[News] U.S. Nonprofit Raised $300, 000 for Israeli Sniper Unit Associated With Killings of Unarmed Palestinians

[Anti-Imperialist News]

dropsitenews.com
<https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/us-nonprofit-raising-money-israeli-sniper-unit>
U.S. Nonprofit Raised $300,000 for Israeli Sniper Unit Associated With
Killings of Unarmed Palestinians
Sami Vanderlip <https://substack.com/@samivanderlip>  Dec 11, 2024
------------------------------
U.S. Nonprofit Raised $300,000 for Israeli Sniper Unit Associated With
Killings of Unarmed Palestinians“Your support allowed us to get my son and
his elite sniper unit the most advanced scopes needed in order to have an
advantage over Hamas when they go into Gaza.”
<https://substack.com/profile/15237008-sami-vanderlip>
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc71d73d9-ef4b-4911-bff5-2ad78c9dbedf_1600x1200.png>Graphic:
Sami Vanderlip

A U.S. nonprofit has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for an Israeli
sniper unit for the stated purpose of buying scopes, silencers, and other
equipment. The unit, which is nicknamed Rephaim, or “Ghosts,” has since
been implicated in possible war crimes and killing over 100 people in Gaza
and has been tied to the killing of four unarmed Palestinians in Gaza since
October 7, 2023.

On October 9, 2023, the mother of unit member Daniel Raab—an Illinois
native—posted on Facebook that the nonprofit, registered as “Friends of
Paratrooper Sniper Unit 202,” was in need of “helmets, rain gear, barrels,
vests, sniper stands, silencers, camouflage, and the list goes on.”

In its 990 filings, Friends of Paratrooper Sniper Unit 202 is described as
“an organization dedicated to catering to the additional requirements and
the overall welfare of soldiers serving in a specific military unit.” The
description continues to say that the primary focus of the nonprofit is,
“to ensure that soldiers have access to the necessary resources, support
systems, and amenities that can enhance their comfort, safety, and
well-being while they are actively serving their duty.”

The charity has raised significant amounts of money for the sniper unit
since its establishment last year. According to its tax filings, Friends of
Paratrooper Sniper Unit 202 raised over $304,000 in the year ending
December 2023, of which it spent roughly $208,000 in grants—money which its
promoters emphasize goes directly to soldiers in the unit.
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc45e6fa5-ae10-46c1-bdf5-49e4c4178c7a_1890x1417.png>

The nonprofit was registered in Illinois by Benjamin Raab, who appears to
be Daniel's father. Melissa Raab, who has identified herself as his mother
on Facebook posts, is listed as a director in the 2023 IRS filings. (The
2024 form is not available yet.) As of publication, the links
<https://www.clover.com/pay-widgets/690247d3-7138-4127-8f41-8a880886e8d4>
to donate
<https://www.daffy.org/charities/932213489-friends-of-paratroop-sniper-unit-202-riverwoods-il>
are still active
<https://www.clover.com/pay-widgets/690247d3-7138-4127-8f41-8a880886e8d4>.
Drop Site reached out repeatedly to the nonprofit itself, Benjamin Raab,
and Melissa Raab in advance of the publication of this story but received
no response.

According to social media posts, the non-profit’s funds were used to
purchase military equipment. “Your support allowed us to get my son and his
elite sniper unit the most advanced scopes needed in order to have an
advantage over Hamas when they go into Gaza,” Daniel’s mother Melissa wrote
in a note shared by a family friend on Facebook on October 27, 2023.

“There is advance [sic], high tech equipment that only the United States
Army, and only the Navy SEALs have. We can get this equipment for the
snipers,” she said, also sharing a voice note by Daniel himself.
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e7a6fb7-f184-4e9a-b7ba-4b1120152e72_1116x1600.jpeg>Source:
Facebook
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F914aed25-eb0f-4cdc-80b2-58596cf27dc5_1155x1600.jpeg>Source:
Facebook
*The Ghost Unit*

On April 19, 2024, Shalom Gilbert, another member of the 202 Paratroopers
Battalion posted a montage video of his battalion’s activities in the Gaza
Strip. Like many similar videos uploaded to social media by Israeli
soldiers since the start of the war in Gaza, Gilbert’s footage shows in
detail the tremendous devastation wrought upon the territory by the Israeli
military assault. While there is typically very little combat footage in
the montages, this particular video shows three separate clips of snipers
targeting apparently unarmed people.

The battalion’s video states in blunt terms their intention to bring
violence upon Gaza.: “When they meet the 202nd battalion they are going to
regret being born,” a text displayed in the video says.

Around two minutes into the montage, grainy thermal imagery displays a
scene of two men, appearing unarmed, walking down a street and in civilian
clothes. The man then falls to the ground, appearing to have been shot. The
second man runs away to the left, outside of the camera view.

*Source: Shalom Gilbert on YouTube*

Fast forwarding about five minutes into the montage, footage that appears
to be taken from a higher vantage point or a drone, showing two people, one
dead and lying motionless on the ground and the second leaning over him. A
shot seems to be fired at him, throwing him backwards. He appears to have
been killed on the spot.

*Source: Shalom Gilbert on YouTube*

Shortly afterwards, there are grainy thermal images of two men walking side
by side. The one on the left of the picture is slightly ahead. He appears
to be shot, falling to the ground immediately, while the other man, who is
slightly behind, runs off.

*Source: Shalom Gilbert on YouTube*

The videos showings the killings was first made public in October as part
of the Al Jazeera Investigative Unit’s film, “Gaza
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPE6vbKix6A&pp=ygUPZ2F6YSB3YXIgY3JpbWVz>,”
and geolocated to the area of the hospital —the Tel Hawwa neighborhood in
southern Gaza City. (Sami Vanderlip, the author of this story, was a
researcher on the film, “Gaza,” along with Younis Tirawi.) There are
questions about the legality of the killings shown in the video, which
targeted people not appearing to hold any weapons. Charlie Herbert, a
retired major general in the British army, expressed concerns about the
scene that the video displayed. “I don't know the context of what happened
before, I don’t know what happened 2 minutes before that. You know, they
may have been tracked,” he said. “They may have been involved in contacting
and shooting at Israeli forces, they may have been legitimate targets. But
it sure doesn't look like it to me.”

In October, the Belgian government launched an investigation
<https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/belgium-launches-war-crimes-probe-belgian-israeli-man-fighting-gaza>into
Alon Ben Sira, a dual citizen, for alleged war crimes as a result of
Tirawi’s reporting on the sniper unit.

Drop Site News also obtained a video from February from the sniper unit’s
Instagram account, geolocated to Khan Younis, showing the targeting of a
Palestinian who appeared unarmed and posing no threat. According to the
soldiers who boasted about it, he was shot from a distance of 1.26
kilometers away.

*Source: @rephaim9 on Instagram.*

The same Instagram account posted a story in February with four members of
the unit. The post claimed that these soldiers set an Israeli military
record for long-distance sniping—stating that they neutralized a target
identified as a terrorist from 1.26 km away.

The caption reads: “Interesting fact: The team, in collaboration with Adir
and the Citroën ‘Rank of lieutenant and above,’ is responsible for the IDF
record in operational sniping after eliminating a terrorist at a range of
1,260 meters.”
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3c6c682-458c-4b47-ad2d-be098822184a_1108x1600.jpeg>Source:
@rephaim9 on Instagram
*U.S. Nonprofits Supporting the Israeli Military*

According to publicly available online registry filings,
<https://www.orgcouncil.com/ein/932213489>Friends of Paratrooper Sniper
Unit 202 was granted tax-exempt status by the IRS in early August 2023.

The activities of Friends of Paratrooper Sniper Unit 202 are not an
isolated case but represent a part of a broader trend in which U.S.-based
nonprofits have significantly ramped up fundraising efforts for the Israeli
military since their assault on Gaza began following the attacks of October
7.

One of the most prominent organizations in this space is the Israeli
military affiliated Friends of the IDF, which raises close to $100 million
annually. Their consistent ability to generate immense sums underscores the
deep financial and ideological ties between pro-Israel organizations in the
United States and the Israeli military.

Smaller organizations have also been able to mobilize significant resources
to support the assault on Gaza. One case in point has been the Ari Fuld
Project, which has raised over $855,000, according to a tabulation of their
various public campaigns set up in support of a number of units in the
Israeli military since October 7. According to the group, these funds are
going toward purchasing everything from protective eyewear
<https://arifuld.org/eye-for-zion-campaign/> to drones
<https://arifuld.org/simeons-drone-collection-campaign/> for Israeli
soldiers.

Speaking generally, Sarah Lee Whitson, the executive director of DAWN, said
that the IRS looks to U.S. law and not international when considering
whether a nonprofit purpose is legal or not, but that international law
could be considered through the War Crimes Act. “It stands to reason that
someone should be able to file a complaint to say that an organization
should have their nonprofit status cancelled because they are aiding and
abetting war crimes under the War Crimes Act.”

Documenting Israel, an online social media account that aims to document
“daily events in Israel relating to security, terrorism and general Jewish
life” to its thousands of followers have leveraged its social media
platforms to start a fundraising campaign for Israeli soldiers following
October 7th. They have since raised over $130,000 to buy equipment ranging
from helmets and scopes to tactical vests for soldiers serving in Gaza.
Videos and photos of soldiers thanking donors for new equipment like
helmets, vests, and drones have been used as powerful marketing tools
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXDGzIFcHKA&t=7s&ab_channel=DocumentingIsrael>
to garner greater support.

“There are dozens of 501(c)(3)s that are funding West Bank settlements –
which is a war crime that should be covered under War Crimes Act, but so
far the IRS has not done its job to ensure that nonprofits are not funding
illegal acts,” added Whitson. “From a purely legal standpoint, if the IRS
was doing its job it’d be investigating and shutting down nonprofit
organizations that are funding war crimes. That’s not only what
international law demands, but what American law demands.”

The trend also highlights a disparity in how nonprofits are scrutinized. HR
9495 or Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act,
passed the House mainly along party lines. If signed into law it would
grant the Treasury to revoke tax-exempt status of nonprofits that are
subjectively deemed to be supporting “terrorism”—a move that many critics
believed would be used to target pro-Palestinian groups in particular.
Meanwhile, organizations supporting units within the Israeli military would
continue to operate without similar oversight.

While fundraising links for the tax-exempt charity remain online, the
social media page has since been taken down. Social media posts from Raab’s
mother and other family members show efforts to solicit donations on
Facebook, emphasizing that any money given would go directly to soldiers
serving in the unit.
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F863bc7f8-add1-4d7e-a4c3-3f25a1c45e7b_1366x988.png>

As the donations aimed at buttressing capacity came in, the unit bragged of
its impact in the onslaught of Gaza. On March 14, 2024, PAZAM, a public
relations company associated with the Israeli military, posted on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/Pazam.Army/posts/pfbid028NMLe8NfSeia9q3Am3Y5fcXoAnhMu2LTnpit8hg5qxbYSQUiWyQDMFWAdMWL2oJpl>
that the sniper unit of the 202 Battalion had reached “100 eliminations of
terrorists.” The message read:

Sniper Unit of the 202

Was everywhere since the start of the war

Sderot, Kfar Aza, Beeri, Gaza City, Rimal, Shuja’iyya, Khan Younis and soon
maybe Rafah

Currently standing at 100 eliminations of terrorists and they’ll reach more
!!!

Let’s cheer for these legends.

<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa958ec6-0a1d-4c64-b283-1313c4a78650_1370x1716.png>

Raab also acknowledged the role that the money that flowed from donors to
the sniper unit in helping build its capacity in the war.

“I would like to first and foremost thank everyone from the bottom of my
heart who has been a part of and contributed in action or in spirit, but
specifically in action in terms of capital to the organization Friends of
Paratroopers Unit 202 Sniper Team,” he said in a voice note from October
27, 2023, shared on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/share/p/suVJ34hz8B2czRSk/> by a family friend.

“The work that you have done and the results of your tireless work, effort
and capital has absolutely changed our capabilities to accomplish our
missions, to go into battle, to win, to protect ourselves, to protect our
comrades and come home safely. And I would like to send a message to
continue that work, keep it coming. It's doing nothing but helping us and
it is much needed.”
<https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe46514a2-1501-4e0d-a10f-0cbabbbc0b82_1440x1914.jpeg>Daniel
Raab. Source: Facebook
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