Misplaced Pages

#325674

80-529: The Windward Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization managed by Arabella Advisors , a for-profit consulting company that advises left-leaning donors and nonprofits about where to give money and serves as the hub of a politically liberal " dark money " network in the United States. The Windward Fund serves as the fiscal sponsor for various left-leaning political projects. The Windward Fund had over $ 158 million in revenue in 2020. In October 2023, after

160-665: A Washington Examiner investigation revealed that the New Venture Fund and the Windward Fund had given $ 473,000 between 2020 and 2021 to the Alliance for Global Justice, a group with Palestinian terrorism ties, the New Venture Fund and Windward Fund announced they would discontinue funding of the group. Arabella Advisors Organizations incubated by and affiliated with Arabella Advisors include

240-518: A Palestinian nationalist Islamist movement. They formed in 1987, and are the largest Islamist movement in the Palestinian territories. It maintains an uncompromising stance on the "complete liberation of Palestine", often using political violence to achieve its goals. Recent statements suggest a shift in focus toward ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and establishing

320-437: A Fair Shake, Michigan Families for Economic Prosperity, and North Carolinians for a Fair Economy. These groups have collectively spent millions of dollars to pressure Republican members of Congress on their stances on health care and economic issues through advertising and activism. The Sixteen Thirty Fund spent almost $ 11 million in the 2018 Colorado elections on ballot measures, lobbying, and Democratic super PACs. In 2019,

400-656: A Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders . Hamas has been responsible for numerous suicide bombings and rocket attacks targeting Israeli civilians. Australia, Canada, the EU, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK have designated Hamas a "terrorist organisation". In 2010 it attempted to derail the peace talks between Israel and the PA. In 2017, it adopted a new charter , removing antisemitic language and shifting focus from Jews to Zionists. Scholars differ on Hamas' objectives, with some saying it seeks

480-502: A Palestinian state within 1967 borders while others believe Hamas still seeks the destruction of Israel . Before the attack, Saudi Arabia warned Israel of an "explosion" as a result of the continued occupation, Egypt had warned of a catastrophe unless there was political progress, and Palestinian Authority officials gave similar warnings. Less than two months before the attacks, King Abdullah II of Jordan lamented that Palestinians had "no civil rights; no freedom of mobility". Over

560-470: A call to arms, with Deif calling on "Muslims everywhere to launch an attack". In the evening Hamas launched another barrage of about 150 rockets towards Israel, with explosions reported in Yavne , Givatayim , Bat Yam , Beit Dagan , Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion. Simultaneously, around 6,000 Palestinian militants and civilians infiltrated Israel from Gaza breaching the border in 119 places. The infiltration

640-485: A coordinated, month-long operation to invade and occupy Israeli towns, cities, and kibbutzim, including attacking Ashkelon by sea and reaching Kiryat Gat , 20 miles into Israel. The scale of weapons, supplies, and plans indicated, according to Israel, that Hamas intended to inflict mass casualties on Israeli civilians and military forces over an extended period. Western and Middle Eastern security officials gathered evidence suggesting that Hamas intended to invade as far as

720-635: A fiscal sponsorship arrangement do not have to file a Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service . Using "pass-through" arrangements, funding is passed from one organization to another, making it difficult to trace where a donor's money ends up. In 2018, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, the New Venture Fund, the Hopewell Fund, and the Windward Fund had combined revenue of $ 635 million. According to OpenSecrets , in 2018

800-584: A number of groups that spent millions of dollars on advertisements attacking President Donald Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Arabella Advisors aimed to raise between $ 8 million and $ 10 million for the Trusted Elections Fund in case the coronavirus pandemic leads to foreign hacking of voting systems, violence, or contested election results. In June 2020, Arabella came under scrutiny for hiring

880-471: A paid editor to request edits to their Misplaced Pages page, with the edit request being reported by multiple news sources. 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel Israeli defensive failure [REDACTED] Palestinian Joint Operations Room [REDACTED]   Israel Defense Forces Per Israel: Israel Defense Forces On 7 October 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinian nationalist militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from

SECTION 10

#1732787189326

960-439: A super PAC linked to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, and Democratic donor group Democracy Alliance , whose members include billionaire George Soros , has recommended that donors give generously to the Sixteen Thirty Fund. According to Politico , the Sixteen Thirty Fund's activities are "a sign that Democrats and allies have embraced the methods of groups they decried as 'dark money' earlier this decade, when they were under attack from

1040-477: A veterans group to local media outlets." OpenSecrets reported that "A veterans group urging Republican lawmakers to 'put country over politics' amid the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump is the project of a well-funded liberal 'dark money' network." Defend American Democracy's advertisements contained disclaimers that they were "paid for by a group called Protect the Investigation. But Protect

1120-639: A video of its fighters training to blast through the border. After the attack, the IDF said that Hamas had extensively studied the military bases and settlements near the border. The Wall Street Journal has accused Iran of being behind the attack. U.S. officials and Iran have denied this. The IDF has reported seizing over 10,000 weapons following the attack. The arsenal included RPGs, mines, sniper rifles, drones, thermobaric rockets, and other advanced weapons. According to Israeli sources, documents and maps seized from Hamas militants indicated that Hamas intended

1200-829: A warning, although Michael McCaul , Chairman of the US House Foreign Relations Committee , said that warnings were given three days before the attack. For two years, Hamas used hardwired phone lines within Gaza's tunnel network, nicknamed the " Gaza metro ", to covertly communicate, evade Israeli intelligence, and plan Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In the months preceding the attack, Hamas publicly released videos of its militants preparing to attack Israel. A video released in December 2022 showed Hamas training to take hostages, while another video showed Hamas practicing paragliding. On 12 September, Hamas posted

1280-547: A way that leaves almost no paper trail." The Sixteen Thirty Fund was active in the battle for the House of Representatives in 2018, assisting "Democrats trying to seize back power after Trump's rise." According to Politico , "The election featured dozens of Democratic candidates who decried the influence of money in politics on the campaign trail." The Sixteen Thirty Fund operates under dozens of different trade names with titles like Arizonans United for Health Care, Floridians for

1360-549: A year before the attack. The document described operational plans and targets, including the size and location of Israeli forces, and raised questions in Israel about how Hamas learned these details. The document provided a plan that included a large-scale rocket assault before an invasion, drones to knock out the surveillance cameras and automated guns that Israel has stationed along the border, and gunmen invading Israel, including with paragliders. The Times reported, "Hamas followed

1440-652: A youth center, to "kill as many people as possible", and to take hostages for use in future negotiations. The UN's Pramila Patten and Commission of Inquiry concluded in their reports that the authenticity of these alleged instruction documents claimed to have been retrieved from Hamas militants could not be substantiated. Some of the militants wore body cameras to record the acts, presumably for propaganda purposes. According to news reports, Hamas militants were taking Captagon —a highly addictive stimulant made in Syria and reportedly used by terrorist organization throughout

1520-496: Is a liberal "dark money" nonprofit headquartered in Washington D.C. Because it is a nonprofit, the Sixteen Thirty Fund is not required to disclose its donors, even though it spends significant amounts on politics. As of 2019, it had spent $ 141 million on more than 100 left-leaning and Democratic causes, making it a large source of money for nonprofits pushing a variety of changes to state and federal law. The Atlantic called

1600-404: Is also tied to Supermajority News, whose associated super PAC, Democracy PAC, was created by George Soros in 2019. Democracy PAC gave $ 1.75 million to PACRONYM, the super PAC arm of ACRONYM . ACRONYM gained notoriety as the majority owner of Shadow Inc. , a political technology company whose software failed during the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses . In 2020, the Sixteen Thirty Fund was behind

1680-656: Is controlling or funding the organizations until after an election is over. In a 2018 ballot measure campaign in Michigan, a Sixteen Thirty Fund donor group didn't report a "trade name" they had used in a campaign "until 12 days after voters went to the ballots." The Sixteen Thirty Fund gave $ 8 million to the League of Conservation Voters in 2018. In 2018, the New Venture Fund gave $ 250,000 to ACRONYM , described by OpenSecrets (CRP) as "a liberal dark money group with an affiliated super PAC called PACRONYM." As of 2019, ACRONYM

SECTION 20

#1732787189326

1760-655: The 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, the Washington Examiner reported on the ties between the Alliance for Global Justice and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine . Soon after, the New Venture Fund and Windward Fund announced they would no longer provide funding to the Alliance for Global Justice due to its ties to Palestinian terrorist groups. The Sixteen Thirty Fund

1840-548: The 7 October attacks . The attacks initiated the ongoing Israel–Hamas war . The attacks began early on 7 October with a barrage of at least 4,300 rockets launched into Israel and vehicle-transported and powered paraglider incursions into Israel. Hamas fighters breached the Gaza–Israel barrier , attacking military bases and massacring civilians in 21 communities, including Be'eri , Kfar Aza , Nir Oz , Netiv Haasara , and Alumim . According to an IDF report that revised

1920-667: The Courier Newsroom , a group seeking to boost Democratic candidates through local news stories and advertising. The Hub Project is an initiative that passes on funding to and coordinates 14 groups out of a single office in Washington D.C., "with the goal of battering Republicans for their health care and economic policies during the midterm elections." The Hub Project is run by Obama administration official and public relations specialist Leslie Dach and former Center for American Progress political strategist Arkadi Gerney. The Hub Project "set up an array of affiliate groups around

2000-662: The Gaza Strip into the Gaza Envelope of southern Israel , the first invasion of Israeli territory since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . The attack coincided with the Jewish religious holiday Simchat Torah . Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups named the attacks Operation Al-Aqsa Flood , while in Israel they are referred to as Black Saturday or the Simchat Torah Massacre , and internationally as

2080-556: The Gaza–Israel barrier . On 29 September, Qatar , the UN, and Egypt mediated an agreement between Israeli and Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip to reopen closed crossing points and deescalate tensions; the total number of Gazans with work permits in Israel stood at 17,000. Egypt said it warned Israel days before the attack that "an explosion of the situation [was] coming, and very soon, and it would be big." Israel denied receiving such

2160-592: The Maoist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), confirmed their participation in the operation through their military spokesman Abu Khaled , saying it had lost three fighters in combat with the IDF. The PFLP (a Palestinian Marxist–Leninist / Secular Nationalist political party) and the Lions' Den group (a nonpartisan militant group based in the West Bank ) voiced support for

2240-705: The Sixteen Thirty Fund , the New Venture Fund , the Hopewell Fund , the Windward Fund , and the North Fund . These groups have been active in various efforts to oppose the Trump administration and to organize opposition to numerous Republican politicians and policies. According to The Atlantic , Arabella Advisors has "undeniably benefited from the rush of panicked political giving on

2320-663: The security forces . 364 civilians were killed and many more wounded while attending the Nova music festival . At least 14 Israeli civilians were killed by the IDF's use of the Hannibal Directive . About 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip , alive or dead, and including 30 children, with the stated goal to force Israel to exchange them for imprisoned Palestinians , including women and children. Dozens of cases of rape and sexual assault reportedly occurred, but Hamas officials denied

2400-415: The 7 October attack, alongside those at the communities of Netiv HaAsara , Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, and Holit . At 6:30 a.m., around sunrise, rockets were noticed in the sky. Around 7:00 a.m., a siren warned of an incoming rocket attack, prompting festival-goers to flee. Subsequently, armed militants, dressed in military attire and using motorcycles, trucks and powered paragliders, surrounded

2480-1067: The Court bought several Internet domain names related to Kavanaugh and redirected them to websites including End Rape On Campus, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center , and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network . Fix the Court's executive director, Gabe Roth, said he purchased and redirected the websites because he believed the sexual assault allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford against Brett Kavanaugh and by Anita Hill against Clarence Thomas . Defend American Democracy spent six figures on television advertisements pressuring Republican members of Congress to vote to impeach President Donald Trump for what they called "abusing his office and risking national security for his own gain." This group "primarily targets swing-district Republicans, prominently features military veterans in its ads and presents itself as

Windward Fund - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-711: The Gaza Strip. Around 50 civilians were killed in the Kfar Aza massacre , 108 in the Be'eri massacre , and 15 people in the Netiv HaAsara massacre . Militants killed 16 or 17 Thai and Nepalese employees during the Kibbutz Alumim massacre . Other militants carried out an amphibious landing in Zikim . Palestinian sources claim that the local Israeli army base was stormed. The IDF said it had killed two attackers on

2640-596: The Hamas-led attack, 364 civilians were killed and many more wounded at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, an open-air music festival celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot near kibbutz Re'im . At least 40 hostages were also taken. This mass killing had the largest number of casualties out of a number of massacres targeting Israeli civilians in communities adjacent to Gaza that were part of

2720-465: The IDF two days to wrest back full control of it. While the exact number of Israelis killed is unknown, as of 15 October 2023, 52 were listed as dead and another 20 or more were missing. On the morning of the attack, around 70 Hamas militants carried out a massacre at Be'eri, an Israeli kibbutz near the Gaza Strip. At least 130 people were killed in the attack, including women (such as peace activist Vivian Silver ), children, and infants, claiming

2800-491: The Investigation doesn't legally exist — it's one of dozens of fictitious names registered by the Sixteen Thirty Fund." The Hub Project was started in 2015 with funding from the Wyss Foundation , operated by Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss . The Hub Project seeks "to shape media coverage to help Democratic causes." The goal of The Hub Project is to help Democrats be more effective at conveying their arguments through

2880-525: The Middle East—during the attacks. The morning of the attack, an Israeli military spokesman said that the militants from Gaza had entered Israel through at least seven locations and invaded four small rural Israeli communities, the border city of Sderot, and two military bases from both land and sea. Israeli media reported that seven communities came under Hamas control, including Nahal Oz , Kfar Aza , Magen , Be'eri , and Sufa . The Erez Crossing

2960-439: The Sixteen Thirty Fund "sponsored social media pages and digital operations for five pseudo local news outlets." These outlets appeared to be independent but ran nearly identical digital ads. Associated Facebook pages "gave the impression of multiple free-standing local news outlets with unique names and disclaimers...But the sponsors of those ads are merely fictitious names used by the Sixteen Thirty Fund." The Sixteen Thirty Fund

3040-512: The Sixteen Thirty Fund "the indisputable heavyweight of Democratic dark money," noting that it was the second-largest super-PAC donor in 2020, donating $ 61 million of "effectively untraceable money to progressive causes." The Sixteen Thirty Fund supports Democratic lawmakers and candidates and criticizes Republicans. The group spent money opposing the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and other Trump judicial nominees and supporting various ballot measures. The Sixteen Thirty Fund

3120-518: The Sixteen Thirty Fund had "thirteen multi-million dollar secret donors." One donor gave $ 51.7 million to the group in 2018, while another donor gave $ 26.7 million and a third gave $ 10 million. The group is not required by law to reveal its donors and it has not disclosed who its funders are. Known donors to the group include Nick Hanauer , the American Federation of Teachers , and the Wyss Foundation . Michael Bloomberg gave $ 250,000 to

3200-413: The U.S. Supreme Court. The group "projected a video of Christine Blasey Ford accusing Kavanaugh of assault on the side of a truck outside a Washington gala where Kavanaugh was speaking." The New Venture Fund provides all of the funding for Fix the Court , a judicial advocacy group that seeks reform of the U.S. federal court system . When Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court , Fix

3280-711: The West Bank, had the initial attack been more successful. The National Resistance Center of Ukraine alleged that the Russian Wagner Group trained Hamas militants ahead of the attack, specifically on attack methods and using drones to drop explosives. The National Resistance Center, citing intelligence from Belarusian partisans , said that Wagner mercenaries provided Hamas with drones during exercises in Africa . According to The New York Times , Israeli officials had obtained detailed attack plans more than

Windward Fund - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-539: The Windward Fund shared $ 715 million in 2019 with the New Venture and Hopewell funds. Windward is a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible charity. Windward hosts several charities, including the Heartland Fund and Rewiring America. Demand Justice is a courts-focused group headed by former Hillary Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon . The group spent millions of dollars opposing Brett Kavanaugh 's confirmation to

3440-586: The activities of the Hamas military leadership. Simulated exercises of Hamas attacks found the Gaza division's response lacking. Cultural conformity was fostered among officers and dissent discouraged. Officers often silenced subordinates to maintain their positions, contributing to a toxic atmosphere where questioning higher-ups' decisions about Hamas was met with apprehension, resulting in most junior officers giving up. At around 6:30 a.m. Israel Summer Time (UTC+3) on Saturday, 7 October 2023, Hamas announced

3520-555: The assault, saying, "I utterly refute that the scenario is imaginary". An Israeli colonel ignored her concerns. According to Haaretz , Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet , and IDF military commanders discussed a possible threat to the Nova music festival near kibbutz Re'im just hours before the attack, but the festival's organizers were not warned. According to a BBC investigation, surveillance reports suggested that Hamas

3600-467: The attackers. Approximately 90 militants infiltrated kibbutz Ein HaShlosha , killing four civilians, looting, shooting, and burning houses. An 80-year-old Argentinian-Israeli woman died after her home was set on fire and she was unable to escape. A standoff between the attackers and the residents' security team lasted six hours. The leader of the security team, who was in his sixties, was killed in

3680-583: The attacks. Images and videos appeared to show heavily armed and masked militants dressed in black fatigues riding pickup trucks and opening fire in Sderot, killing dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers and setting homes on fire. Other videos appeared to show Israelis taken prisoner, a burning Israeli tank, and militants driving Israeli military vehicles. Israeli first responders reportedly recovered documents from killed militants' bodies with instructions to attack civilians, including elementary schools and

3760-427: The beach and destroyed four vessels, including two rubber boats. Militants also attacked a military base outside Nahal Oz , leaving 66 soldiers dead and taking seven hostage. An IDF fire investigation found that the militants had "ignited substances... that contain toxic gasses which can cause suffocation within minutes, or even less" both at the base and in civilian locations. Table Footnotes: As part of

3840-415: The blueprint with shocking precision." According to The Times , the document was widely circulated among Israeli military and intelligence leadership, who largely dismissed the plan as beyond Hamas's capabilities, though it was unclear whether the political leadership was informed. In July 2023, a member of the Israeli signals intelligence unit alerted her superiors that Hamas was conducting preparations for

3920-410: The border of Gaza . The event drew around 100 participants. Hamas militants attacked the festival, killing 17 Israelis . Some were fatally shot at the festival site, while others were killed as they attempted to escape to nearby kibbutzim. Most survivors hid under small bushes until Israel Defense Forces rescued them a few hours later. At 10 a.m., less than five hours after the attacks began, fighting

4000-450: The border. Israel said it found explosives hidden in a shipment and halted all exports from Gaza; Hamas denied Israel's claims. Reuters quoted Palestinians who said that the several-day ban affected thousands of families. In response to the ban, Hamas put its forces on high alert and conducted military exercises with other groups, including openly practicing storming Israeli settlements. Hamas also allowed Palestinians to resume protests at

4080-409: The country, many with vaguely sympathetic names like Keep Iowa Healthy, New Jersey for a Better Future and North Carolinians for a Fair Economy. The Hub Project then used them to mobilize volunteers and run advertising on policy issues against Republican members of Congress many months before the election." The Sixteen Thirty Fund gave America Votes , which describes itself as "the coordination hub of

SECTION 50

#1732787189326

4160-656: The course of 2023, there were clashes between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in May 2023, increased settler attacks had displaced hundreds of Palestinians, and clashes around the Al-Aqsa Mosque , a contested holy site in Jerusalem. Tensions between Israel and Hamas rose in September 2023, and The Washington Post wrote that the two were "on the brink of war". On 13 September, five Palestinians were killed at

4240-482: The estimate on the number of attackers, 6,000 Gazans breached the border in 119 locations into Israel, including 3,800 from the " elite Nukhba forces " and 2,200 civilians and other militants. Additionally, the IDF report estimated 1,000 Gazans fired rockets from the Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of participants on Hamas's side to 7,000. In total, 1,139 people were killed: 695 Israeli civilians (including 38 children), 71 foreign nationals, and 373 members of

4320-401: The festival grounds and indiscriminately fired on people attempting to escape. Attendees seeking refuge nearby, in bomb shelters, bushes, and orchards, were killed while in hiding. Those who reached the road and parking lot were trapped in a traffic jam as militants fired at vehicles. The militants executed some wounded people at point-blank range as they crouched on the ground. The details of

4400-403: The firefight. A 63-year-old grandmother was also among those killed in the attack. A 39-year-old Israeli-Chilean woman was shot eight times. Thirty survivors were discovered in the kibbutz three days after the massacre, 14 of whom were Thai nationals. Psyduck was a small trance music festival that took place in the open fields near kibbutz Nir Oz , about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from

4480-532: The fund raised $ 137 million. The Sixteen Thirty Fund spent $ 410 million in 2020, largely focused on helping Democrats defeat President Donald Trump and winning back control of the United States Senate . The group financed attack ads against Trump and vulnerable Republican senators and funded various issue advocacy campaigns. Funding went to groups opposing Trump's Supreme Court nominees, supporting liberal ballot measures and policy proposals at

4560-489: The group Colorado Families First to support a proposed ballot initiative requiring paid family leave in the state. The New Venture Fund had revenue of $ 405 million in 2018, up from $ 350 million annually in the three preceding years. According to OpenSecrets , the New Venture Fund "has fiscally sponsored at least 80 groups and acted as a pass-through agency funneling millions of dollars in grants for wealthy donors to opaque groups with minimal disclosure." Founded in 2015,

4640-420: The groups structure their funding creates "an incomplete picture of where support for candidates and ballot initiatives are coming from" and allows these groups to "avoid public scrutiny by registering trade names to carry out their work. The groups pose as grassroots activist organizations... while being connected to much larger organizations." They adopt 'trade names' meaning voters have little way of knowing who

4720-482: The hostages' whereabouts and conditions are not publicly known. The massacre at the festival has been described as the largest terror attack in Israel's history and the worst Israeli civilian massacre ever. During the Hamas-led attack, around 70 Hamas militants attacked Kfar Aza, a kibbutz about 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) from the border with the Gaza Strip, massacring residents and abducting several hostages . The kibbutz had more than 700 residents, and it took

4800-576: The house but one. A squad of Hamas militants that arrived in a van attacked the moshav of Yakhini . There were seven casualties in the moshav, including a border police officer. An IDF major in the Maglan unit was also injured. The community's security coordinator was on holiday in Thailand at the time and remotely directed the moshav's 18-person protection team's response. Yamam and Sayeret Matkal IDF units eventually arrived and killed all

4880-551: The involvement of their fighters. The governments of 44 countries denounced the attack and described it as terrorism , while some Arab and Muslim-majority countries blamed Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories as the root cause of the attack. Hamas said its attack was in response to the continued Israeli occupation, the blockade of the Gaza Strip , the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements , rising Israeli settler violence , and recent escalations. The day

SECTION 60

#1732787189326

4960-577: The launch of 4,300 projectiles from Gaza, killing twelve and injuring dozens, most of them from the Bedouin community. Explosions were reported in areas surrounding Gaza and in the Sharon Plain , including Gedera , Herzliyya , Beersheba Tel Aviv , and Ashkelon. Air raid sirens were activated in Beer Sheva , Jerusalem , Rehovot , Rishon Lezion , and Palmachim Airbase . Hamas issued

5040-425: The left during the Trump years ." In 2020, the Sixteen Thirty Fund donated $ 410 million toward defeating Trump and winning Democratic control of the U.S. Senate. Because of the way they are legally structured, Arabella Advisors and its affiliated groups are not required to disclose their donors, and they have not opted to do so. Billionaires George Soros and Pierre Omidyar have disclosed multi-million donations to

5120-480: The lives of 10% of the community's residents. Dozens of homes were also burned down. Several newspapers called the massacre an act of terrorism; some compared the brutality of the atrocities to that of ISIS . Hostages were taken, leading to a standoff with the IDF. According to survivors, there were also deaths from friendly fire; an Israeli tank fired on a house known to contain around 40 Hamas fighters and 14 hostages, among them two children, killing all hostages in

5200-470: The money machines built by conservatives including the Kochs ". In May 2023, Arabella laid off 10% of its workforce. In July 2023, the company announced that CEO Rick Cruz would depart on August 1. Between 2020 and 2021, the New Venture Fund and the Windward Fund directed $ 473,000 to the Alliance for Global Justice, a group which funds and organizes anti-Israel protests across the United States. Following

5280-638: The network. Politico has described the Sixteen Thirty Fund as a "left-leaning, secret-money group", writing that the group "illustrates the extent to which the left embraced the use of 'dark money' to fight for its causes in recent years. After decrying big-money Republican donors over the last decade, as well as the Supreme Court rulings that flooded politics with more cash, Democrats now benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars of undisclosed donations as well." Arabella Advisors and its affiliated entities utilize tax regulations in which groups who use

5360-649: The news media and directly to voters. It seeks to "dramatically shift the public debate and policy positions of core decision makers." The Hub Project engaged in paid advertising campaigns that criticized Republican congressional candidates in 2018. The Hub Project is housed within the Arabella-sponsored groups the New Venture Fund and the Sixteen Thirty Fund. Between 2007 and 2020, the Wyss Foundation donated approximately $ 56.5 million to these groups. The New Venture Fund underwrites Acronym , which owns

5440-416: The operation and declared maximum alertness and general mobilization among their troops. Nine individuals employed by UNRWA were accused by Israel of participation, and after a months-long internal investigation, were fired for possible involvement. Deif said more than 5,000 rockets had been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel in a span of 20 minutes at the start of the operation. Israeli sources reported

5520-400: The operation, that they had drawn the line, and that it was to end "the last occupation on Earth". Shortly thereafter, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh made a similar announcement in a televised address. In addition to Hamas, several Palestinian militant groups voiced support for the operation and participated in it to some extent. The National Resistance Brigades , the armed wing of

5600-543: The progressive community", $ 27 million in 2018. The $ 27 million grant was nearly twice the amount America Votes had previously ever raised in a single year. The Sixteen Thirty Fund urged passage of a Nevada ballot measure promoting automatic voter registration and a Michigan redistricting ballot measure. The group also supported a Florida constitutional amendment restoring voting rights to felons and minimum wage increases in Arkansas, Missouri, and other states. The way

5680-485: The same day, a massacre unfolded at an outdoor music festival near Re'im , resulting in at least 360 dead and many others missing. Witnesses recounted militants on motorcycles opening fire on fleeing participants, who were already dispersing due to rocket fire that had wounded some attendees; some were also taken hostage. Militants killed civilians at Nir Oz , Be'eri, and Netiv HaAsara , where they took hostages and set fire to homes, as well as in kibbutzim around

5760-508: The start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Qassam commander Mohammed Deif gave a speech mentioning Israel's 16-year blockade of Gaza , Israeli incursions in West Bank cities, violence at Al-Aqsa mosque, Israeli settler violence with the army's support, the confiscation of property and demolition of homes, arbitrarily detaining Palestinians for years until "they wither from cancer and disease", Israel's neglect for international law, American-Western support, and international silence. He then described

5840-573: The state level, and opposing Republican tax and health care policies. The Sixteen Thirty Fund gave $ 10.5 million to the conservative anti-Trump group Defending Democracy Together, which was founded by Bill Kristol in 2018. In 2020, the Sixteen Thirty Fund raised $ 390 million, with half of that amount coming from just four donors. Billionaire Pierre Omidyar disclosed that he gave the group $ 45 million that same year. The group also received mystery donations as large as $ 50 million and disseminated grants to more than 200 groups. It gave $ 0.5 million to

5920-410: Was behind several groups that ran issue advocacy ads to benefit Democrats during the 2018 midterms. The group also funded Demand Justice , which spent millions of dollars on ads attacking Brett Kavanaugh 's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. According to OpenSecrets , the Sixteen Thirty Fund and New Venture Fund "have fiscally sponsored at least 80 of their own groups, bankrolling those entities in

6000-405: Was executed using trucks, pickup trucks , motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats, and powered paragliders . The Sderot police station was reported to have come under Hamas control, with militants killing 30 Israelis, including policemen and civilians. Early in the attack they deliberately destroyed the computer systems at the police station. This disabled communication and delayed the response to

6080-641: Was labeled the bloodiest in Israel's history and the "deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust " by many figures and media outlets in the West, including US president Joe Biden . Some have called the attack a genocidal massacre against Israelis. Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories , including the Gaza Strip, since the Six-Day War in 1967. The Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), are

6160-468: Was planning a significant operation against Israel, but senior IDF officers repeatedly ignored the warnings. A Ha'aretz investigation found that incompetence in the IDF's higher ranks, including refusal to acknowledge Hamas's preparations for the attacks, was a major cause of the October attacks. The IDF had reduced funding and manpower dedicated to observing Hamas, focusing primarily on rocket sites and ignoring Hamas training and troop movements as well as

6240-462: Was reported at Re'im military base, headquarters of the Gaza Division . It was later reported that Hamas took control of the base and took several Israeli soldiers captive before the IDF regained control later in the day. The base was reportedly the location of IDF drone and surveillance operations. Hamas reportedly posted video of dead Israeli soldiers it had killed at the base. Nir Am

6320-424: Was reported to have come under Hamas control, enabling militants to enter Israel from Gaza. Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said there were 21 active high-confrontation locations in southern Israel. The New York Times reported that an Israeli intelligence document prepared weeks after the attack found that Hamas had breached the border fence in over 30 separate locations. Starting at 6.30   a.m.

6400-463: Was the full owner of Courier Newsroom , a digital for-profit media company which publishes "websites that appear to be free-standing local news outlets" but that are "actually part of a coordinated effort with deep ties to Democratic political operatives." According to the CRP, "Courier has faced scrutiny for exploiting the collapse of local journalism to spread 'hyperlocal partisan propaganda.'" In 2018,

#325674