https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/rubio-cruz-paypal-palestinian-terror-tied-group
EXCLUSIVE — Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) are raising concerns over PayPal, the multinational technology company, processing payments for an anti-Israel charity with Palestinian terror group affiliations.
PayPal has begun handling donations for the Arizona charity Alliance for Global Justice, which has come under fire from Congress and watchdog groups for being linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror group, following the two software companies Salsa Labs and Stripe jumping ship. Congressional Republicans are now vowing investigations into PayPal, which doesn't allow entities to use its services for "the promotion of hate, violence, racial, or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory or the financial exploitation of a crime," according to its policies.
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"Paypal should obviously and immediately cut ties with any group linked to Palestinian terrorism," Cruz told the Washington Examiner. "Big Tech companies are not exempt from American laws or reputational risk from boosting terrorism."
Alliance for Global Justice's move to use PayPal for fundraising comes after Stripe, the Irish-American payment processor that handled $817 billion transactions in 2022, is no longer listed on the charity's website. A coalition of 11 pro-Israel groups in August demanded Stripe drop AFGJ, citing a series of Washington Examiner articles about how it fundraised for Collectif Palestine Vaincra — a French member of the Israeli-designated terror coalition Samidoun.
Samidoun, which is fiscally sponsored by AFGJ, has shared staffers with the Popular Front, which has been responsible for plane hijackings and bombings, and led "campaigns that support and/or glorify convicted terrorists," according to Zachor Legal Institute. Fiscal sponsorship allows a charity to lend its tax-exempt status to a project and, in many cases, entails providing payroll, employee benefits, and fundraising services, according to the National Council of Nonprofits.
Salsa Labs in February stopped working with AFGJ, which at that time became unable to accept credit card donations for itself or the 140 organizations it sponsors. While PayPal continues to work with AFGJ, the company joined others in 2019 to cut off services to Samidoun. In June 2020, PayPal closed Collectif Palestine Vaincra's PayPal account, the Jerusalem Post reported.
"No U.S. person or company should fund Palestinian terrorist organizations seeking to kill innocent Israelis," Rubio told the Washington Examiner.
"I’ll be asking the Treasury Department to look into this arrangement," added the senator, referring to PayPal and AFGJ.
AP Images/Washington Examiner
AP Images/Washington Examiner
The revelation of PayPal boosting AFGJ comes after the company in 2021 partnered with the Anti-Defamation League "to fight extremism and hate through the financial industry and across at-risk communities," according to a press release. PayPal and the ADL said their project would "focus on further uncovering and disrupting the financial pipelines that support extremist and hate movements."
AFGJ also fiscally sponsors the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance and Legal Defense for Palestine, according to its website. Moreover, AFGJ sponsors the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, another anti-Israel group accused of being linked to Palestinian terror groups. ActBlue, the top Democratic fundraising software, recently booted PACBI off its platform for violating ActBlue policies.
Two Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee told the Washington Examiner that PayPal should do the right thing and block AFGJ from using its services.
"PayPal should carefully review any move that backslides on its past decisions to cut off its services and not process donations from groups associated with violence and terror," Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) said. "Congress will be watching for sure.”
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PayPal and Alliance for Global Justice did not return requests for comment.
"No fundraising platform should be providing terror organizations an economic lifeline," Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) said. "It is unconscionable and unacceptable. Stripe did the right thing by severing their relationship with Alliance for Global Justice. PayPal must do the same."
EXCLUSIVE — Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) are raising concerns over PayPal, the multinational technology company, processing payments for an anti-Israel charity with Palestinian terror group affiliations.
PayPal has begun handling donations for the Arizona charity Alliance for Global Justice, which has come under fire from Congress and watchdog groups for being linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror group, following the two software companies Salsa Labs and Stripe jumping ship. Congressional Republicans are now vowing investigations into PayPal, which doesn't allow entities to use its services for "the promotion of hate, violence, racial, or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory or the financial exploitation of a crime," according to its policies.
OVERSIGHT RANKING MEMBER RASKIN SAYS GOP'S BIDEN INVESTIGATION IS A 'TOTAL BUST'
"Paypal should obviously and immediately cut ties with any group linked to Palestinian terrorism," Cruz told the Washington Examiner. "Big Tech companies are not exempt from American laws or reputational risk from boosting terrorism."
Alliance for Global Justice's move to use PayPal for fundraising comes after Stripe, the Irish-American payment processor that handled $817 billion transactions in 2022, is no longer listed on the charity's website. A coalition of 11 pro-Israel groups in August demanded Stripe drop AFGJ, citing a series of Washington Examiner articles about how it fundraised for Collectif Palestine Vaincra — a French member of the Israeli-designated terror coalition Samidoun.
Samidoun, which is fiscally sponsored by AFGJ, has shared staffers with the Popular Front, which has been responsible for plane hijackings and bombings, and led "campaigns that support and/or glorify convicted terrorists," according to Zachor Legal Institute. Fiscal sponsorship allows a charity to lend its tax-exempt status to a project and, in many cases, entails providing payroll, employee benefits, and fundraising services, according to the National Council of Nonprofits.
Salsa Labs in February stopped working with AFGJ, which at that time became unable to accept credit card donations for itself or the 140 organizations it sponsors. While PayPal continues to work with AFGJ, the company joined others in 2019 to cut off services to Samidoun. In June 2020, PayPal closed Collectif Palestine Vaincra's PayPal account, the Jerusalem Post reported.
"No U.S. person or company should fund Palestinian terrorist organizations seeking to kill innocent Israelis," Rubio told the Washington Examiner.
"I’ll be asking the Treasury Department to look into this arrangement," added the senator, referring to PayPal and AFGJ.
AP Images/Washington Examiner
The revelation of PayPal boosting AFGJ comes after the company in 2021 partnered with the Anti-Defamation League "to fight extremism and hate through the financial industry and across at-risk communities," according to a press release. PayPal and the ADL said their project would "focus on further uncovering and disrupting the financial pipelines that support extremist and hate movements."
AFGJ also fiscally sponsors the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance and Legal Defense for Palestine, according to its website. Moreover, AFGJ sponsors the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, another anti-Israel group accused of being linked to Palestinian terror groups. ActBlue, the top Democratic fundraising software, recently booted PACBI off its platform for violating ActBlue policies.
Two Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee told the Washington Examiner that PayPal should do the right thing and block AFGJ from using its services.
"PayPal should carefully review any move that backslides on its past decisions to cut off its services and not process donations from groups associated with violence and terror," Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) said. "Congress will be watching for sure.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
PayPal and Alliance for Global Justice did not return requests for comment.
"No fundraising platform should be providing terror organizations an economic lifeline," Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) said. "It is unconscionable and unacceptable. Stripe did the right thing by severing their relationship with Alliance for Global Justice. PayPal must do the same."
