A new report from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has revealed the involvement of a political activist group associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in funding and organizing anti-Israel protests that have created disruptions on college campuses across the U.S. over recent weeks. The report highlights the activities of groups like Shut It Down for Palestine (SID4P), describing them as anti-capitalist, anti-police, and anti-government movements that function through a combination of online and real-world networks to organize demonstrations and direct-action campaigns targeting critical infrastructure and public spaces. The report also identifies the Singham Network, led by American-born tech mogul Neville Roy Singham based in Shanghai, as a key conduit for CCP geopolitical influence, with alternative media outlets playing a central role in mobilization for SID4P activities.
The report found connections between SID4P and extremist groups promoting anti-American and anti-Jewish agendas within the U.S. The protests, ostensibly focused on Israel, are part of a broader, well-funded initiative with a revolutionary, anti-government, and anti-capitalist agenda driven by foreign entities hostile to the U.S. The report highlights the seven core organizations that make up SID4P, including Al-Awda NY, National Students for Justice In Palestine (NSJP), Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), Palestinian American Community Center NJ (PACC), the People’s Forum, ANSWER Coalition, and International People’s Assembly (IPA), all identified as playing a significant role in advancing the broader anti-American, anti-democratic, and anti-capitalist agenda connected to CCP-affiliated entities.
The People’s Forum, operating as a part of these organizations, has been involved in organizing several anti-Israel protests following an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 where over 1,200 Israelis were killed and over 200 taken hostages. The report predicts that these organizations will continue to stimulate unrest throughout the summer of 2024 and into the November elections. Some experts liken the anti-Israel demonstrations to a Trojan Horse, arguing that they are part of a coordinated effort by a Chinese-linked authoritarian network to promote chaos and undermine America and Western Civilization using social justice and anti-colonialism as pretexts. The tactics employed by this network are compared to those used by Marxist regimes, evoking experiences from the former Soviet Union.
According to Liora Rez, founder of StopAntisemitism, the Chinese-linked authoritarian network behind these protests is reminiscent of Marxist strategies that her family experienced in the Soviet Union. Rez argues that the network’s use of anti-Israel sentiment is a tool to promote their destructive doctrine, drawing parallels between the hatred of Jews and the promotion of ruinous ideologies. Ivana Stradner, a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), highlights China’s adoption of Moscow’s toolkit for influencing the U.S. through covert methods, focusing on building a positive image of the CCP and amplifying messaging around economic cooperation. Stradner warns of China’s exploitation of social divisions in the U.S. through strategies aimed at promoting far-left narratives and exacerbating issues like systemic racism to polarize American society.
China’s influence operations have long been centered on exploiting social divisions in the U.S. while promoting a positive image of the CCP and emphasizing economic cooperation. By adapting strategies from Russia’s information warfare playbook, Beijing aims to further polarize American society through narratives that amplify divisions around issues like systemic racism and support for extremist groups. As part of a broader effort to undermine America and Western Civilization, the Chinese-linked authoritarian network behind the anti-Israel protests is viewed as a significant player in advancing a destructive agenda disguised under the guise of social justice and anti-colonialism. The network’s tactics bear resemblance to those employed by Marxist regimes, utilizing anti-Israel sentiment to promote their authoritarian doctrine and sow chaos within Western democracies.
