A trove of leaked documents has revealed that Israel sought to circumvent U.S. laws aimed at regulating foreign influence, raising concerns over its attempts to continue its advocacy efforts under the radar. These revelations have sparked a significant controversy over the transparency and legality of foreign lobbying in the United States.
The leaked documents, comprising emails and legal memos from Israel’s Justice Ministry, indicate that Israeli officials were deeply concerned about complying with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). This U.S. federal law mandates that entities engaged in political activities on behalf of foreign governments must disclose their activities and funding sources to the U.S. government. The Israeli government feared that increased enforcement of FARA could potentially expose and scrutinize American organizations working closely with Israel, thereby damaging their reputation and imposing burdensome transparency requirements.
CIA ANALYST ON IRAN AND ISRAEL
“If the US goes to war in Iran in the near future, it will not be because Tehran threatens America, it will be because Israel and its powerful Lobby in the US have succeeded”.#IranAttackIsrael #Isreal #iran #Gemini_NT pic.twitter.com/lABGLZCEf4
— UnCover (@uncoovr) April 14, 2024
To avoid these pitfalls, Israeli officials proposed creating a new U.S.-based nonprofit organization. This entity would effectively continue Israel’s operations in the U.S. while bypassing the scrutiny and stigma associated with FARA registration. A legal memo from July 2018 highlighted that compliance with FARA would not only harm the image of American groups funded and directed by Israel but also discourage donors who might be unwilling to support organizations labeled as foreign agents.
The leaked documents further revealed that Israel’s strategy was not just a precautionary measure but part of a broader effort to manage its international image, particularly in the U.S. This effort was spearheaded by Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry, which had already established a “PR commando unit” in 2017. The unit, initially known as Kela Shlomo and later rebranded as “Voices of Israel,” was tasked with countering the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and other pro-Palestinian initiatives on American college campuses.
An old statement by #Netanyahu: “The USA is not a unified bloc. We own the Senate and the Congress, and we have a strong Jewish lobby on our side.
We have a strong influence on public support. #America will not force us to do anything.#Gaza #Isreal #Zionists #AIPAC #Jews pic.twitter.com/gYWEyvLu3b
— َ🇪🇬 Mostafa Sallam 🇵🇸 (@Mostafa_Kh208) May 8, 2024
The hacking group "Anonymous for Justice" is credited with obtaining and leaking these sensitive documents. The group, known for its hacktivist activities, claims to have infiltrated Israel’s Justice Ministry earlier this year, securing hundreds of gigabytes of data.
The disclosure of these documents by the U.S.-based nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets) has only intensified the controversy, shedding light on Israel’s covert strategies to influence U.S. policy without drawing unwanted legal attention.
This incident has already led to heightened scrutiny of foreign lobbying practices in the U.S., with calls for more rigorous enforcement of FARA. Critics argue that Israel’s attempts to skirt the law not only undermine the spirit of transparency intended by FARA but also set a concerning precedent for how foreign governments can operate within the U.S. political system.
The Diaspora Affairs Ministry of Israel has so far declined to comment on the leaked documents, leaving many questions unanswered about the extent of Israel’s influence operations in the United States and the legal strategies employed to sustain them.
