[Baltimore Sun] FOX45: Baltimore City taxpayers funded nonprofit that mobilizes young people against Israel
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Baltimore City taxpayers helped fund an organization that mobilizes young people to demonstrate against Israel amid its ongoing war against Hamas terrorists.
The Islamic Leadership Institute of America is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Baltimore’s Howard Park neighborhood. According to its website, the ILIA says its mission is to “promote leadership development, education and research based on Islamic values and principles” through counseling, mentoring and other services.
Baltimore City has provided financial support to the ILIA through the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, which delivered a $150,000 grant to the ILIA in 2023 to support the organization’s “overall mission.” The Baltimore Children & Youth Fund is entirely funded by Baltimore City taxpayers.
The ILIA takes a markedly anti-Israel stance in its publications and programs. The ILIA runs the “Palestine Resource Center,” a webpage that paints an anti-Zionist picture of the longstanding Israel-Palestine conflict. The homepage refers to Israel as the “occupying forces” and makes no mention of Hamas terrorism or the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The homepage further links to a series of “resources,” including a video that advises students on how to navigate discussions regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. The video refers to Israel as an “apartheid” state and recommends students claim they know nothing about Hamas.
The Palestine Resource Center says its website was launched in 2021, but the Internet Archive only features archived versions of the website dating back to December 2023.
The ILIA also mobilized young people to attend a ceasefire rally in Washington, D.C., in November 2023. The goal of the “No Cease-Fire, No Votes” rally was to pressure the Biden administration to end aid to Israel, according to ILIA, which reports it “actively participated” in the “monumental event.”
“ILIA’s youth participation in this monumental event underscores its dedication to shaping and inspiring a brighter future for our American youth,” the ILIA wrote on its website. “In this collective effort alongside numerous organizations, ILIA reinforces its commitment to fostering a brighter future for youth in America and around the world.”
The city’s six-figure grant from the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund is significant for the ILIA, which generally receives between $200,000 and $300,000 in total contributions each year, according to tax filings. The Baltimore Children & Youth Fund provided non-specific answers to a series of questions regarding the grant.
“BCYF is not a political organization, nor is our funding meant to serve as an endorsement of any political ideology, religious affiliation, or otherwise,” the fund said.
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The fund declined to say whether it was aware the ILIA had mobilized young people to protest U.S. support of Israel. A spokesperson for Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott and the ILIA did not respond to FOX45 News’ requests for comment.
Councilman Yitzy Schleifer, the only Jewish member of the Baltimore City Council, says groups like the ILIA aim to “exploit young minds” and foster “hate instead of the unity our communities desperately need.”
“It’s deeply disturbing that taxpayer funds, intended to empower and uplift youth, were used to protest U.S. support for Israel and promote an anti-Zionist agenda,” Schleifer said. “If the group would like to bus students to D.C., I suggest they visit the Holocaust museum instead.”
The ILIA did not respond to FOX45’s question about how it spent the grant money provided by the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund.
Howard Libit, the executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, said that the grant to the ILIA was a “troubling use of tax dollars.”
“The city’s Children & Youth Fund ought to be focused on promoting opportunities for our youth to build relationships across different communities to fight hate. And it’s troubling that money seems to be going to an organization that is sending our youth down to Washington, D.C.,” Libit said in an interview.
Baltimore City does not routinely perform audits on the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund despite the fund receiving its grantmaking money from Baltimore City taxpayers. The fund was created via a 2016 charter amendment that requires the city to provide millions of dollars to support it every year with no sunset date.
Got a story idea or news tip? Email Julian Baron at jtbaron@sbgtv.com and follow him on X @JulianTBaron.
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