In the wake of Hamas' brutal October 7 massacre in Israel, something deeply disturbing unfolded in the U.S.: Mass protests erupted — not in mourning, but in celebration of the slaughter of Israeli civilians.
These rallies were driven by so-called "activist" groups — many registered as U.S. tax-exempt nonprofits or funded by nonprofits.
That means your donations — and your neighbors' — could be supporting groups that glorify terrorism.
A report by the Capital Research Center, Marching Toward Violence, authored by counterterrorism analyst Ryan Mauro, identifies over 150 American groups fueling the anti-Israel protest movement, some as recruiters and funders, others providing legal aid and training for riots and criminal activities and an inner core advocating domestic terrorism against our government. These organizations are interconnected, well-funded, and deeply embedded in progressive activist circles.
Their leadership isn't just "anti-war." It's a blend of Marxists, anarchists, Islamists, and even some white nationalists — ideologically united in calling for Israel's destruction (which is genocide) and the collapse of the "imperialist," "capitalist" West, especially the U.S.
Using the FBI's definitions of terrorism, Mauro identifies these groups as pro-terrorism entities, endorsing, contributing to or having substantial links to individuals, groups or nations committing violent and criminal acts to further ideological goals. The vast majority support Hamas and its October 7 terrorist attack.
Leading among them: Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and its parent organization, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). Both are connected to the now-defunct Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), which was convicted in U.S. courts of materially supporting Hamas. AMP's executive director, Osama Abuirshaid, is linked to the IAP.
According to a 2024 report by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, AMP and affiliated groups funnel more than $3 million annually into SJP chapters.
On October 8, one day after Hamas's massacre of Israeli civilians, SJP released a "Day of Resistance" toolkit — pre-written protest scripts, chants, and graphics echoing Hamas' own language. They used Hamas' title for the attack — "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" — and openly acknowledged that they are part of Hamas, the "unity intifada," and aligned with Hamas' jihad against Israel and the West. More disturbing still, their materials included imagery of paragliders — depicting one of Hamas's methods of attack on October 7.
All this raises alarming questions about whether SJP had prior knowledge of the assault.
A lawsuit by October 7 victims accuses AMP and SJP not only of supporting Hamas abroad, but also of "intentionally fomenting chaos, violence, and terror" within the U.S.
Despite their links to terrorism, AMP and SJP, via their 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsors, collect tax-free donations with minimal financial transparency.
And they're not alone.
Groups like the ANSWER Coalition, the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights and the Palestinian Youth Movement encourage "direct action" — blocking highways, vandalizing property, and confronting police. They collaborate with radical training organizations like the Ruckus Society and Vision Change Win, which teach protestors tactics of confrontation and sabotage.
The U.S. nonprofit Alliance for Global Justice funds terror-aligned Samidoun, banned in Israel as a front for U.S.-designated terrorist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
In Houston, Healthcare Workers for Palestine displayed a poster of a Hamas fighter beheading President Joe Biden.
This is not merely a protest movement.
These activists use the language of revolution. They're coordinated, aggressive, and openly hostile to American institutions. Their ultimate aim is the destruction of America itself. Their words say it all: "Bring the Intifada home" (to America) and "Freedom for Palestine means Death to America."
This isn't about silencing criticism of Israel or America — free speech is sacred. But inciting violence? Collaborating with terrorist organizations? That crosses every line. And yet, these groups still operate with little resistance.
Why? Because our laws haven't adapted to the way modern terror movements exploit democratic systems.
If we don't act, we risk turning our nonprofit sector and civil society into tools of radicalization — especially on college campuses and social media, where young minds are being shaped.
There are solutions, if we have the will. The Capital Research Center urges revoking nonprofit status from groups supporting terrorism, demanding greater transparency in our IRS nonprofit regulations and using existing legal tools like the RICO Act, federal sedition laws, and state-level domestic terrorism statutes.
These nonprofits go to great lengths to obscure their funding and operations — but scrutiny is slowly growing.
In May 2024, Senator Joni Ernst and 15 colleagues called on the IRS to investigate AMP and its funders for potential nonprofit law violations. Chairman James Comer's House Oversight Committee has also opened inquiries into organizations allegedly funding pro-Hamas campus actions.
This is not a partisan issue. It is a national security crisis.
These pro-terrorism groups are hiding in plain sight, infiltrating institutions under the guise of activism.
We must act now. The warning signs are clear. We've seen what happens when societies ignore them.
Let's not make that mistake again.
Ziva Dahl is a senior fellow with the news and public policy group Haym Salomon Center. Ziva writes and lectures about U.S.-Israel relations, U.S. foreign policy, Israel, Zionism, Antisemitism and BDS on college campuses. Her articles have appeared in such publications as The Hill, New York Daily News, New York Observer, The Washington Times, American Spectator, American Thinker and Jerusalem Post. Read Ziva Dahl's Reports — More Here.
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