Immediately after October 7th by Hamas Attacks on Israel, Harvard University CAPS-Harris X Poll found 48% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 support Hamas over Israel. This is in stark contrast to the 95% of Americans over 65 who sided with Israel. This apparent difference raises questions. Why do half of America's young people support a group that has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the State Department since October 1997? Our continued fight for transparency will provide at least part of the answer. This suggests that the division is in Qatar's pocket.
Judicial Watch and the Zachor Institute of Justice spent more than five years seeking access to information about the funds and donations made by the Qatari government to Texas A&M that neither the foundation nor Texas A&M University were willing to give us. , successfully fought the Qatar Foundation in a Texas court. and agencies and departments of the Government of Qatar.After all, we Have learned More than $522 million flowed from Qatar to Texas A&M from January 1, 2013 to May 22, 2018, including more than $485 million from the Qatar Foundation coffers. . (Related: Alan Dershowitz: What Happens If Hamas Wins?)
Texas A&M is not alone in receiving funding from Qatar and its affiliates. Based on a report from our friends at the Daily Caller News Foundation, the Qatar Foundation gave $1 billion to America's elite universities from 2011 to 2017, including Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan, and Harvard University. We know that you have donated more than that. . We can assume that at least hundreds of millions of dollars continue to flow, but what we don't know is how this money is being used and what Qatar and its affiliates are getting in return. is. This should concern all Americans.
In addition to pumping billions of dollars into higher education institutions. Qatar and its affiliates support and finance terrorist organizations such as Hamas and anti-Semitic and anti-Israel media outlets such as Al Jazeera. So while we applaud the Texas A&M enterprise; decision Despite closing the Doha campus, we remain concerned that Texas A&M did not take strong enough action. It did not completely sever ties with Qatar and related organizations such as the Qatar Foundation.
When Texas A&M University recently announced its decision to close its campus in Doha, Qatar; explained The Board of Trustees “determined that Texas A&M's core mission should be pursued primarily within Texas and the United States,” and that Texas A&M “necessarily travels 8,000 miles away to support educational and research collaborations.” “It doesn't require campus infrastructure.”based on report, we do know that the Qatar Foundation donated approximately $76 million to Texas A&M in 2016 for the operation of the Doha campus. So where did the rest of his $400 million go? What is it being used for? And will the Qatar Foundation give Texas A&M hundreds of millions more dollars to use “within Texas and the United States”? We continue to seek answers to these questions through ongoing public records requests, but, unsurprisingly, Texas A&M and the Qatar Foundation continue to stonewall us.
Until Texas A&M and other universities deny all funding from Qatar and its affiliates, Qatar's influence will ensure that Gen Z and all future generations continue to support terrorist organizations over American allies. There is a good possibility that it will contribute to We will continue to see pro-Hamas rallies on campuses and university presidents refusing to condemn anti-Semitic speech. $100 million here and another $100 million there can go a long way in making sure your message gets out. In the case of Qatar and its affiliated countries, that message is not only anti-Israel, but also anti-American. Let's hope our universities decide to prioritize patriotism over profit.
Michael Bekesha is a senior attorney at Judicial Watch and Marc Greendorfer is the founder and president of Zachor Legal Institute.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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