Other Group

Adalah Justice Project

Website:

www.adalahjusticeproject.org/

Location:

Glen Carbon, IL

Status:

Fiscal Project, Tides Center

Executive Director:

Sandra Tamar

EIN:

94-3213100

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

Also see Adalah-NY, a New York-based group promoting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel and fiscally sponsored by WESPAC Foundation

Adalah Justice Project is a grassroots advocacy group that promotes itself as an anti-Israeli organization asking supporters to, “stand with the Palestinian people’s right to defend themselves.” 1 The group is a fiscal project of the Tides Center, a left-of-center “dark money” organization that is part of the Tides Nexus collection of “pass-through” nonprofits towards funding center-left causes. 1 2 3 In May 2024, Adalah became a subject of a U.S. Congressional probe focusing on nonprofit organizations allegedly providing material and financial support for anti-Israel protests on college campuses. 4

Adalah was highlighted in a May 2024 Politico article which noted that many pro-Palestinian groups that criticize the Biden administration’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war are also major Democratic Party and Biden presidential campaign donors. 5

Activities

Shortly after the attacks against Israel by terrorist organization on October 7, the Adalah Justice Project sent out an online pledge asking signers to, “stand with the Palestinian people’s right to defend themselves.” 1

Adalah Justice Project executive director Sandra Tamari praised the Hamas terror attacks, which led to the deaths of over 1,400 Israelis and led to over 230 being taken hostage back in Gaza, calling the attacks, “the oppressed rising up.” 1 In an interview with Yes! magazine on October 11, she claimed that, “Violence didn’t begin with Hamas’s attack. Hamas’s attack was resistance to an intolerable situation that has been taking place in the Gaza strip.” 1

Members of the organization took part in a series of protests on October 18, 2023, in which hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters occupied the rotunda of the Cannon U.S House of Representatives Office Building demanding a ceasefire in ongoing Israel-Gaza war. According to the Washington Free Beacon, protesters from the group also occupied the offices of House Democrat Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and U.S Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). 1 6 Adalah also regularly meets with members of U.S. Congress to lobby for anti-Israel policies; for example, one meeting of the group with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) convinced her to cancel a planned appearance at an event honoring former Israeli general Yitzhak Rabin. 7

In May 2024, Adalah joined over 100 organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and American Muslims for Palestine, in a group letter encouraging the leaders of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee to reject S. 4136, bipartisan legislation from U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Angus King (I-ME) to terminate the tax-exempt status of terrorist-supporting organizations. 8 9 In May 2023, Adalah had mounted the Not on Our Dime campaign, to revoke New York State tax-exempt status for organizations supporting Israeli settlement in the West Bank. 10

In May 2024, heads of two U.S. House committees requested “Suspicious Activity” documents concerning multiple nonprofits, including Adalah, that have provided financial backing to anti-Israel campus agitators. The investigation is one of the most significant U.S. Congressional actions to date to uncover and potentially prosecute anti-Israel organizations in violation of money laundering and anti-terrorism laws. Upon announcement of the probe, Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) referred to reports that indicated multiple leftist organizations were organizing and supporting “hateful” and “unlawful” encampments. Education Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) noted that anti-Semitic protests popped up on college campuses across the country the day after the October 7 attack, suggesting that the protests were not organic and that the groups who are subjects of their probe played a financial and organizational role in creating and sustaining the protests. 4

Adalah also participated in the often-violent campus protests at Columbia University, which resulted in police clearing out protesters in spring 2024. 5

Adalah Justice Project has partnered with MPower Change, a self-described “Muslim grassroots” organization led by controversial Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour, who has made Anti-Israeli and Anti-Sematic remarks in the past and is a leader of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. 1

Leadership

Sandra Tamari is the executive director of Adalah. She started with the organization in 2017 as director of strategic partnerships and previously worked in the International Affairs department at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIU). Her husband, Steven Tamari, is a professor at SIU, and the couple was arrested in early 2024 at a pro-Gaza encampment at Washington University in St. Louis. 11

Adalah Justice Project’s Communications Director Sumaya Awad is a member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and helped set up a chapter of the National Students for Justice in Palestine on her college campus; the National Students for Justice in Palestine is an anti-Israeli organization that praised the terrorist attack by Hamas as a, “historic win for the Palestinian resistance.” 1

Financials

The Adalah Justice Project is a fiscal project of the Tides Center, a left-of-center “dark money” organization that is part of the Tides Nexus collection of “pass-through” nonprofits towards funding center-left causes. 1 2 3 Adalah has been sponsored by Tides since 2016. 12 According to the Washington Free Beacon, Tides helps maintain at least 160 “fiscal sponsorships” are not required to register their nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Service. 1 Tax records show that between 2018 and 2023, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund has donated roughly $710,000 through the Tides Center earmarked for Adalah Justice Project. An additional $2.7 million was funneled by Rockefeller Brothers Fund towards other anti-Israeli organizations since 2018 including the Defense for Children International-Palestine, which was designated a terror organization by the Israeli government in 2021. 1 13

In addition, in 2019 the Open Society Foundations donated roughly $225,000 to the Tides Center for the purpose of, “further solidarity, equality, and justice for Palestine/Israel,” 14 as well as, “legal support in the movement for Palestinian rights.” 15 According to the Washington Free Beacon it is unknown if Adalah Justice Project received any of these funds. 1

In practice, even though Adalah claims to be a Palestinian-led advocacy organization, the fiscal sponsorship arrangement means that Adalah is part of the Tides Nexus, and the Tides nonprofits file tax documents on its behalf. The arrangement also means that financial information like donors, donation amounts, staff, and expenditures for Adalah do not have to be disclosed. 12

References

  1. Kerr, Andrew and Joseph Simonson. “This ‘Grassroots’ Anti-Israel Group Is Actually Part of a Left-Wing Dark Money Behemoth.” Washington Free Beacon, October 27, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/this-grassroots-anti-israel-group-is-actually-part-of-a-left-wing-dark-money-behemoth/
  2. Walter, Scott. “The Tides Foundation and Center: Selling Foundation Philanthropy on the Idea of ‘Structural Racism.’” Capital Research Center. Capital Research Center, July 3, 2011. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-tides-foundation-and-center-selling-foundation-philanthropy-on-the-idea-of-structural-racism/.
  3. Ludwig, Hayden. “Unearthing The Tides Nexus.” Washington, D.C.: Capital Research Center, 2021.
  4. Adam Kredo. “Congress Launches Probe Into Groups Funding ‘Pro-Hamas’ Unrest on Campus.” Washington Free Beacon. May 14, 2024. Accessed June 6, 2024. https://freebeacon.com/campus/congress-launches-probe-into-groups-funding-pro-hamas-unrest-on-campus/
  5. Shia Kapos. “Pro-Palestinian protesters are backed by a surprising source: Biden’s biggest donors.” POLITICO. May 5, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/05/pro-palestinian-protests-columbia-university-funding-donors-00156135
  6. King, Ryan. “Chaos erupts as pro-Palestinian protesters demand ceasefire at the Capitol; at least 3 allegedly assault cops.” New York Post, October 18, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/10/18/chaos-erupts-as-pro-palestinian-protesters-take-to-the-capitol-at-least-three-arrested/
  7. “Freedom is the Future.” Adalah Justice Project. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://adalahjusticeproject.networkforgood.com/projects/118509-light-it-up-give-to-ajp-give-to-a-brighter-future
  8. [1] “S. 4136 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to terminate the tax-exempt status of terrorist supporting organizations”. Congress.gov. Accessed June 6, 2024. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4136
  9. Ismail Allison,“135 Advocacy Groups Call on Senate to Reject ‘Dangerous and Orwellian’ Bill That Threatens Nonprofits, Violates Due Process”. CAIR. May 6, 2024. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/134-advocacy-groups-call-on-senate-to-reject-dangerous-and-orwellian-bill-that-threatens-nonprofits-violate-due-process/
  10. “NY State is Subsidizing Illegal Settlements: We Say Not On Our Dime”. Adalah Justice Project. May 17, 2023. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://adalahjusticeproject.org/updates/2023/6/15/ny-state-is-subsidizing-illegal-israeli-settlements-we-say-not-on-our-dime
  11. Catrina Petersen. “Pritzker dismisses reports his family is funding pro-Palestinian groups.” The Center Square. May 7, 2024. Accessed June 6, 2024. https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_0ef726d6-0cb9-11ef-a303-a33834cf9ea2.html
  12. Lahav Harkov. “Dark money group backing anti-Israel campus activity faces scrutiny for its practices.” Jewish Insider. May 21, 2024. Accessed June 6, 2024. https://jewishinsider.com/2024/05/dark-money-group-backing-anti-israel-campus-activity-faces-scrutiny-for-its-practices/
  13. Kerr, Andrew. “Meet the Major US Philanthropy Financing an Israeli-Designated Terror Group.” Washington Free Beacon, October 23, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/meet-the-major-u-s-philanthropy-financing-an-israeli-designated-terror-group/
  14. “Awarded Grants.” Open Society Foundations, Accessed October 31, 2023. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?grant_id=OR2019-60205
  15. “Awarded Grants.” Open Society Foundations, Accessed October 31, 2023. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?grant_id=OR2019-61150
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Adalah Justice Project

P.O. Box 541
Glen Carbon, IL