SCOTUS Backs Israel

Court rules "material support" for terrorists includes legal advice, 'humanitarian' aid.


John McCormack
The Weekly Standard
21 June '10

(It would seem that the New Israel Fund(NIF) could easily run afoul if they provide funds for both legal as well as "humanitarian" assistance to individuals whose affiliations are with groups identified with known terrorist groups. A follow-up would certainly be in order as to whether groups such as NIF funded ADALAH provides legal or other support to known Hamas members, etc.)

Elliott Abrams writes:

Fresh on the heels of the world’s condemnation of Israel for blocking a convoy bringing aid to Hamas-ruled Gaza comes the United States Supreme Court’s statement of support…for Israel.

Today in the case called Holder vs. Humanitarian Law Project, according to the Associated Press:

“The Supreme Court upheld a federal law that bars 'material support' to foreign terrorist organizations, rejecting a free speech challenge from humanitarian aid groups. The court ruled 6-3 Monday that the government may prohibit all forms of aid to designated terrorist groups, even if the support consists of training and advice about entirely peaceful and legal activities. Material support intended even for benign purposes can help a terrorist group in other ways, Chief Justice John Roberts said in his majority opinion. 'Such support frees up other resources within the organization that may be put to violent ends,' Roberts said.”

What form of aid was barred? Says the AP story, “The aid groups involved had trained a Kurdish group in Turkey on how to bring human rights complaints to the United Nations and assisted them in peace negotiations….” Even this indirect support for acts of terror was unlawful, the Court concluded—with John Paul Stevens and Anthony Kennedy joining this view. As Chief Justice Roberts explained, such support “also importantly helps lend legitimacy to foreign terrorist groups—legitimacy that makes it easier for those groups to persist, to recruit members, and to raise funds—all of which facilitate more terrorist attacks.”

Americans inclined to think Israel has gone overboard in stopping flotillas from landing in Gaza might think again.

(Read full article)

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