« Collective Punishment [Sophia] | Main | College Educators Average 55% On This Test » Monday, March 1, 2010 Guess Who's Dining at CJP's Trough? [Hillel] [Crossposted at JStreetJive.] The Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston is one of the nation's highest funded charitable groups. With assets approaching half a billion dollars and annual revenues approaching two hundred million dollars, they are chartered to dole out lots of money to groups whom they deem worthy causes. In addition to providing valuable social services to local Jewish and non-Jewish communities, one of their central activities, they claim, is support for israel. Their mission statement declares: "Our Israel agenda will focus on advocacy, connection and impact." I find that statement quizzical, to say the least, but designed to accommodate groups like The Workmen's Circle (whose support for Israel has been demonstrated by hosting any and every anti-Israel group they can muster) and the likes of J Street and The New Israel Fund. The NIF received close to $42,000.00 in 2007. Each year the Boston CJP provides cash grants in compliance with federal regulations governing the operations of a 501(c)(3) non-profit. We thought you might be interested to see just who receives the CJP's largess, ostensibly in keeping with that organization's strong support for Israel. For the latest reporting period, here are some of those recipients: The American Friends Service Committee Democracy Now! The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee The Tides Foundation Media Matters The New Israel Fund Brit Tzedek v'Shalom Physicians for Social Responsibility The Workmen's Circle Amnesty International Many of these organizations have been highly critical of Israel - to say the least - some even have questioned Israel's right to exist as a Jewish State. To be fair, the CJP has also awarded grants to strongly Zionist groups. And yet, contributions to organizations like Media Matters and The Tides Foundation, whose financial clout and animus towards Israel are well known, should raise some significant eyebrows for an organization that is so self-avowedly "Pro Israel". Through George Soros' affiliated non-profits like MoveOn.org, The Open Society Institute, The Center for American Progress and through his associate, Peter Lewis, Media Matters has plenty of money to spend bashing Israel. Read a recent Media Matters piece by M.J. Rosenberg on the infamous Goldstone Report condemning Israel at the U.N: "Did Congress condemn Israel for its disproportionate use of force (1400 Palestinians killed including 320 children vs. 13 Israelis)? Nope. On the contrary, the House condemned the distinguished Justice Richard Goldstone, who wrote the United Nation's report on Gaza, for daring to criticize Israel's conduct. It called on the Obama administration to do everything it could to suppress the United Nations report! Only 36 representatives voted "no." CJP awarded Media Matters $200,000.00 in 2007. Do contributions (no matter how small an amount) to organizations like the Unitarian Universalist Association or The American Friends Service Committee comport with CJP's stated claim to support Israel? This week the UUA church in Cambridge will host an Israel ApartheidWeek event. The AFSC, long a champion of Palestinian "resistance" while "disagreeing" with Iran's Jew-hating President, put out this statement in reaction to his Holocaust denial and threats to destroy Israel: "The AFSC will continue to reach out to the Iranian people and their leaders and pursue dialogue on the basis of what we believe to the shared value that affirms that of God in each of us." Democracy Now! is the media vehicle for Amy Goodman, a longtime Israel-hater, who never saw a Palestinian act of "resistance" she couldn't relate to. The Tides Foundation, another George Soros-affiliated group, has been generous with CAIR (The Council for American Islamic Relations) many of whose officials are serving prison sentences for aiding HAMAS and which was recently named an unindicted co-conspirator in the successful prosecution of The Holy Land Foundation in Texas. Tides also funds the National Lawyers' Guild, whose anti-israel positions are legendary. Read more... Physicians for Social Responsibility is a global non-profit which has demonstrated a particularly nasty attitude towards the Jewish State. While highlighting Israel's supposed "human rights violations", the group routinely whitewashes Palestinian violations such as the use of ambulances to ferry weapons and combatants. As we reported earlier, The New Israel Fund was predictably silent on the current offensive of Israel Apartheid Week as was their parent, J Street. Should the CJP's putative "support" for Israel extend to financing groups that have demonstrated a long-standing animus towards The Jewish State? Who's minding the store at 126 High Street? Posted by Hillel Stavis at 4:02 PM on Monday, Mar 1, 2010 | Comments (5) Click to share this post If yo...