US Treasury sued over 150 NGOs' $280bn tax-deductible aid to Israel

A lawsuit has been filed against the United States Treasury Department for the $280 billion tax-deductible donations made by 150 US NGOs for Israel in the last 20 years.

RT reported that the donations were considered "pass-throughs" to help the Israeli army and other settlements in the Palestinian territories. One prominent Palestinian-American writer named Susan Abulhawa has included her name in the lawsuit. The 73-page lawsuit claimed that the grants given to the Israeli army and settlements were given as under US income tax regulations code 501(c)(3).

The Daily Sabah Americas wrote that the lawsuit aims to stop NGO's from supporting Israeli military and the creation of settlements in Palestinian territories, which the UN considers illegal. The lawsuit claims that these donations violate the US and international laws. It also argues that the NGOs tainted the US foreign policy by contributing funds to crimes and human rights violations carried out by Israel against Palestine.

Abulhawa, who is also an influential human rights activist, said the NGOs should give back the rights of the people who became victims of oppression by the Israelis. Meanwhile, according to Martin McMahon, the lawyer who represents the case said that the NGOS must be forced to pay back the taxes and should have their tax exemption statuses canceled.

"These charities' agenda is to rid the West Bank and EJ [eastern Jerusalem] of all non-Jews, consistent with perceived biblical imperatives," according to the lawsuit. "They have been very successful in that endeavor, as detailed herein, primarily because of the Treasury's abject and long-standing failure to monitor and prevent their criminal activities for at least the last 30 years."

Forward enumerated some of the NGOs that have donated to the tax-deductible fund. These organizations are Hebron Fund, American Friends of Har Homa, Gush Etzion Foundation, American Friends of Ariel, Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, and Falic Family Foundation.

The US Treasury is given 60 days to address the allegations in the lawsuit filed December. There are reports that the US government has given $3.7 billion to aid Israeli military.

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US Treasury Department, Lawsuit, US treasury vs. 150 NGOs, $280 billion tax-deductible aid, Israel, tax, Palestine, military, NGOs

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