US Foundation Funds Network to Infiltrate Israeli Power Centers

A report by Haaretz reveals that the American Hope Foundation has transferred at least $5 million to the Israeli Center for Freedom, a new organization that trains individuals for senior positions in Israel's security, government, and legal systems. The Hope Foundation has committed to transferring up to an additional $5 million in 2025. Under the Center, the Argaman Institute and the Israeli Forum for Law and Liberty operate, the latter training jurists. The Argaman Institute's flagship program, Churchill, aims to influence foreign policy and national security agendas, boasting 65 graduates, including the current head of the Shin Bet, the national information director, advisors to ministers, Prime Minister's Office staff, jurists, and senior reserve officers. Yoram Halevy, a participant in the program, was later appointed Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.

This network's origins trace back to academic research on a movement advocating for a Torah-governed state, evolving from ideas to mechanisms, then coalitions, and now a funded network with active senior officials. Early works like Sefi Rachlevsky's "The Messiah's Donkey" (1998) discussed the concept, while Yair Nahorai's "The Third Revolution" (2022) documented the "Elkana method" of placing graduates from religious pre-military academies into key roles. Ariel David's "The Trojan Method" (2026) expanded this to a coalition of streams, including organized enlistment into the Likud party, the "conservatism" movement of Kohelet and Hope, and the "Second Israel" narrative, also pointing to the Military Rabbinate and religious pre-military academies.

The Haaretz investigation adds the crucial element of a funded network, including the Shin Bet chief and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories among its alumni. The funding, totaling $5 million in 2024 with a commitment for more, is channeled through the Hope Foundation, which has reportedly sought to distance itself from direct involvement in Israel following protests. However, the Foundation's chairman, Elliot Abrams, is listed as a lecturer for the Churchill program on the Argaman Institute's website.

The strategy involves training individuals, building connections, and awaiting appointments. Yonatan Green, formerly of Hope, explained that this creates a go-to resource for conservative jurists for senior appointments. The ultimate goals of these streams, according to David, are a state where law is subordinate to Torah, or the fulfillment of territorial and messianic promises. This is pursued through a "two-stage method": first, dismantling checks and balances like the Supreme Court, and second, subordinating the government to a religious body. This strategy is already evident in legislative efforts to curb the judiciary's power, such as the annulment of the reasonableness clause and changes to the Judicial Appointments Committee.

The report highlights that the current head of the Shin Bet, David Zinai, has publicly stated he has an agenda and views lawyers as mere "tools." The Argaman Institute's strategic document proposes a new ethical code for the IDF based on "national, not universal, moral teaching" and suggests dismantling the Palestinian Authority. The article notes that while the security rationale is sometimes maintained externally, the religious discourse has intensified, particularly concerning the Gaza Strip. The Hope Foundation stated that the grant was a "one-time" transfer and that Abrams and two other senior officials have stepped down from the board of Friends of Freedom, the US organization that directs donors to the Center.