“…Kohelet’s aims are not restricted to Israel’s domestic politics.Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, noted that the group’s director of international policy has supported U.S. legislation that would make boycotts against Israel illegal and has worked ‘to effectively change U.S. laws so that we no longer view boycotts of Israel or settlements as a legitimate form of protest.’” & “Kohelet and the Moderate PAC are both part of a broader project to silence criticism of Israel in Congress and bolster institutional support for the Netanyahu regime, Friedman said. Kohelet has been behind many of Israel’s illiberal policies, she noted, adding that Congress has stifled critiques of the same policies, which have been condemned by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. ‘Now the common refrain in Congress is, ‘Oh, this is antisemitic,’ which is then used to shut down critics of Israel like Ilhan Omar. There’s something rather elegant about this. It suggests that on this issue, we all stand together arm in arm on what it means to be pro-Israel today,’ Friedman said. ‘This is why they’re so worried about progressive candidates coming up in the ranks. You’ve gotta nip this in the bud.’”