On Thursday, the House passed a bill that would give the Treasury Department the power to revoke the tax-exempt status of any non-profit it deems a “terrorist supporting organization,” legislation that’s designed to target pro-Palestine and antiwar groups and charities.
According to Middle East Eye, a coalition of more than 300 civil liberties groups had sent a letter to lawmakers urging them to vote against the bill. The letter said the legislation would “grant the executive branch extraordinary power to investigate, harass, and effectively dismantle any non-profit organization – including news outlets, universities, and civil liberties organizations like ours.”
A coalition of 55 centrist and progressive Jewish organizations also came out strongly against the bill, saying, “No individual, including a Treasury secretary, should be given nearly unfettered power to remove an organization’s tax-exempt status.” Other Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League and pro-Israel lobby groups such as AIPAC, support the bill.
The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act would also provide tax-exempt status and relief for American hostages being held in other countries. It passed through the House in a vote of 219-184, with only 15 Democrats voting in favor of the bill and just one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), voting against it.
It’s unclear if the bill will make it through the Senate, but it will almost certainly be introduced in the new Congress, where Republicans will have a majority in both chambers. President-elect Donald Trump also vowed to crack down on pro-Palestine protesters at college campuses while on the campaign trail.
“Here is what I will do to defeat antisemitism and defend our Jewish citizens in America: My first week back in the Oval Office, my Administration will inform every college president that if you do not end antisemitic propaganda they will lose their accreditation and federal taxpayer support,” Trump said back in September.
Many of the college protesters and groups who organized demonstrations were Jewish themselves, including Jewish Voice for Peace, which has been smeared by the ADL as promoting messaging that includes “support for terrorists.”
