US Treasury Department sued over tax-exempt donations to Israel
A lawsuit has been filed against the US government to stop non-profit groups from sending billions of dollars worth of tax-exempt donations to support the Israeli army and Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The lawsuit was filed against the US Treasury Department by a group of American citizens on December 21, claiming that about 150 non-profits have sent an estimated $280 billion to Israel over the past 20 years, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.
It describes the donations as “pass-throughs” and “funnels” to support Israel’s military and its settlement construction, which had been ruled illegal by the UN and the international community.
Under the US Internal Revenue Code, these organizations are identified as "501(c)(3)", meaning that the non-profits have been recognized by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as tax-exempt because of their charitable activities.
Several American pro-Israeli businessmen, including billionaire Sheldon Adelson, are named in the lawsuit as donors, according to Al Jazeera.
The lawsuit states that contributions made by the non-profit groups directly contributed to violations of US and international laws, undermined US foreign policy, and contributed to countless crimes and human rights abuses against the Palestinian people.
"For 30 years at least, the US taxpayer has been funding and/or subsidizing criminal activities overseas, i.e. murder, arson, malicious property destruction, assault and battery and ethnic cleansing and international terrorist acts," the lawsuit reads.
"I want those organizations that aided Israel to be forced to pay restitutions for victims impacted by their actions," said Susan Abulhawa, a Palestinian-American writer and human rights activist who put her name on the 73-page lawsuit.
Martin McMahon, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said the US Treasury Department should not just end the tax exemption, but should also collect hundreds of millions of dollars in back taxes from the non-profits.
"The lawsuit seeks to hold accountable the tax-exempt entities by revoking their nonprofit status," McMahon told Al Jazeera.
Israel is the “largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance since World War II,” according to the latest congressional report on aid to the country.
The United States has provided Israel nearly $124.3 billion in bilateral assistance to date, mostly in the form of military assistance.
Trump set to expand crackdown on immigration despite backlash
Jeffrey Epstein introduced Trump to 14-year-old girl, court documents reveal
US shielding elites in partial release of Epstein files, abuse survivors say
New Israeli restrictions threaten lifesaving care in Gaza, MSF warns
VIDEO | Egypt-Israel gas deal & its repercussions
Hands off Iran: Iranian workers protest, but refuse to fall into US 'regime change' trap
Unmasking AIPAC leadership: Power brokers behind America’s most influential Israeli lobby
VIDEO | Dangote fuels Africa’s future
Israel calls on Jews in West to move to occupied territories amid reverse immigration
Iran Army warns of ‘decisive’ response to acts of ‘mischief’ by enemies
Over dozen Palestinians killed in 46 building collapses across Gaza
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
