Joe Lauria says the Heritage Foundation’s “Project Esther,” as covered by Drop Site News, replicates the U.K.’s use of a terrorism law to criminalize pro-Palestine speech and activism.
Former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Glendale, Arizona, on Aug. 23. (Gage Skidmore, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
A second Trump administration could criminalize criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza as support for terrorism, along the lines of the British Terrorism Act, according to a report in Drop Site News.
The report says the plan is to “break the pro-Palestinian movement in the U.S.”
“The plan, dubbed ‘Project Esther,‘ casts pro-Palestinian activists in the U.S. as members of a global conspiracy aligned with designated terrorist organizations. As part of a so-called ‘Hamas Support Network,’ these protesters receive ‘indispensable support of a vast network of activists and funders with a much more ambitious, insidious goal — the destruction of capitalism and democracy,’ Project Esther’s authors allege.
This conspiratorial framing is part of a legal strategy to suppress speech favorable to Palestinians or critical of the U.S.-Israel relationship, by employing counterterrorism laws to suppress what would otherwise be protected speech, legal experts told Drop Site News.”
The authors of the plan are part of the right-wing Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, Drop Site says. Former President Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025 but he is a strong supporter of Israel, having moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and accepted Israel’s annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights, considered illegal by the U.N. Security Council.
The Washington Post reported in May that Trump told donors in New York that he would deport foreign students if they demonstrate for Palestine. “One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country. You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave,” Trump told the donors, the Post reported.
The report in Drop Site News, written by Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain, quotes an attorney at Palestine Legal as saying that
“concepts like the ‘Hamas Support Network’ or ‘Hamas Supporting Organizations,’ another term that the authors use to describe pro-Palestinian activist groups, is intended to construct a narrative justifying the use of counterterrorism and sanctions laws to suppress the First Amendment rights of individuals involved in the pro-Palestine movement …”
‘They need to make a claim that these organizations are being directed and controlled by Hamas, which they’re not,’ attorney Dylan Saba said. ‘So their claim now is that these organizations are effectively serving as a propaganda wing for designated terrorist organizations.’”
This is precisely what the British government has been doing.
2000 Terrorism Act
Using the 2000 Terrorism Act, authorities have been stopping journalists and activists at border entry points to interrogate them, sometimes arresting them, or conducting raids on their homes all because they dare expose and condemn Israel’s ongoing barbarism in Gaza and now Lebanon and misconstrue it as support for proscribed organizations, namely Hamas and Hezbollah.
Among those interrogated under the Terrorism Act for this purpose have been Craig Murray, writer, former British diplomat, new Consortium News board member; journalist Richard Medhurst who was held in a cell for 24 hours; and Asa Winstanley, an editor at Electronic Intifada whose home was raided by counterterrorism police.
[See: Police Escalate Britain’s War on Independent Journalism]
If Trump wins we could expect the same thing as is happening in the U.K. from his second administration, according to Drop Site News.
Heritage Foundation headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Ser Amantio di Nicolao, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
“To achieve its goals, Project Esther proposes the use of counterterrorism and hate speech laws, as well as immigration measures, including the deportation of students and other individuals,” Drop Site News reported.
The draconian measures being planned also include using racketeering laws “to help construct prosecutions against individuals and organizations in the movement,” the site reported.
[Related: Georgia Frames Cop-City Protest as Criminal Conspiracy]
The project would first attempt to purge “propaganda” from schools, then intimidate students not to take part in protests. This process is expected to lead to a point where “both the U.S. public and a preponderance of Jewish community perceives HSOs” — short for Hamas Support Organizations — “as a threat to their safety.”
Their aim is to crush the anti-genocide movement within 12 to 24 months.
As with most things in the duopoly, the Biden administration has given Trump a head start by designating a Palestinian prisoner support group named Samidoun a terrorist organization, the site says.
Israel has been accusing any critic of being pro-Hamas, such as how they smeared U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Or they accuse you of being part of Hamas. What is even more disturbing is that Western governments have taken up these ludicrous claims to ensure Israel remains above criticism while it openly commits genocide.
It is one of the most transparent tricks going back millennia for a government to smear its legitimate critics as being card-carrying members of its most ardent enemies — and Western governments are willfully falling for it, criminalizing journalists who oppose the slaughter.
If Trump wins and follows through with this plan he will be totally abrogating the First Amendment, which is supposed to separate the U.S. from the country it rebelled against a long time ago.
Joe Lauria is editor-in-chief of Consortium News and a former U.N. correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and other newspapers, including The Montreal Gazette, the London Daily Mail and The Star of Johannesburg. He was an investigative reporter for the Sunday Times of London, a financial reporter for Bloomberg News and began his professional work as a 19-year old stringer for The New York Times. He is the author of two books, A Political Odyssey, with Sen. Mike Gravel, foreword by Daniel Ellsberg; and How I Lost By Hillary Clinton, foreword by Julian Assange.
Looking around for election news, before the polls close. A pointless task, at least in most years, but may be interesting in ‘The Civil War’ election. But no, the usual drought before the flood of weather-person-style analysts pointing at screens hoping they pointed at the correct place.
Then I looked out the window, and saw a sight that was not on any of the news sites, from right to left, or the whole 3 cm that America allows. A homeless man ‘flying a sign.’
The symbol of this election that you will not see during all of the corporate media ‘coverage’ of this election. The picture that would say a 1000 words, if it was on a screen. Of course, the symbol is that he will be there tomorrow, no matter the vote counts, or the older style fights for power. Neither possible winner of this election will give a dang about that man, no more than all the cars that pass by without rolling down the window.
Well, hopefully he will be there tomorrow. Supposed to be below freezing tonight. So, hopefully he’ll be there tomorrow. That’s the symbol of this election, for all us non-millionaires … hopefully we’ll be here tomorrow, still praying for change and hope in a hopeless world.
The uniparty is working in concert:
Scoop: Chuck Schumer pledges antisemitism vote in Senate’s lame-duck session
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) recently promised Jewish leaders that he would try later this year to pass a bill aimed at curbing antisemitism on college campuses, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The bill would be Congress’ most forceful response to the pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the country this spring, which sometimes led to the harassment of Jewish students.
However, critics argue the definition of antisemitism the legislation offers is overly broad.
Between the lines: A nonprofit group has spent about $5 million on an ad campaign blasting Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish lawmaker, for his inaction.
Schumer has privately said he plans to attach the Antisemitism Awareness Act — making the federal government adopt a broad definition of antisemitism to enforce anti-discrimination laws — to a must-pass defense bill after the election, multiple sources told us.
Axios
Why doesn’t the word “treason” or “high treason” get mentioned any more? The Bill of Rights MUST NEVER be destroyed by criminal cabals–clearly against Humanity and God and PRO SATAN for their soul-selling, child-killing wealth and power.
We should all stand with 3rd Special Forces, Alan Shebaro:
“There is Nothing More American Than Speaking Out Against
What is Wrong. … THIS NEEDS TO STOP ….”
And:
“… We will kill you without restraint and one day you will all be
Palestinians”– American Journalist, Chris Hedges speaks
Just a historical reminder …. this government would not exist without the “Bill of Rights”.
This Constitution, the whole thing, the President, the Senate, the Supreme Court, a standing army, all of it, only exists because of the Bill of Rights. Because the Constitution, as originally crafted in its convention’s secret sessions, was rejected by the American people of that age. Nope, No sale. Rejected.
The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to get its passage agreed upon by the American people. The Constitution without the Bill of Rights was rejected, and it was only accepted when the Bill of Rights was added. So, in a very fundamental way, there would be no Executive Branch, no Department of Justice, no Department of Homeland Security, none of this, if the Bill of Rights did not exist. Without it, the American people, just said no.
Trump has been telling jews what they want to hear for a long time. He did it in 2015 when running as well. What he did not do is fight any wars for jews or give them any more of our money. All the things Trump did for Israel were essentially meaningless.
Watch what politicians do and ignore what they say.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves about Trump winning!
Even if this were true, Democrats are already doing much the same thing with their influence in the mainstream media and their actions on the ground. The lies of Blinken and Miller, which see no lack of food or other genocide, are as bad as it needs to be for any threat of “the other guy would be worse” to be offensive.
Or the more physical crackdowns on protestors happening under Dem mayors and Dem governors. Its the Dems who’ve been calling in the university presidents demanding that free speech be crushed and that everyone must be made to sing hallelujah in three-part harmony to support the Dem genocide.
C’mon people, even in an election year, one can not say with a straight face that Dems have been supporting free speech and a right to protest. Theis is the same party that just spent millions sending high-priced lawyers out to challenge all ‘third-party’ candidates and force them off the ballots.
I’ve been a protestor at three Dem conventions. In all three, I’ve been attacked by a Dem mayor’s police and tasted Dem pepper spray and felt Dem police batons. And one of the three conventions was so long ago that I didn’t even have to march into a Dem cage surrounded by Dem police to speak my free speech in a Dem ‘free speech zone’. The one thing that makes me recommend that experience is that it firmly plants into one’s soul the message that free speech is not allowed outside the cage. Dems supporting free speech and protest … please, don’t make me laugh.
I think I’m going to listen now to Crosby Stills and Nash singing “Please come to Chicago” . Good song, even though you know from history that the people who did go to Chicago made American TV screens bleeding from the Dem mayor’s “police riot”.
Sheeeesh, Joe. On Election Day? While it (all or some) may prove true, too many counterfactuals etc.
I think a better index of T’s ‘future intent,’ as Robert Barnes notes in recent DURAN interview – ‘moderated’ by RFK Jr., experienced health matters litigator, and Tulsi Gabbard, anti-militarist whisperer – is his recent interview with Tucker Carlson, per my short ‘X’ string on another ex-Intercept commentator, below:
The immediate twofold mis-take by Kamala, Inc., about Liz Cheney ‘firing squad’ + Trump ‘controlling women’s bodies’ may have ultimately backfired. As a whole, the Tucker talk was by a calm & rational guy, whatever the failures to restrain himself in front of crowds….
1/ Even liberals, Trump critics blast MSM coverage of Liz Cheney comments: ‘A bald-faced lie’ hxxps://msn.com/en-us/news/politics/even-liberals-trump-critics-blast-media-s-coverage-of-liz-cheney-comments-a-bald-faced-lie/ar-AA1tmmJa
Glenn Greenwald: “Compare WashPost ‘news article’ about what Trump said to what he actually said – why, as Jeff Bezos said, nobody trusts them: deservedly so.”
2/ Actual interview: hxxps://youtu.be/6VHP68I2j2w
30 secs. on Liz, 7 mins. on Dick. T. pardoned Scooter Libby. Dick & Dubya reducing Mideast to ruins?
“Lies, big lies & statistics.” (Disraeli)
hxxp://npr.org/2007/07/02/4764919/timeline-the-cia-leak-case
MSM doted: Robert (‘Errors &) NoFacts’ outing CIA op Valerie Plame.
Yeah, OK, so Trump may do bad things if elected.
But how much worse will he be than what Biden and Harris are already doing? Provoking the war in Ukraine, participating in Israeli genocide, using lawfare to try and jail your political opponent, arresting pro-Palestine student protesters, hunting down and arresting anyone who happened to walk into the Capitol on January 6, 2021. And let’s not forget Biden’s September 2022 speech in Philadelphia calling Trump and his MAGA followers a threat to democracy. We’ve seen what happens when a small and largely anonymous group of DNC insiders take control of the government by ousting the sitting president in a coup. How will such a group act once they have full control over the CIA, FBI, NSA? We’ve already seen what the malign neglect of the Secret Service almost accomplished at Trump’s rally in Butler Pennsylvania. Please, don’t for a minute, underestimate what the Deep State already has in store for us.
Yes, Trump,has the potential to do many bad things but the Democrats are actually doing those things right now.
Well said, Chris, and Trump has said he has nothing to do with the 2025 project, doesn’t even know what’s in it.
And Trump is of course famous for wanting all of his ‘briefings’ to be one page, and even down to one single paragraph would be better. Donald is not famous for paying attention to detailed plans or the people who wrote them. So, given Trump’s lack of intellect and attention span, this sounds rather plausible to me.
The only things Trump cares about right now, and for the past four years, is what makes the crowds cheer,, and to the ultimate goal of winning this election. Trump is not a big person for plans and theories if they don’t fit that simple motivation. Nope, that was always the Cheney family.
You stole my thunder. I hate the concept of “ the lesser of two evils” but in this case it sadly applies. Personally I believe him when he says he doesn’t ascribe to the 2025 Project. I may be naive but I also think he’s better positioned to be tough with Netanyahu and his extremist cabal. Quite unlike the weak Blinken and Harris. And further to that he’s also better placed to wind down the Ukrainian conflict.
If Trump wins the election it’s debatable if he or Israel will last longest. Same with Starmer in Britain. When Soviet Russia failed it was the political system within that collapsed not the country, because Russia is a long-established country. Not so Israel. It is an artificial construct on occupied land. Israel demands we all say it has the right to exist because it knows it is the last place on earth to have any such right.
If it had been magnanimous and fair instead of cruel and murderous it could have lasted forever.
And talking about the UK … this posted today :
Police violently arrest anti-genocide protester after looking on as pro-Israel activist gets in faces
Injured activist ‘Jerboa’ arrested and women say they were assaulted by police, but police do nothing as Israel supporter walks among anti-racist demonstrators and puts camera in their faces
hxxps://skwawkbox.org/2024/11/05/video-police-violently-arrest-anti-genocide-protester-after-looking-on-as-pro-israel-activist-gets-in-faces/
France even censors comedians. See the case of Dieuonne M’bala and also see interview of french author Jacob Cohen whose book, The Spring of the Sayanim is not translated to English on purpose and only available in french. Hxxps://archive.org/details//JacobCohenDocunenterview480p.
Also see review of his book at hxxps:///paulcudenec.substack.com/p/the-stench-og-the-system-sayanim
And around the same time :
hxxps://skwawkbox.org/2024/11/03/exclusive-video-see-jewish-professors-arrest-by-met-police-for-terrorism-of-condemning-israels-genocide/
One of the most ludicruous ‘arrests’ one could ever see, the arresting Police Officer : “So earlier today you made a speech. So you are being arrested under the Terrorism Act 2020 for Hate speech”.
Hate speech is not prosecuted under the Terrorism Act 2020 but under earlier legislation. Professor Bresheeth spent the night in custody, released pending ‘investigation’, the charge now changed to ‘supporting a proscribed organisation’….
According to Drop Site News’ cited quote of the Project Esther report, PE is a reversion to the McCarthyite era where all is either ‘Communism’ or ‘Americanned’ isms, always ill-understood, let alone ever precisely defined!
Need it even be said, on this ominous Election Day, that an envisaged law by any totalitarian regime, meant to “create and maintain a state of extreme fear and distress” in its population is, in and of itself, the very definition of terrorism?
Criminalizing free speech, especially protests against genocide, will push Americans of the Right into the arms of the rioting Left. It will be shown to be a formula for turning a Civil conflict of political differences into a major Revolutionary War against the Government. This is also the largest eminent stain on Trump’s Campaign for POTUS!
Trouble is it appears nowhere in his campaign. So why are we all speculating about his future actions. As if the Democrats and their accomplices in the MSM,Big Tech. the DoJ ,FBI and other government agencies haven’t already done their fair share censoring and canceling and jailing their political opponents. (J6) in particular, up to and including Trump himself.
Plus two assassination attempts in two months.
Just give him a $100 million.
He’ll forget all about getting rid of free speech.
I heard he’ll even mass murder little kids for $100 million.
If they dare to put this into effect, could we then finally find the collective spine for a general strike? They can’t throw the whole country in jail or deport the vast majority of us. It would be the ultimate vote of no confidence.
The Project Esther document follows the same rhetoric Dr. Rabbi Mark Goldfeder used during Sept 17, 2024 Senate Hearing on Hate. (c-span)
Consider indictment and disbarment of Dr. Rabbi Mark Goldfeder, he’s an easy target as small NJAC attny. Goldfeder led the US assault on defunding UNRWA. Is that enough systemic impact*–>>mass starvation and ethnic cleansing? Never underestimate Achilles’ heel of far-right Orthodox–>>public shame, indictment, disbarment.
(*) One significant factor in determining disbarment is how much harm the lawyer caused–>>Mass Starvation
Disbarment is more likely when the attorneys’ malfeasance goes beyond a single instance and has had a systemic impact–>>Ethnic Cleansing
Unconstitutional on its face … we are not the UK and have a first Amendment. If the pass such a thing there will be millions in jail.