Spying on Linda Sarsour: Israeli Firm Compiled BDS Dossier for Adelson-funded U.S. Group Battling Her Campus Appearances
rael Cyber Shield (ICS) delivered the dossier to the pro-Israel Act.IL group, which used it as the basis of a campaign to discourage U.S. colleges from allowing the pro-BDS activist to speak on campus. Act.IL's CEO, Yarden Ben Yosef, confirmed to Haaretz that his group receives materials from ICS.
A document describing its work with the Strategic Affairs Ministry reveals its only activity is fighting the delegitimization of Israel. It has been allocated 128 million shekels ($36 million) from the ministry's coffers over three years. An equivalent amount, or more, is expected to be raised from donors, though the corporation is expected to continue operating according to the ministry's orders.
Sarsour is a well-known figure in the United States, and not only because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She is co-chair of the Women's March movement and spoke at its main Washington rally after Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2017. She has been harshly critical of Israel and was quoted as saying that a person can't be feminist and Zionist at the same time.
A student who volunteered with Act.IL told Haaretz that the material it received on Sarsour included a password-protected file containing information on her parents, and another file with more than 10 pages all marked "Confidential." Aside from information taken from her social media accounts and press interviews, the file also included legal information related to a court case she was involved in.
It is clear the material on Sarsour was systematically organized. The dossier concluded with an executive summary that highlighted her apparent weak points.
Act.IL used the information to prepare a letter that was distributed via its app to the heads of universities where Sarsour had appeared, as part of a broader campaign – in which IAC was also a partner – to try to prevent U.S. colleges extending invitations to the pro-BDS activist.
Israel spying on US citizens now. Cool cool.Allegations in the Sarsour file included a story that she applauded violence toward Israeli soldiers, and another saying she wrongly claimed Israeli soldiers had murdered a knife-wielding Palestinian teenage girl, when actually she had been wounded. Another document claimed that Sarsour was photographed next to a man who had raised funds for Hamas. She was also quoted as having tweeted, "Nothing is creepier than Zionism." Other tweets in the file showed Sarsour's alleged support for Sharia law and an attack on a woman who had undergone female circumcision.
Haaretz reached out to various people involved in Israel's anti-BDS efforts, but it was clear none wanted to discuss ICS.
