(cross posted at Dkos) President Obama and AG Holder can do the USA and Israel both a big favor by blocking the flow of money from nutball American right wingers to nutball Israeli right wingers. Why does Israel have an extremist right-wing neo-con like Netanyau as Prime Minister? Because US citizens got tax exemptions for funding the Israeli right. Extremist United States citizens and organizations are key financial supporters of extremist radical Israeli settlers. An Israeli organization that calls on Israeli soldiers to mutiny if ordered to stop settler expansion depends on funding from US 501(c3) tax exempt “charities”. The odious gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson, a good buddy of Tom Delay funds an extremist newspaper, media campaign, and political activity.
In fact, Adelson worked hard to get rid of Olmert and replace him with Netanyahu. The insane “Reverend” Hagee funds every violent, crazy right wing religious nut he can find in Israel.
Not only does this tsunami of American right wing money distort and deeply damage Israels’ democratic institutions, but it forms a seamless mesh with neo-con, paleo-con, and militia organizations in the United States.
Adelson’s massive funding of Republicans is, of course, his right. But he should not be turning our ally into another experiment in right wing nutbar social engineering. And funding of organizations that call for violence against Israeli peace activists, Palestinians civilians, and anyone else with the temerity to dissent from their psychotic agenda is something that the US government can stop.
