It has been reported previously that the IRS also targeted and persecuted tax exempt groups that supported Israel. It was not just conservative groups and individuals who were in the cross hairs of the IRS attack. Indeed, religious organizations like the Billy Graham Crusade and pro-life groups were also targeted. Today, however, more news came out that provides a truly chilling addition to the IRS story.
In October of 2009, the Palestinian negotiator Ahmad Quraya met with the American counsul general in Israel, Daniel Rubenstein, to demand that the United States government investigate various tax exempt groups and to end their tax exempt status if the groups were funding charitable work in Israeli locations that included "settlements" on the West Bank. Rubenstein confirmed all this in a diplomatic cable back to Washington that was made public by Wikileaks. Not long after that, at least five different Jewish charities that funded work at locations that included the settlements were suddenly audited by the IRS.
One such charity is Ha Yovel, a group that promotes assistance to small farmers in Israel, particularly those who have vineyards. The group sends volunteers to help these farmers compete with larger agricultural entities. It is hardly an active political group. Nevertheless, since some of the farmers who were given assistance were located in disputed areas, the IRS targeted the group for an audit. In fact, the audit was such a rush job that the IRS notified Ha Yovel of the review by phone rather than by letter. Anyone who knows the IRS understands that the IRS never acts over the phone; everything is documented in a letter. This time, however, it was a phone call according to Shari Waller, the co-founder of the group. The audit was also rushed to take place almost immediately, again something that the IRS essentially never does. It is extremely rare for the IRS to audit a tax exempt organization during the first five years of its existence (which this was). It is essentially unheard of for the IRS to carry out that audit in a rushed manner after only notice by telephone. Nevertheless, to hear that the audit came after a complaint from the Palestinian Authority, things start to make sense.
It is bad enough that the IRS targeted Jewish groups that supported Israel. That, however, is not the big news here. What is most important is that the complaint from the Palestinians came to the State Department, not to the IRS. That means that someone at State had to have told the IRS to act. That means that the claims that only the IRS was involved in starting all this mess is not true. That means that the cause for the IRS's illegal persecution of various Americans because of their political or religious beliefs did not arise spontaneously at the IRS. This is another link that shows for certain that it was the Obama Administration that ordered this "special treatment" by the IRS of Obama's opponents.
This is big news.
In October of 2009, the Palestinian negotiator Ahmad Quraya met with the American counsul general in Israel, Daniel Rubenstein, to demand that the United States government investigate various tax exempt groups and to end their tax exempt status if the groups were funding charitable work in Israeli locations that included "settlements" on the West Bank. Rubenstein confirmed all this in a diplomatic cable back to Washington that was made public by Wikileaks. Not long after that, at least five different Jewish charities that funded work at locations that included the settlements were suddenly audited by the IRS.
One such charity is Ha Yovel, a group that promotes assistance to small farmers in Israel, particularly those who have vineyards. The group sends volunteers to help these farmers compete with larger agricultural entities. It is hardly an active political group. Nevertheless, since some of the farmers who were given assistance were located in disputed areas, the IRS targeted the group for an audit. In fact, the audit was such a rush job that the IRS notified Ha Yovel of the review by phone rather than by letter. Anyone who knows the IRS understands that the IRS never acts over the phone; everything is documented in a letter. This time, however, it was a phone call according to Shari Waller, the co-founder of the group. The audit was also rushed to take place almost immediately, again something that the IRS essentially never does. It is extremely rare for the IRS to audit a tax exempt organization during the first five years of its existence (which this was). It is essentially unheard of for the IRS to carry out that audit in a rushed manner after only notice by telephone. Nevertheless, to hear that the audit came after a complaint from the Palestinian Authority, things start to make sense.
It is bad enough that the IRS targeted Jewish groups that supported Israel. That, however, is not the big news here. What is most important is that the complaint from the Palestinians came to the State Department, not to the IRS. That means that someone at State had to have told the IRS to act. That means that the claims that only the IRS was involved in starting all this mess is not true. That means that the cause for the IRS's illegal persecution of various Americans because of their political or religious beliefs did not arise spontaneously at the IRS. This is another link that shows for certain that it was the Obama Administration that ordered this "special treatment" by the IRS of Obama's opponents.
This is big news.
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