The authors of Project Esther frame their report as recommendations to combat anti-Semitism. Critics, however, argue that the document’s true purpose is to discredit groups critical of Israel by labeling them as associates of Hamas.
Project Esther was developed in response to growing protests against U.S. support for Israel’s war on Gaza, which UN experts and human rights groups have termed a genocide.
So, what is Project Esther, and how is it impacting activists? This is an overview of the document and its ongoing implications for the U.S.
What is the Heritage Foundation?
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, DC, claims its mission is to “formulate and promote public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.” Critics contend that Project Esther advocates for government interference to limit individual freedoms, including freedom of speech and assembly when opposing Israeli government policies.
According to a New York Times report, the project is supervised by Victoria Coates, a vice president at the Heritage Foundation who served as deputy national security adviser during Trump’s first term.
What does Project Esther aim to achieve?
The initiative states it aims to “dismantle the infrastructure that sustains” what it calls the “Hamas Support Network” within 24 months.
What is the ‘Hamas Support Network’, according to Project Esther?
The authors assert that groups advocating for Palestinian rights are members of the Hamas Support Network (HSN). They define HSN as “people and organizations that are both directly and indirectly involved in furthering Hamas’s cause in contravention of American values and to the detriment of American citizens and America’s national security interests.” Essentially, the document claims that the pro-Palestinian movement is effectively a terrorist support network.
Does the ‘Hamas Support Network’ exist?
No such network exists in the U.S., a country with stringent laws against supporting groups designated as “terrorist organizations,” including Hamas. Beth Miller, political director at Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), a group named in the network by the Heritage Foundation, deems Project Esther’s allegations “outlandish.”
How does Project Esther plan to undermine the Palestinian rights movement?
The document proposes a multifaceted campaign against supporters of Palestinian rights, targeting them legally, politically, and financially. It outlines 19 goals it labels as “desired effects,” including restricting Palestinian rights supporters who are not U.S. citizens from accessing universities, ensuring social media platforms do not host “anti-Semitic content,” and presenting evidence of “criminal activity” by Palestine advocates to the executive branch. It also suggests refusing permits for protests in support of Palestinian rights and endorsing legal, private research into pro-Palestine groups to uncover criminal wrongdoing and undermine their credibility.
Is the Trump administration turning Project Esther recommendations into policy?
Evidence suggests this is the case. Coates stated that the phase they are now in involves enacting some of the initiatives in terms of legislative, legal, and financial penalties for what they consider to be material support for terrorism. Trump’s efforts to curb college protests align with Project Esther’s goals, such as revoking the visas of foreign students critical of Israel, a proposal also made in Project Esther. The Trump administration is suspected of using Canary Mission, a website dedicated to doxxing and smearing pro-Palestine students, alongside other pro-Israel groups to identify students for deportation.
What groups does Project Esther name as targets?
The document specifically identifies several Arab, Muslim, and progressive Jewish organizations, as well as student groups, as part of the alleged Hamas Support Network. American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), an educational and civic advocacy group, is cited as a central part of the network, with its executive director, Osama Abuirshaid, suggesting that the group is targeted due to its effectiveness and the ease with which it can be associated with Islamophobia because of the word “Islamic” in its name.
Why focus on universities?
Tariq Kenney-Shawa, a policy fellow at Al-Shabaka, a Palestinian think tank, explains that universities are targeted because they are losing support for Israel among young people in the U.S. He notes that while support for Israel’s war on Gaza is declining across U.S. demographics, the drop is more pronounced among young Americans and on college campuses.
Is Project Esther working?
Advocates argue that the crackdown on the Palestine solidarity movement poses immediate threats to activists’ safety and wellbeing, especially for foreign students. However, this has also led to a backlash. There is a noted increase in people speaking out defiantly against these attacks and a growing awareness of the hypocrisy in silencing and censorship of Palestinian rights activists. Earlier in May, several right-wing legislators and Trump allies opposed a bill aimed at expanding restrictions on boycotts of Israel, citing free speech concerns. Despite the challenges, Abuirshaid affirms that these attacks energize the fight to continue.
