Seth A. Klarman

From Powerbase
Revision as of 00:16, 28 November 2013 by Jamie Stern-Weiner (talk | contribs)
Jump to: navigation, search

Overview

Seth Klarman is a "Boston-based pro-Israel billionaire."[1] The journalist Max Blumenthal describes Klarman as "one of the pro-Israel community’s most prolific financial angels and also one of its most ideologically hardline."[2] He reports:

"Klarman became one of the world’s richest people through the Baupost Group, a Boston-based hedge fund he founded that is now worth upwards of $20 billion. With his philanthropic foundation, Klarman emerged in the past five years as one of the pro-Israel lobby’s most aggressive funders."

Views

Politically, Klarman is reportedly on the hawkish right of the pro-Israel spectrum.[2] In an op-ed co-authored with Charles Jacob of The David Project, Klarman argued that "there is a new assault on the world's Jews," based on "hatred for Israel" and its supporters. It is promoted, he wrote, by "Islamic anti-Semitism" on the one hand, and Western "Palestinianism" -- sympathy for the Palestinians' plight by "Western radicals" -- on the other. In the West today, "hostility to Jews" manifests primarily as criticism of Israel.[3]

Activities

Klarman funds many pro-Israel lobby groups, including The David Project (of which he is also co-Chair); The Israel Project; Scholars for Peace in the Middle East; Birthright Israel, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, Ir David, Middle East Media Research Institute and the American Jewish Committee.[2][1]

The 'Wedge' strategy

Unusually, Klarman also funds American Islamic and Palestinian organisations, with the aim, Max Blumenthal argues, of driving "a wedge through mainstream Muslim-American organizing".[2]

The American Islamic Congress was heavily funded by Klarman; it refused to engage with mainstream Muslim civil rights groups and forbade "members of its student arm, Project Nur, from discussing Palestine-related issues on campus."[2]

Klarman also funded the American Islamic Forum. It is led by Zuhdi Jasser, "an Arizona-based physician and practicing Muslim who served as the key protagonist of the anti-Muslim propaganda film, The Third Jihad."[2]

Another recipient of Klarman donations is the Saudi-backed American Task Force for Palestine, a group that has been widely criticised for lending support to US and Israeli measures that in fact work against Palestinians interests.[2]

Affiliations

Notes