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Founded in 1940 by the sons of John D. Rockefeller, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund styles itself as a “private, family foundation helping to advance social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable and peaceful world.” With these goals in mind, RBF maintains a “peacebuilding program” that disburses grants to nongovernmental organizations involved in “promoting nonviolent responses to conflict.” Increasingly in recent years, NGOs involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict have benefitted from RBF’s largesse.

However, RBF’s funding choices do not appear to be in keeping with these values, dragging this American foundation into the ugliest elements of anti-Israel activity in the United States.

One such recipient of funding is the Oakland-based Jewish Voice for Peace, which received a $140,000 “peacebuilding” grant in June…Now, as terrorists wield knives, guns, and cars in their daily attacks on Israeli citizens, fueled by a massive incitement campaign, JVP is mobilizing a political offensive against Israel. Incredibly, JVP has referred to these stabbings and shootings as “Palestinian popular resistance” and shared a statement on its Facebook account that praises “a new generation of Palestinians … rising up en-masse against Israel’s brutal, decades-old regime of occupation, settler colonialism and apartheid.”

RBF bears responsibility for the actions of its grantees, and must implement protocols and policies that restrict its funds from groups involved in these harmful activities. If it chooses to ignore these abuses of its funds, RBF will be complicit in fanning the flames of violent anti-Semitism and prolonging the Arab-Israeli conflict.