Thread by @CliffSmithZBRDZ

I grew up admiring @WorldVision. But sometimes, the truth hurts.

The truth is, it has repeatedly funded terrorist groups, done little to fix the problems, and then engaged in deceitful PR practices to deflect.

Read my investigation & see below. /1
meforum.org/64207/world-vi…

World Vision used Australian govt $$ to fund the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), a front for the PFLP, a designated terrorist group. When caught, WV attacked those who called them out despite @USAID & numerous NGO's telling WV the truth. smh.com.au/world/australi… /2

@WorldVision's Lebanon branch partnered with another PFLP affiliate, the Palestinian Children and Youth Institution headed by the openly declared PFLP operative Khaled Yamani, an accused Iranian Intelligence recruiter. There are photos.

WV has never addressed this. /3

@WorldVision has also signed joint memoranda with Interpal, a British charity designated as a terror financer by the United States, Israel, Canada, and Australia for supporting Hamas. /4 home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/…

@WorldVision was caught funding, with @USAID dollars, Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA), an Islamist charity in Sudan designated as a terrorist entity for funding one of Laden's organizations as well as Hamas. Myself and @samwestrop uncovered this in 2018. /5 meforum.org/islamist-watch…

Caught red handed, @WorldVision lobbied Congress and the @BarackObama administration to keep the relationship w/ISRA going for fear of getting kicked out of Sudan.

A subsequent Senate investigation by @ChuckGrassley found WV "Borderline negligent." /6 finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/…

One question never answered: @WorldVision had a job posting that specified work w/ISRA as part of the job nearly a year AFTER WV supposedly broke off from ISRA. This has never been explained. Did they continue to fund it from non-US sources? WV has never addressed this. /7

World Vision has spent years defending their former Gaza Director, Mohammad Halabi, now convicted (christianitytoday.com/news/2022/june…) of funding #Hamas, as an innocent victim. Yet, their defenses don't hold up to scrutiny. /8

In an interview w/DAWN, Halabi's lawyers, confident in victory, mocked the Israeli prosecution & its judicial system more broadly, claiming it was "stretched ... to the limits of credulity."

DAWN is a think tank funded by Qatar, a major #Hamas funder. /9 dawnmena.org/the-truth-stan…

But Halabi *confessed* to two separate parties nearly two weeks apart, and both times cited similar relevant details. His confession:

"(Pr)esents a logical, coherent story, which is interwoven with many details, from different time points and involves many people..."/10

"with different roles and has an affinity for security incidents that occurred in the past and unlikely that the defendant fabricated them while confessing to them, had they not actually occurred."

His confession lines up w/testimony of 35+, mostly Palestinian, witnesses. /11

@WorldVision claims Halabi was tortured into confessing.

They have provided *no* evidence for this beyond his lawyers say-so.

But that's not all. Muhammad Mehdi, one of Halabi's accusers, was interrogated by #Hamas. A copy of that confession was on Halabi's computer. /12

It is difficult to imagine an innocent explanation for Mehdi's interrogation being on Halabi's personal computer that would not strain credulity.

Indeed, to believe in Halabi's innocence, you have to believe that:

1. Halabi's multiple confessions were coerced. /13

2. Mehdi, a Gazan Palestinian, was part of a multi-layered conspiracy to fabricate a story incriminating Halabi. So were the other thirty-five witnesses for the prosecution. /14

3. Israeli law enforcement agencies, or some other unknown actor, planted evidence on Halabi's personal computer.

4. Shabak operatives tortured Halabi in contravention of Israeli law to coerce his false confession, then lied about it. /15

5. The Israeli court system on multiple levels, all the way up to the Supreme Court, which turned down several appeals by Halabi claiming unfair treatment, ignored all of this. /16

But wait! There's more!

@WorldVision says Halabi was accused of stealing $50m, more than they claim is their entire budget in the region for a decade.

But their own public reports say they spent $45m in just three years, far more than $22.5m over a decade that they claim. /17

Extrapolating these figures would lead to @WorldVision spending roughly $142m in 10yrs, far above the $50m Halabi confessed to stealing.

Moreover, as the Court explained, the amount is not relevant. It is legally sufficient to prove that Halabi provided funds to Hamas. /18

@WorldVision also claims an Australian audit found "no diversion" of funds to terrorism.

This is a lie. Australia's Ambassador to Israel explained the audit cleared AusAid, not Halabi, which he left to the courts, which have now found Halabi guilty. /19

https://twitter.com/ausambisrael/status/847001960603680770

@WorldVision also claims that an audit they requested of themselves clears Halabi. However, WV refused to release it to the public, nor submit it to evidence, claiming the Israeli court wouldn't sign an NDA.

"We have proof, we just won't show you." Clever huh? /20

There are still unanswered questions. Some of the stolen funds were @USAID funds. Court documents say Halabi tried to recruit those close to @USAID, such as Walid Musa of Save the Children USA.

Was he successful? We don't know. But we know Halabi tried. /21

More: @WorldVision's Israeli office may be shut down. Israel's charitable regulator says WV's Israel operation is:

"a rubber stamp intended to transfer [WV] funds to activities unrelated to [WV] goals & there is concern that funds [ended up funding] illegal terrorist(s)." /22

Ex: $145,905 for "transformed relationships," $36,724 for "drawing a smile on children," $173,387 for "special gifts reserve," and $142,955 for "South Gaza empowered children." One need not be a forensic accountant to see such funds might be used to fund other things in Gaza./23

World Vision has systemic problems they refuse to address. Since they refuse, others must do it for them.

Congress, the Administration, and WV's many faithful christian donors, who are horrified by terrorism, should hold them accountable. /24 FIN meforum.org/64207/world-vi…