Maccabee Task Force

Last updated

The Maccabee Task Force (MTF), also called the Campus Maccabees, is a Jewish advocacy group founded in 2015 to combat antisemitic activities on college campuses. As of 2020, it was active on around 100 campuses in the United States and Canada.

Contents

History

MTF was founded in 2015 with the Campus Maccabees Summit, supported by an estimated $50 million in funding. The summit included representatives from 50 Jewish organizations and focused on confronting activities the group considers as antisemitic, particularly the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. It is active on around 100 campuses in the United States and Canada. [1] [2] David Brog from Christians United for Israel was tapped as the organization's first leader. [3] [4]

Initial organizers and funders such as Sheldon Adelson, Haim Saban, and Adam Milstein planned three components of the Campus Maccabees: donors for funding, on-campus activists to advocate on college campuses, and researchers to investigate anti-Israel groups and identify opportunities for legal challenges. The focus would be on key groups in the BDS movement, such as Students for Justice in Palestine and Muslim Student Association. [1]

Programming varied across campuses, but generally involved trips to Israel for mostly non-Jewish student leaders, activities to promote their objectives as well as coalition building with other organizations. Over the course of the academic year, a chapter would hold roughly 20 events [5] with the goal of building allyship with non-Jewish students on campus. [6]

For the 2015-2016 academic year, the organization concentrated its efforts on six California campuses, expanding to 20 in 2016-2017, 40 in 2017-2018, and 80 campuses, including five Canadian colleges, by 2018-2019. [5] [7] Brog announced at the end of the 2018–2019 school year that MTF would expand to over 100 schools. [8] In 2019, MTF announced that it would expand internationally in 2020, though it did not specify to which countries. [2] By the 2020 school year, MTF was planning to expand to approximately 100 college campuses in the United States. [6]

After the October 7 attacks, MTF organized a trip to Israel for 40 non-Jewish and Jewish student leaders from across the United States in January 2024. [6]

Relationship to other groups

MTF is a major funder of Act.IL, a volunteer group that highlights and propagates pro-Israel information online. [9]

MTF is one of the largest donors to PragerU, a conservative visual media site. PragerU promoted five videos on its front featuring MTF. [10]

Liberal Zionist groups such as Ameinu argued that the Maccabee program's exclusion of progressive groups was mistaken. However, Ameinu's campus program had received little communal funding. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs</span> Israeli political think tank

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) is an Israeli think tank specializing in public diplomacy and foreign policy founded in 1976. Describing itself on its website as "The Global Embassy for Israel", it publishes the biennial journal Jewish Political Studies Review alongside other content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Voice for Peace</span> American anti-Zionist advocacy group

Jewish Voice for Peace is an American anti-Zionist left-wing Jewish advocacy organization that is critical of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, and supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon Adelson</span> American businessman (1933–2021)

Sheldon Gary Adelson was an American businessman, investor, political donor, and philanthropist. He was the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which owns the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, and the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited, which operated The Venetian Las Vegas and the Sands Expo and Convention Center before selling the properties in early 2022. He owned the Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom, the Israeli weekly newspaper Makor Rishon, and the American daily newspaper the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christians United for Israel</span> Christian Zionist organization

Christians United for Israel (CUFI) is an American Christian organization that supports Israel. Its statement of purpose is; "to provide a national association through which every pro-Israel church, parachurch organization, ministry or individual in America can speak and act with one voice in support of Israel in matters related to Biblical issues." As a Christian Zionist group with over 10 million members, it is the largest Zionist organization in the United States. It operates under the leadership of John Hagee as founder and chairman, along with Diana Hagee and Shari Dollinger as co-executive directors.

StandWithUs (SWU) is a nonprofit right-wing pro-Israel advocacy organization founded in Los Angeles in 2001 by Roz Rothstein, Jerry Rothstein, and Esther Renzer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel on Campus Coalition</span> American pro-Israel umbrella organization

The Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) is a United States pro-Israel umbrella organization founded in 2002 with funding from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. ICC's chief executive officer since 2013, Jacob Baime, is a former national field director for AIPAC.

David Brog is the former executive director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), an American pro-Israel Christian organization, and a conservative activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ameinu</span> American progressive Jewish organization

Ameinu is a left-wing American Jewish Zionist organization. Established in 2004 as the successor to the Labor Zionist Alliance, it is the continuation of Labor Zionist activity in the United States that began with the founding of Poale Zion, which came together in the period 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions</span> Palestinian-led movement demanding international sanctions against Israel

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a nonviolent Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Its objective is to pressure Israel to meet what the BDS movement describes as Israel's obligations under international law, defined as withdrawal from the occupied territories, removal of the separation barrier in the West Bank, full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and "respecting, protecting, and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties". The movement is organized and coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law</span> Nonprofit organization

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Kenneth L. Marcus in 2012 with the stated purpose of advancing the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promoting justice for all peoples. LDB is active on American campuses, where it says it combats antisemitism and anti-Zionism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelson Foundation</span> American private charitable foundation

The Adelson Foundation is an American private charitable foundation founded by business magnate Sheldon and Miriam Adelson. The organization is based in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AMCHA Initiative</span> US non-partisan organization

The AMCHA Initiative is a non-partisan organization aiming to combat antisemitism on campuses through investigation, documentation, and education in order to protect Jewish students from assault and fear. AMCHA was founded in 2012 by University of California Santa Cruz lecturer Tammi Rossman-Benjamin and University of California Los Angeles Professor Emeritus Leila Beckwith. The term Amcha is Hebrew for "your people" or "your nation."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Students for Justice in Palestine</span> Pro-Palestinian BDS activism organization

Students for Justice in Palestine is a pro-Palestinian college student activism organization in the United States, Canada and New Zealand. It has campaigned for boycott and divestment against corporations that deal with Israel and organized events about Israel's human rights violations. In 2011, The New York Times reported that "S.J.P., founded in 2001 at the University of California, Berkeley, has become the leading pro-Palestinian voice on campus."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Milstein</span> Israeli-American investor and philanthropist

Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American investor and philanthropist. He is a managing partner at Hager Pacific Properties.

The Israeli-American Council is an American nonprofit organization to represent and serve the approximately 125,000 Israeli-Americans. Its mission is to preserve and strengthen the Israeli and Jewish identities of future generations, strengthen the American Jewish community, and strengthen the relationship between citizens of the United States and the State of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reactions to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions</span>

Reactions to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) refer to the views of international actors on the BDS movement.

Act.IL was a social networking service used by supporters of Israel to oppose online "anti-Israel content" such as the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS). Its activities were referred to as "an online propaganda campaign" and "a virtual situation room of pro-Israel experts".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canary Mission</span> Website established in 2014

Canary Mission is a website established in 2014 that compiles dossiers on student activists, professors, and organizations, focusing primarily on those at North American universities, which it considers be anti-Israel or antisemitic, and has said that it will send the names of listed students to prospective employers. Canary Mission listings have been used by the Israeli government and border security officials to interrogate and deny entry to pro-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) American citizens, and by potential employers.

Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) is a news agency and wire service that primarily covers Jewish and Israel-related topics and news. While officially nonpartisan, compared to its larger and older competitor, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, JNS is considered to be more conservative and hawkish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adela Cojab</span> Mexican-American activist, author, podcaster and law student

Adela Cojab Moadeb is a Mexican-born American activist, author, podcaster, and law student. She is known for advocating against antisemitism and for Zionist causes. Most notably, she is known for her formal complaint against New York University under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for allowing antisemitic activities on campus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Guttman, Nathan (June 11, 2015). "Secret Sheldon Adelson Summit Raises up to $50M for Strident Anti-BDS Push". The Forward. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 Cortellessa, Eric (October 7, 2019). "Anti-BDS group backed by Sheldon Adelson heads to 6 countries outside US". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  3. "CUFI's David Brog to lead new anti-BDS campus group". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. July 10, 2015. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  4. Guttman, Nathan (July 8, 2015). "Leader of Christian Zionists Named Head of Campus Anti-BDS Group". The Forward. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  5. 1 2 Bandler, Aaron (2018-12-12). "Maccabee Task Force: The Pro-Israel Group That Is Quietly Defeating BDS on Campus". Jewish Journal . Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Prince, Cathryn (2024-01-25). "Allies of Jewish US students visit Israel after Oct. 7 – and come back armed with info". Times of Israel . Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  7. Kamaras, Jacob; Savage, Sean (June 6, 2017). "In the campus arena, Maccabee Task Force wages the battle without the 'credit'". Jewish News Syndicate. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  8. Schwalb, Jess (December 24, 2019). "Maccabee Games". Jewish Currents. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  9. Casey, Nikki (November 30, 2017). "Shadowy Israeli App Turns American Jews Into Foot Soldiers In Online War". The Forward. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  10. Goforth, Claire (25 November 2019). "Money Behind PragerU: Old, Rich, and Ultra-Conservative". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.