Chuck Ross writes for the Washington Free Beacon about the behind-the-scenes efforts of an anti-Israel group.
An anti-Israel group started by two federal officials who resigned from the Biden administration over U.S. support for Israel is soliciting residents of Dearborn, Mich., a hotbed of anti-Israel and pro-Hamas sentiment, to fund its “professional lobbying force” to pressure lawmakers to vote against laws protecting Israel and Jews.
A New Policy Inc., a group formed last year by former State Department official Josh Paul and former Department of Education official Tariq Habash, is soliciting donations through Facebook ads to fund its lobbying efforts to combat AIPAC—which it accuses of steering U.S. foreign policy to foment “endless conflict”—and change public perception of Israel’s war against Hamas.
The group has spent $13,000 on 20 Facebook ads, many of them directed specifically to users in Dearborn, according to data provided by Facebook.
“AIPAC has lobbyists. We’ve had to rely on outrage,” one ad states. Another accuses AIPAC of “weaponiz[ing] Jewish identity” to justify policies that “sustain occupation” of Gaza.
“For too long, America has neglected Palestinian freedom & equality,” says another ad directed at Dearborn, featuring a Palestinian flag. “Join the movement for a new approach that centers human rights and advances OUR national interest!”
Habash, who served as a policy adviser at the Department of Education until January 2024, touted the group during a panel at ArabCon, a convention of anti-Israel and pro-Hamas activists held last month in Dearborn.
“There are organizations like mine, A New Policy. If you don’t know us, please you should know us,” Habash said.
It’s further indication that the anti-Israel movement sees Dearborn as the epicenter of its organizational activities. The city has the largest ratio of Muslim and Arab residents in the nation and has been dubbed “America’s Jihad Capital” thanks to local community leaders, elected officials, and religious leaders who have promoted Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.
