Israeli NGO Files Action against U.S. Presbyterian Church over Alleged Hizbullah Ties

A civil rights organization based in Israel has filed a legal complaint against the U.S. Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA), alleging violations of the U.S. tax code for unlawful political lobbying and contact with Hizbullah, The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday.

Shurat Hadin, the Tel Aviv-based organization, publicized the submission of its 38-page complaint with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday, the daily said.

“It is high time the IRS took a long look at the Presbyterian Church and investigated its meeting with the designated- terrorist organization Hizbullah, its lobbying activities, and its anti-Israel divestment policies,” said Shurat Hadin spokesman attorney Robert Tolchin.

“The PCUSA is obsessed with attacking the Jewish state and has moved far from the activities which it presented to the IRS to secure its tax-free status in the United States.”

According to The Jerusalem Post, Shurat Hadin said it provided the IRS with “documentary and video evidence” showing PCUSA delegates meeting with Hizbullah and publishing anti-Semitic materials.

The organization also accused the delegates of “enacting a racist policy to divest from American companies doing business with Israel, lobbying the U.S. Congress, and distributing political advocacy materials in violation of its tax-exempt status as a religious organization.”

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