Last updated on March 31, 2026
The Libertarian National Committee is considering a resolution dealing with a considerable list of American organizations that are associated with American Judaism and/or are advocating American support for Israel. The resolution claims that as ‘pro-Israel lobbying groups’ they are described by the Foreign Agents Registration Act and should be required to register as agents of a foreign principal. No evidence was presented in support of the claim that these groups are acting as foreign agents rather than representing the opinions of the American citizens who form their memberships.
Editorial Opinion: The resolution disgraces our party. It is transparently a dog whistle summoning alt-right-inclined persons to join the Libertarian Party. There should have been an objection to consideration. Failing that, the resolution should be voted down, and its supporters should be encouraged to consider migrating to some other political party.
The text of the proposed resolution follows: [Minor Edit: With thanks to Travis Bost for showing that one entry should actually read “Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations”]
Libertarian National Committee Policy Resolution: Requiring Registration of Pro-Israel Lobbying Groups as Foreign Agents Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)
WHEREAS, the Libertarian Party is committed to a non-interventionist foreign policy that prioritizes American sovereignty, opposes entangling alliances, foreign aid funded by U.S. taxpayers, and any undue foreign influence on U.S. policymaking; and
WHEREAS, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of 1938 requires individuals or organizations acting “at the order, request, or under the direction or control” of a foreign principal (including foreign governments) to register with the Department of Justice, disclose their activities, funding sources, and communications, and label materials as foreign-influenced to promote transparency and protect American interests; and
WHEREAS, numerous U.S. based organizations engage in extensive lobbying, political advocacy, campaign contributions, educational trips for lawmakers, and public campaigns that primarily advance the interests of the government of Israel, often securing billions in annual U.S. military and economic aid, sanctions on Israel’s adversaries, and policies aligned with Israeli government positions, yet currently operate without FARA registration by claiming to represent only American citizens; and
WHEREAS, the following are the major relevant pro-Israel lobbying and advocacy organizations operating in the United States, along with summaries of their histories of advocacy on behalf of Israel:
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC): Founded in 1954. It has grown into the most prominent pro-Israel lobby, with over 5 million claimed members and annual lobbying expenditures in the millions. Its advocacy includes securing multi-billion-dollar U.S. aid packages to Israel, pushing sanctions against Iran, organizing all-expenses-paid congressional trips to Israel via its educational affiliate, rating lawmakers’ votes on Israel-related bills, and, since 2021, operating its own PAC and super PAC to support pro-Israel candidates and defeat critics in primaries.
Christians United for Israel (CUFI): Founded in 2006 by Pastor John Hagee (revived from earlier 1975 efforts) as a Christian Zionist organization with over 10 million members, primarily evangelical Christians. It is often cited as the largest pro-Israel lobby by membership. Its history of advocacy includes hosting annual Washington summits where members lobby Congress for unconditional U.S. support, military aid, and opposition to territorial concessions; running campus chapters; and framing U.S.-Israel ties in biblical and strategic terms to influence evangelical voters and policymakers.
Zionist Organization of America (ZOA): Founded in 1897 as the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States. It maintains a right-wing stance, advocating for Israeli sovereignty over disputed territories, strong U.S. military support, and opposition to Palestinian statehood or concessions. Its advocacy history includes public education campaigns, lobbying against perceived anti-Israel bias in media and academia, and campus activism through coalitions.
Anti-Defamation League (ADL): Longstanding advocacy organization that includes pro-Israel policy work alongside its core mission against antisemitism. It influences U.S. foreign policy by lobbying on issues benefiting Israel, monitoring campus activism, and partnering in pro-Israel coalitions.
American Jewish Committee (AJC): A major Jewish advocacy group that lobbies to strengthen U.S.-Israel relations, coordinates with Israeli officials, and promotes policies aligned with Israeli government priorities on security and diplomacy.
Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP): Founded as a pro-Israel think tank closely aligned with AIPAC and often described as reflecting the positions of the Israeli government in power. It provides policy analysis and briefings to U.S. officials that support robust U.S. backing of Israel.
Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA): A conservative-leaning group that lobbies for strong U.S.-Israel security cooperation, drawing on military and policy experts to argue that the two nations’ interests are identical.
Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations: An umbrella group representing dozens of pro-Israel entities that serves as a primary liaison to the U.S. executive branch, presenting unified advocacy for policies that benefit Israel and strengthen bilateral ties.
Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) and Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC): Partisan pro-Israel groups that lobby within their respective parties and support candidates aligned with strong U.S. support for Israel.
J Street: Founded in 2008 as a pro-Israel, pro-peace organization that lobbies for a two-state solution, diplomatic approaches, and U.S. pressure toward negotiated peace, while still advocating overall U.S. support for Israel’s security.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Libertarian National Committee calls upon the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and require all such pro-Israel lobbying organizations, including but not limited to those listed above, that primarily advocate for the interests of the government of Israel to register as agents of a foreign principal under FARA; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Libertarian Party urges Congress and the executive branch to enforce FARA impartially across all foreign-interest advocacy to restore transparency, reduce special-interest influence on U.S. foreign aid and policy, and align with principles of non-interventionism and American self-determination.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Libertarian National Committee directs the Chair to publish this resolution upon its adoption.
I tried the “contact us link” but no luck so here I am asking “Anyone in contact with national? The LP needs to get an anti-was release out today if not sooner!!!
One of our readers has located a Florida state law that appears to correspond to the claim. The correspondence is weak. You can read the law here:
Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine https://share.google/NqKIw2eaFfJiDaKgl
The law constrains investment of state funds in companies, broadly defined, that are engaged in boycotts, broadly defined, of Israel. There is absolutely no indication of a loyalty oath.
For those who ask, here’s an excerpt from a Newsweek article:
https://www.newsweek.com/pro-palestinian-protest-states-colleges-illegal-bds-1895292
The states that have passed legislation making it illegal for state agencies to work with companies that boycott Israel include Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arkansas, Minnesota, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Kansas, North Carolina, Utah, Missouri, Idaho, West Virginia, Colorado, Mississippi and New Hampshire.
George you need to be careful when you use the word noses with some groups. Heck, I remember a song that goes, “Up yee sons of Moses, with your crooked noses, fight, fight for Palestine…” I used to be sung in praise, but in today’s climate I doubt anyone would take it that way.
Where should we look to find who introduced this resolution and how people voted on it?
Discussion: https://groups.google.com/g/lnc-public/c/ddo47siyvG4
Voting: https://groups.google.com/g/lnc-public/c/hipfaFwGmdc
Jim,
Thank you! That’s just what I was looking for.
Went looking for a statement on the Iran War from the party to compare this to and good luck finding it. The “press releases” section of the website has not been updated since October (a notification about a convention livestream) and not substantively since June. We’ve bombed Iran twice since then, and the nation’s leading anti-war party has nothing to say about it. There is a “featured articles” section unlinked from the menu, but it hasn’t been updated since January and says nothing about the war.
Searching google I find many policy statements from state LPs (in order: Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas which seems to have gotten actual press about it, so did Florida, so did California), but nothing from the LNC, which seems to be locked in one continual and miserable slow-motion email meeting forever. Maybe they’re too busy tabling amendments to statements revealing the true cause of the war to bother posting statements where anyone who is not a terminally online trog could find it?
It seems there has not been a word about Iran added to the LP on their own website since Trump withdrew from the JCPOA nearly a decade ago! Eventually I turned up a link to Facebook, but that was condemning the 12 day bombing run last June, not the current war. I’m now on page 3 of google I finally get what looks like an authoritative statement from National on page 3, but that’s just a general statement against war, and I’ve given up. (Great work, btw, by the state partes.)
I’m sure this statement exists. Also sure it’s not the public’s job to search google with increasingly baroque phrasing to eventually find a post on X with 4 likes.
So I guess the upside is that if this statement passes, no one will know it exists anyway.
Part of the issue is that Thon is just not knowledgeable enough to have written the resolution on his own, and I do think he used an LLM to draft it for him. Regardless, even though I agree with the general opposition to Zionism and the state of Israel’s genocide, this resolution had not been researched enough, had not had the proper care taken into it before submission, and lumps in organizations that even go against the violent actions of the state of Israel (J Street) with those that seem to excuse it.
Tom, I was able to speak privately with a PRP on this issue the other day and they confirmed that if this power is given to the LNC (and it is), the convention cannot do it.
The best route IMHO is for the convention to direct the LNC to do it.
Votes to date: Thon does not realize that as an alternate he cannot vote.
Thompson – Nay
Watkins – Aye
It is acceptable for an alternate to vote knowing it will be disregarded if the primary and superior alt do not weigh in.
I believe there was a recent ruling that the member is always present, unless he has explicitly withdrawn.
Maybe the Catholic Church should be required to register as a foreign agent.
Or as a foreign government.
A can of worms is being opened. Before you know it, a whole group of influencers will be required to register as foreign agents.
Readers will observe that the resolution is about American and American groups, no evidence being presented that these groups are acting at the behest of Israel (for example, by being paid by the Israeli government) rather than bringing agency to the opinions of their American members.
Right.
Groups of Pro-Jewish or Pro-Israel American citizens lobbying the government on foreign policy AND American based groups run by, or controlled by, Israeli Jews lobbying the government on foreign policy, are two different things.
This motion moved by Watkins is embarrassing, pathetic and a disgrace to the Libertarian Party.
It’s not just foreign policy.
In Florida, if I wanted to be a government contractor (I don’t, but if I did), I would be required by law to sign a loyalty oath to the state of Israel.
Not to the ethnic group (Jews), not to a religion (Judaism), but to an actual foreign power.
The idea that those who pushed for that law were not acting as agents of Israel is nonsense.
Did the Israelis pay them? Or did they count noses among voters? These are entirely different things.
Mr. Knapp
Could you provide the text of what government contractors are required to sign?
I have no idea what you’re talking about.
No one is asked to sign a loyalty oath to a foreign power in order to be a governmental contractor in Florida.
You’re insane to believe or suggest that.
Both Jewish and Non-Jewish Americans have a 1st Amendment right to organize, raise money and lobby the government for anything they want.
Free Speech.
Bryce Thon has provided no evidence any of the organizations he mentioned are groups funded by, or supported by, Israel or Israeli Jews.
Thon doesn’t seem to be the brightest alternate on LNC.
And that’s saying a lot.
Region 1 definitely doesn’t send their best.
Anyone on the LNC who votes yes to this resolution should be embarrassed.
“In Florida … I would be required by law to sign a loyalty oath to the state of Israel.”
Could you please cite this law?
He can’t and he won’t cite the law, because no such law exists in Florida or in any other state.
Florida Statute 287.135, section 5
“At the time a company submits a bid or proposal for a contract or before the company enters into or renews a contract with an agency or local governmental entity for goods or services of any amount, the company must certify that the company is not participating in a boycott of Israel.”
The statement clearly does not show a loyalty oath.
Where the Governor signed the legislation has nothing to do with the claim that someone had to sign a loyalty oath.