Said Amori and Tarek Chouiref
18 July 2025•Update: 18 July 2025
JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party on Friday accused the former US administration under President Joe Biden of interfering in Israel’s domestic affairs by channeling funding to left-wing organizations in an alleged bid to bring down the right-wing government.
In a statement, Likud cited a newly released congressional memo, claiming the Biden administration transferred close to $1 billion to Israeli NGOs that oppose the current government—describing it as “a direct attempt to destabilize the elected leadership.”
The party further claimed the funding “exacerbated internal divisions and encouraged political defiance and rebellion.”
Despite Biden’s strong support for Netanyahu’s government during the ongoing war in Gaza, Likud said the memo shows that elements within the administration had also backed, through intermediaries, groups linked to Hamas and organizations involved in global anti-Israel campaigns.
“What once seemed like speculation is now backed by official documents,” the party said, calling it “an unprecedented foreign attempt to replace Israel’s right-wing government.”
The memo, published Thursday by the House Judiciary Committee, accuses the Biden administration of misusing taxpayer funds through USAID, the State Department and other agencies, to directly and indirectly support organizations involved in mass protests against Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms.
Among the groups named were Blue and White Future and the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, both of which allegedly received substantial funding from US-based entities, including organizations backed by federal grants.
According to the memo, Blue and White Future served as the main organizing hub for the anti-government protest movement, while the Movement for Quality Government received $42,000 for “civic activism training” programs in Israeli schools.
The report also alleged that some funds reached NGOs with ties to Hamas, including Bayader for Environment and Development, a Gaza-based group that reportedly held joint events with Hamas officials. Bayader received nearly $1 million in US aid since 2016, including a grant issued just one week before the Oct. 7 attack.
No official response has been issued by the Biden administration regarding the allegations.
