fatal 1969 supermarket bombing in Jerusalem.
Al-Awda
Al-Awda, also known as the Palestinian Right to Return Coalition, has for years been led by Amani al Hindi Barakat, who has supported “intifada” against Israel and praised Hamas leader Khaled Mashal, as “excellent,” social media posts show .
Al-Awda is based in Coral Springs, Florida. It is soliciting donations through PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App, according to financial records.
U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights
USCPR is an anti-Israel group that has reportedly fiscally sponsored the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions National Committee.
The panel includes the Council of National and Islamic Forces in Palestine, the members of whom recently included U.S.-designated terrorist groups, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas.
USCPR fundraises through a charity called Education for Just Peace in the Middle East. The charity has received large checks over the years from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, according to tax records.
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
IJAZN, according to fundraising records, is another WESPAC project. IJAZN calls itself an "international network of Jews who are uncompromisingly committed to struggles for human survival and emancipation, of which the liberation of the Palestinian people and land is an indispensable part."
"The State of Israel betrays the long histories of Jewish struggles for liberation and traditions of participation in collective struggles for liberation more broadly," IJAZN says on its website.
Council on American-Islamic Relations
CAIR, one of the most prominent anti-Israel groups in the U.S., is based in Washington, D.C., and has chapters across the country. Its national director said on Wednesday that Netanyahu "should be delivered to the Hague to give his testimony about his war crimes" instead of being allowed to speak in Congress.
CAIR was named as an “unindicted co-conspirator” of Hamas in a 2009 terrorism financing case, court records show. Top CAIR donors include the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a major donor-advised fund, the Tides Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and other grantmakers, according to a recent report by national security analyst Ryan Mauro.
Palestinian Assembly for Liberation
PAFL, which "is committed to strengthening Palestinian mobilizations for liberation and return," was also listed on a planning flyer for the protest.
"The march on DC is tomorrow!" PAFL posted on Facebook this week before the event, sharing a bus drop-off location and instructions for supporters to attend it. "We are coming to show Netanyahu he is not welcome here. Remember to wear red!"
PAFL says on its website it is "based in North America."
Writers Against the War on Gaza
Writers Against the War on Gaza calls itself "a coalition of media, cultural, and academic workers who are committed to the horizon of liberation for the Palestinian people." It formed in October 2023 and was listed on a flyer for the D.C. protest.
On its website, WAWOG has a link for the public to donate to the WESPAC-housed Palestinian Youth Movement and promotes the work of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Also known as PACBI, the latter coalition is a key cog in the BDS movement and was kicked off the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue last year.
American Muslims for Palestine
American Muslims for Palestine, or AMP, was also behind the anti-Netanyahu protest. AMP, also known as the AJP Educational Foundation, is closely affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine.
AMP, which is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, put out a statement after Oct. 7. blaming the Jewish state for allegedly being “the root cause of violence and unrest” in the Middle East.
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AMP advocacy director Ayah Ziyadeh spoke at the Wednesday protest in Washington, D.C. She has a history of praising terrorists, according to Canary Mission, a watchdog group.
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