Will the Mossad Carry out Its Threat to Disrupt the Future of Protesters at American Universities?

In the wake of the recent conflict in Gaza, a series of dismissals have targeted employees and journalists at global institutions, ostensibly for their expressions of support for Gaza's residents.

These terminations often followed intense vilification efforts on social media platforms.

The Israeli Mossad issued a threat to demonstrators at American universities against the war on the Gaza Strip, at a time when protests were spreading, which caused a great uproar in Washington and Tel Aviv. In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), the official Mossad account said that Facial recognition can determine whether you participated in pro-Hamas protests at universities.

The agency also threatened in the tweet to lose employment opportunities for those proven to have participated in the protests against the war on the Gaza Strip.

In a previous tweet, the agency described the demonstrations taking place at Columbia University as "disgraceful."

The Mossad is known as the Israeli intelligence service abroad and is active in a number of Western and foreign countries. It targets opponents of the occupying state, and is famous for its assassinations of Palestinian resistance fighters.

Difficult Demonstrations

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant previously called for an end to demonstrations in support of the Gaza Strip at American universities, while extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir directed the establishment of armed groups to protect the Jewish communities there.

Gallant claimed in a post on X that the demonstrations taking place at universities in the United States are not only anti-Semitic, but also incitement to terrorism.

He called on "the authorities in the United States of America to take action, in order to protect the Jews and stop the demonstrations in universities.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also claimed that diaspora Jews are currently suffering from a severe wave of anti-Semitism in communities and universities in the United States, Europe, and the world.

Pro-Palestine protests swept American universities following mass arrests at Columbia University in New York City.

On April 18, pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University in the United States began a sit-in in the campus garden, to protest the university's continued financial investments in companies that support the occupation of Palestine and "genocide" in Gaza.

More than 2ooo students were arrested during the demonstrations. Later, the demonstrations spread to other leading universities in the United States, such as New York University, Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of North Carolina.

Online Assaults

The "Canary Mission" has become a buzzword among digital activists, particularly in light of calls to remove university professors from their posts and the smearing of students due to their online activities and criticism of civilian targeting.

The Canary Mission Network is akin to a clandestine, politically motivated non-academic entity. It operates a website that defames university students, faculty, and organizations that advocate for Palestinian rights or address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Emerging in early 2015, Canary Mission began its campaign with online assaults on student activists vocal about Palestinian human rights abuses.

The organization poses a threat to free speech — a right held sacred by global constitutions—and jeopardizes students' educational pursuits and academics' career prospects.

The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) committee has prioritized raising awareness about Canary Mission's objectives and tactics, viewing them as a menace to academic liberty.

Despite the anonymity of its leaders and affiliates, Canary Mission's ideology aligns with the Israeli far-right.

Its website claims to track individuals and entities on North American campuses that allegedly propagate animosity towards the U.S., "Israel," and Jewish people.

To this point, over 2,500 profiles have been published by the organization, predominantly featuring students and professors who resonate with the Palestinian cause and its territorial defense.

Following extensive smear campaigns, Canary Mission forwards its "blacklist" to university administrations, aiming to tarnish and impede the professional futures of those listed, thereby instilling fear and stifling dissent against Israeli and American policies.

Canary Mission's operations came to light when Ahmed Aburas, a student at New Jersey College of Law, was unexpectedly approached by campus security and subsequently interrogated by law enforcement about his pro-Palestinian social media activity.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of FBI inquiries into pro-Palestine advocates, some of which are informed by blacklists from pro-Israeli right-wing factions, scrutinizing supposed connections to Middle Eastern armed factions.

Canary Mission's influence is acknowledged; the FBI has referenced its database in investigations, casting doubts on the veracity of its claims.

The Guardian highlighted Canary Mission's activities following an interview with Rebecca Pearce, a student activist maligned on the site as an extremist.

Pearce, involved in a UCSC campaign against perceived anti-Islamic remarks by a faculty member, criticized the website for perpetuating racial clichés and wrongfully linking peaceful activism with bigotry and violence.

Pearce's apprehensions reflect the organization's intent: to misrepresent activists to potential employers, thereby achieving its objectives.

Official Recognition

In an exposé published by The Forward in 2018, revelations about the funding sources behind the controversial website "Mission Canary" shed light on its substantial financial backing from the American Jewish community, particularly the prominent Jewish Federation based in San Francisco.

According to The Forward's investigation, the Canary Mission Network received a staggering $100,000 from the Diller Fund in 2017 alone, cementing its position as one of the most significant and influential Jewish organizations in the United States.

Notably, this financial infusion was facilitated through the Central Fund of Israel.

Operating as an American charitable organization, the Central Fund of Israel serves as a conduit for donations from American Jews to "Israel," providing them with tax exemptions in the process. Subsequently, these funds are redirected to right-wing organizations within "Israel."

However, a scrutiny of official documents outlining the money transfer process uncovered an apparent anomaly.

Alongside the Diller Fund contributions, the transfer was erroneously listed as being channeled through the organization Megamot Shalom, a phrase translating to "peace methodologies" in Arabic.

This entity, registered anonymously in the occupied territories as a "non-profit company for the benefit of the public," raised questions about its role and transparency.

Purportedly dedicated to safeguarding the strength and national image of "Israel" through technological dissemination of information, Megamot Shalom, as per Israeli company filings, is overseen by Jonathan Bash, a British-born Jew who serves on its administrative board.

Despite these assertions, the organization maintains a low online profile, with any online references swiftly disappearing following The Forward's inquiry.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz conducted its own investigation, uncovering alarming ties between the website and Israeli intelligence and border security agencies.

Haaretz's findings suggest that these agencies utilize the Canary Mission as a sanctioned source for gathering information on American citizens, employing it as a basis for determining entry restrictions and conducting inquiries into individuals' political activities.

This unsettling revelation raises concerns about potential collaboration between Mission Canary and Israeli government entities, particularly the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, implicating governmental involvement in the surveillance and scrutiny of American citizens based on their political affiliations.