Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, known for her staggering generosity, has sparked concern by funneling millions to a nonprofit tied to groups under investigation for connections to terrorist organizations like Hamas, as the Washington Free Beacon reports.
Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, recently donated at least $5 million to the Solidaire Network, a left-leaning organization that supports various social justice causes, including funding anti-Israel groups currently scrutinized by Congress for alleged Hamas ties, as revealed by a Washington Free Beacon analysis.
Her journey into high-stakes philanthropy began in 2019, following a divorce that resulted in her receiving $38 billion in Amazon stock, which led to the launch of her organization, Yield Giving. Since its inception, Yield Giving has disbursed $26 billion to charities.
Back in 2021, Scott gifted Solidaire Network $10 million, described by the group as an "unrestricted, not time-bound gift," allowing them complete freedom over its use.
Fast forward to December, and Scott announced another round of grants, including a donation to Solidaire, though the exact amount remains undisclosed, with Yield Giving noting a delay in reporting for the recipient’s benefit.
Her philosophy, detailed in an essay titled "We are the Ones We've Been Waiting For," emphasizes letting recipients spend funds as they see fit, a noble idea that critics argue can backfire when the money reaches questionable hands.
Solidaire Network funnels grants to groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), the US Palestinian Community Network, and the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), all of which have raised red flags in conservative circles.
SJP, which received $25,000 from Solidaire, spearheads anti-Israel protests on campuses and has faced bans for anti-Semitic behavior, while its leader once apologized for similar posts—hardly a ringing endorsement of moderation.
AMP, another grantee, counts a board member allegedly linked to Hamas fundraising in the 1990s, and both SJP and AMP are under House and Senate investigation for possibly coordinating with Hamas on U.S. soil protests.
The US Palestinian Community Network, awarded $50,000 by Solidaire, shockingly labeled Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack—killing 1,200 Israelis and taking hundreds hostage—as a “justified” act of “self-defense.”
Then there’s PYM, which pocketed $75,000 from Solidaire between June 2023 and June 2024, and made headlines for releasing maggots into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hotel during a U.S. visit. It's a stunt that’s more pestilent than persuasive.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) has called for FBI probes into PYM’s “virulently antisemitic” rhetoric, while he and Rep. James Comer (R-KY) are digging into Solidaire’s fiscal sponsors like WESPAC and Tides Foundation for potential Hamas connections.
Solidaire also channeled $135,000 via the Tides Center to the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, which cheered the October 7 attack and later blocked a U.S. military ship carrying supplies to Israel. It's an action that’s tough to square with peaceful advocacy.
Scott’s essay muses on generosity activating “pleasure centers in the brain,” but one wonders if she’s considered the less pleasant consequences of funding groups tied to such divisive and dangerous rhetoric.
While her intent to empower communities is commendable, conservatives might argue that unrestricted gifts to networks like Solidaire risk amplifying causes that clash with American values and security. It's a bitter pill for a nation already wrestling with divisive progressive agendas.
