Israel Matzav

American funders of flotilla of fools in violation of US law?

An Israeli organization has called on US Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate whether fundraisers for the Gaza flotilla of fools have violated the US Neutrality Act by their actions on US soil.

Dear Attorney General Holder,

As you are no doubt aware, this past week a boat flotilla organized by anti-Israeli NGOs and Islamic terrorists set out to provoke the Israel Defense Forces and to violate Israel's military blockade of the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. The flotilla's efforts resulted in the deaths of 9 armed militants and the serious injuring of numerous Israeli soldiers.

I am writing to bring to your attention to a serious matter regarding the flotilla and what might have been a violation of the U.S. Neutrality Act, 18 U.S.C. § 960, regulations of the Internal Revenue Service and an attempt to aid & abet the Hamas terrorist organization, which has occurred within the United States.

The radical pro-Hamas organization, the Free Gaza Movement ("FGM"), has been raising funds for its extremist activities within the United States. The FGM was one of the driving forces behind past efforts to organize a flotilla to Gaza in 2008, and its members raised funds in the U.S. and directed the current Gaza flotilla campaign from Cyprus. These activities would appear to be a violation of the U.S. Neutrality Act, which provides:

"Whoever, within the United States, knowingly begins or sets on foot or provides or prepares a means for or furnishes the money for, or takes part in, any military or naval expedition or enterprise to be carried on from any thence against the territory or dominion of any foreign prince or state, or of any colony, district, or people with whom the United States is at peace, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."

This past week U.S. Vice- President Joseph Biden declared that the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip is lawful and pursuant to international law. The blockade was established in June 2007, after terrorist from the Hamas organization violently took control of the territory and ousted the members of the Palestinian Authority security services. Since that time, Hamas has engaged in a relentless campaign to obtain weapons and explosives and to terrorize Israel's civilian population. In an effort to prevent Hamas from obtaining any additional military equipment and to impose economic pressure on the Hamas leadership in Gaza, the Israeli Security Cabinet imposed a series of sanctions on the Gaza Strip including a coastal blockade that is being implemented by the Israeli navy. The naval blockade is particularly important in light of previous attempts by the Iranian government to transfer weapons to Palestinian militants at sea such as occurred in January 2002 when the Israeli navy seized the "Karine A" ship that was loaded with 50 tons of Iranian supplied weaponry.

Moreover, there are several provisions within the agreements signed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority that grant Israel the right to implement a naval blockade on the Gaza Strip. Specifically, the September 28, 1995 Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip which was signed in Washington D.C., which provides that Israel has "the responsibility for defense against external threats, including for defense against external threats from the sea and from the air." In addition, it was agreed that that foreign vessels would "not approach closer than 12 nautical miles from the coast" unless specifically authorized by Israel. As such, the Israeli blockade on Gaza is lawful and the waters outside of Gaza are legally controlled by Israel.

The FGM has a website at: www.freegaza.org . Those who wish to support the FGM'ts activities, including the organizing and outfitting of the boat flotilla which attempted to engage the Israeli navy and run the Gaza blockade, are asked to donate to the FGM. As the FGM website plainly explains ( http://www.freegaza.org /en/usa-donations ), however, that since the FGM does not "currently have 501(c)3 status" donations to the group will be channelled through the American Educational Trust, the publishers of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, who "have generously agreed to serve as our fiscal sponsor in the United States. Through the American Educational Trust you can make U.S. tax-deductible donations to us either with PayPal or by check." Potential donors are informed that if they "would like to make a U.S. tax-deductible donation to the Free Gaza Movement by check, please make out the check to: "American Educational Trust LE" and write "Free Gaza" in the memo section . . ."

In addition to organizing boat flotilla's that contain weapons and supplies the Israeli government has deemed harmful to its security and which it seeks to smuggle into Gaza which would constitute a violation of the Neutrality Act, it is hard to believe that the IRS would authorize an outlaw organization like the FGM, which does not appear to be incorporated nor have tax-free status in the United States to have another organization like the American Educational Trust issue tax receipt to donors on its behalf. This is a clear case of money laundering by the FGM and the American Educational Trust and an effort to defraud the regulations of the IRS. It is both the
FGM and the American Educational Trust, as well as its donors, who are knowingly engaging in this fraud on the IRS.

Nevertheless, despite the clear unequivocal policy of the United States to support Israel's right to control the security of the territorial waters around Gaza and to isolate Hamas from external support, the FGM and the American Educational Trust are attempting to undermine the foreign policy of both the United States and Israel, and attempting to aid and abet the Hamas terrorist organization, by raising money to smuggle in weapons and supplies in direct violation of the Interim Agreement regarding foreign vessels and to undermine Israel's sovereign authority.

The FGM and the American Educational Trust has openly soliciting financial support in the United States for its hostile expedition against a friendly nation in violation of the U.S. Neutrality Act. As such, the actions of the FGM and the American Educational Trust are nothing short of an attempt to violate the laws of State of Israel and to engage in conduct that has the effect of undermining the
national security of a U.S. ally.

Consequently, I respectfully request that your office take all necessary and appropriate actions to uphold the laws of the United States, to investigate those that are organizing the flotilla, money laundering and funding this illegal effort and to enjoin any unlawful activity on the part of the FGM and the American Educational Trust.

Thank you,

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, Esq.

Hmmm.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:36 PM