Hebron Fund hosts fundraiser at Citi Field as Royals clinch World Series

Not only was Citi Field the venue where the Kansas City Royals clinched a World Series titles against the New York Mets, but it was also the site of a fundraiser for an American group, the Hebron Fund, which supports of the illegal settlers in the West Bank.

The Hebron Fund is a tax-exempt organization that raises all its funds in the United States and sends it overseas for the expansion and the development of the settlements with the goal of making a Palestinian state impossible. A columnist at the Washington Post, David Ignatius, reported:

A search of IRS records identified 28 U.S. charitable groups that made a total of $33.4 million in tax-exempt contributions to settlements and related organizations between 2004 and 2007.

While these organizations do not meet the criteria of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) when it comes to tax exemption, they still are awarded 501(c)(3) status which means their activities are being funded by American taxpayers.

The Mets showed support for the fundraiser back in 2009 with this email:

Citi Field hosts a wide range of events that reflect the diversity of our hometown and the differing views and opinions of New Yorkers. The beliefs of organizations holding events at Citi Field do not necessarily reflect those of the New York Mets.

Among the activists that urged the Mets to cancel this event were Rebecca Vilkomerson of Jewish Voice for Peace as well as Neil Strauss of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.