Iran is funding anti-Israel protests in US: White House

The White House has accused Tehran of trying to take advantage of a wave of anti-Israel protests in the United States and described such behavior as unacceptable, following a warning by the top US intelligence official that Iran was trying to stoke discord in American society.

The warning, issued on Tuesday by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, said actors tied to Iran’s government had posed as activists online, sought to encourage protests regarding the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and even provided demonstrators with financial support.

The statements are likely to embolden those calling for American authorities to take a harder line on the Gaza war protests that swept across college campuses toward the end of the spring semester, and that have continued at other locations into the summer.

They also could expose the administration to criticism by defenders of those demonstrations, who may argue that the government is dismissing them as inauthentic.

The White House and Haines both sought to address this potential pushback in their Tuesday statements.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said freedom of expression was vital to American democracy, but the government also had a duty to warn citizens about foreign influence operations.

“Americans across the political spectrum, acting in good faith, have sought to express their own independent views on the conflict in Gaza. The freedom to express diverse views when done peacefully is essential to our democracy,” she said.

“At the same time, the US government has a duty to warn Americans about foreign malign influences… We will continue to expose attempts to undermine our democracy in our society just as we are today,” Jean-Pierre added.

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White House: Iran is funding, emboldening anti-Israel protests in US to sow discord (Times of Israel)

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