Gideon Dokov, journalist and editor of the Israeli newspaper "Makor Rishon", spoke with Arel Segal and Or Heller on their radio program on 103FM regarding allegations that funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were used to finance protests in Israel.
Dokov addressed reports revealing that large sums of money from the U.S., specifically from USAID, were funneled into protest campaigns against the judicial reform in 2023.
"The situation with USAID is highly complex," Dokov stated. "Tracing the money flow is difficult because it passed through multiple intermediaries, making it unclear where it ultimately ended up."
He explained that an American organization dedicated to fostering Israeli-Palestinian dialogue in the Middle East received these funds.
This organization, in turn, transferred money to "Atid Kachol Lavan", a group that claims the funds it received were not directly connected to the U.S. government. "There is no way to label or track this money clearly," Dokov emphasized.
Detailing the financial transfers, Dokov explained that "Atid Kachol Lavan" allegedly received 120 million shekels for the 2023 protests, specifically those surrounding the judicial reform. He broke down the expenditures:
- 56 million shekels were allocated for media purchases, public relations, and communications.
- 50 million shekels were distributed to field activists involved in the protests.
- Additional funds covered logistics, including warehouse rentals, overseas flights, and a public relations firm in Washington, D.C., hired for lobbying efforts.
Dokov pointed out the dramatic financial expansion of "Atid Kachol Lavan", which had previously been a relatively small organization focused on the peace process. "Why would a grassroots protest movement need 120 million shekels if hundreds of thousands of people were willing to take to the streets on their own?" he questioned.
He further alleged that 80 million shekels came from the U.S., with 64 million funneled through an intermediary nonprofit whose purpose was to obscure the money trail.
"The funds were transferred through this organization, making it difficult to trace their origins," Dokov explained.
The revelations raise significant questions about foreign involvement in Israel’s internal affairs and the mechanisms used to finance large-scale protests.