💵 Non-Profit A Jewish Voice for Peace, Inc. to Pay $677,634 to Resolve PPP Fraud Allegations
There is nothing Jewish about "Jewish Voice for Peace" - it's a project of anti-Semite Hatem Bazian, founder of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) & Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)
The Department of Justice's announcement of a $677,634 settlement with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) over alleged COVID relief loan fraud provides a window into one of America's most active protest organizations. The settlement stems from JVP's receipt of over $300,000 in PPP funding after allegedly mischaracterizing itself as a non-political entity.
The organization has also been at the center of major university protests, notably at Columbia University where over 100 students were arrested during the clearing of a pro-Palestinian protest camp. Their campus activities have expanded to other institutions, including UCLA, where law enforcement in tactical gear was required to dismantle protest encampments. These university demonstrations, which have often involved the establishment of tent cities and prolonged occupation of campus spaces, have sparked a national debate about the boundaries of campus protest and led to multiple suspensions of JVP chapters across various universities.
The organization at the center of this settlement has evolved significantly since its 1996 founding by California student activists. Initially serving as an umbrella organization for both Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews critical of Israeli policies, JVP officially adopted an anti-Zionist stance in 2019. According to documentation, it has grown to become "probably the largest and most influential Jewish anti-Zionist group in the United States."
The DOJ's case focuses on JVP's representation of its activities in PPP loan applications. Federal prosecutors allege that while JVP claimed it was "not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities," investigation revealed political advocacy as its primary function. The group has characterized these misrepresentations as "inadvertent" in agreeing to the settlement.
Recent months have seen JVP organizing high-profile demonstrations across major cities. The organization has conducted protests at transportation hubs, organized campus demonstrations, and coordinated activities that have led to confrontations with law enforcement. Their tactics have included establishing protest encampments at universities and organizing demonstrations that have disrupted public infrastructure.
The group's funding has included substantial support from prominent donors, with George Soros's Open Society Foundations providing at least $650,000 since 2017 for what was termed "human rights" work in the Middle East. The PPP settlement comes as lawmakers have called for IRS review of JVP's tax-exempt status, citing concerns about the organization's activities and advocacy methods.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves emphasized that the PPP program's purpose was helping businesses weather the pandemic, not funding political advocacy. The settlement amount, representing more than double the original loan, reflects the DOJ's approach to enforcing PPP program requirements while allowing organizations to resolve allegations without admitting liability.
