The recent protests in support of Palestine across the United States have brought to light the ties between big Democratic donors and radical left causes. Notable donors such as Bill Gates, George Soros, and Nick Pritzker have been revealed to support organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, who have been leading the protests at college campuses. These groups are funded by the Tides Foundation, which receives funds from Soros and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
For many Republicans, this connection between far-left Democratic donors and the protests does not come as a surprise, as they have been calling out Soros and other donor ties for some time. In early April, a letter from Republican New York Rep. Nick Langworthy to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urged them to investigate Soros’ purchase of the nation’s second-largest radio company, Audacy Inc., as part of his efforts leading up to the 2024 elections.
Since mid-April, the pro-Palestine protests at U.S. college campuses have called for universities to divest their funds from companies connected to Israel. While some protests have been peaceful, many have resulted in clashes between police and activists, as they have violated school policies by building encampments on campus and causing property damage.
The lack of leadership from President Joe Biden surrounding these protests has been a point of contention for many Republicans. Nearly four days after the initial protests at Columbia University, and almost 100 arrests, Biden released a statement condemning the “harassment and calls for violence against Jews.” However, he notably did not single out the university for their role in the protests.
It's crazy that pointing out these funders were behind things was a conspiracy theory just a few years ago. Now, Politico is reporting it.
— Rural Revolution (@pilgrimboy14) May 5, 2024
This recent revelation about the donors behind the pro-Palestine protests has caused a stir among Democrats, with many expressing their lack of surprise. During an interview with Biden’s campaign co-chair Mitch Landrieu, CNN host Jake Tapper asked if these donors should stop funding groups that are causing unrest for the American people. Landrieu responded by stating that everyone has a right to protest peacefully, but violence and anti-Semitism have no place in these protests.
Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman also questioned the demands of the pro-Palestine protesters, pointing out that Hamas appears to not be a topic for them. He echoed this sentiment online, quoting the Politico article and stating that the activists should be demanding Hamas to release hostages and surrender.
This is actually the least “surprising” thing I have heard all year. https://t.co/GLIBYsrqml
— Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) May 5, 2024
Just four days ago, a Daily Beast report dismissed the idea of Soros’ connection to the protests as a “target of right-wing conspiracy theories.” The same sentiment was echoed by a Washington Post columnist, who deemed the accusations against Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) as “tenuous” and “contrived.”
The stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict has put Biden at odds with a key voting bloc for Democrats, as many young voters have been calling for a ceasefire.
Confirmed: the anti-Israel astroturfing of JVP/INN
Paid or not, protesters should be demanding Hamas to release the hostages and surrender. pic.twitter.com/DZJJPnr9Kf
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) May 5, 2024
This issue has likely played a role in Biden’s decreasing support among young Americans, specifically in Michigan. During the state’s primary, a significant number of Muslim Americans who previously voted for Biden chose not to support him due to his position on the conflict. While Biden still won the primary, 13.3% voted “uncommitted,” with protest voters expressing their disapproval of his role in “funding war and genocide in Gaza.”