DHS Probes Anti-Israel Nonprofit's $100 Million War Chest Over Sanctioned Group Ties

The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a shadowy U.K.-based anti-Israel nonprofit with a roughly $100 million war chest over whether donor money flowed to a U.S.-sanctioned Palestinian group, according to a New York Post report published Friday that drew renewed attention over the weekend. The probe, run through the agency's Homeland Security Investigations unit, centers on an organization known only as PFF and its connections to a longtime ally of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. No one has been charged, and the reported investigation does not indicate criminal wrongdoing.

A $100 Million Machine Built to Take On Israel

Sources described PFF as a large, institutional operation financed specifically to fight Israel. "A new fund set up by Arabs across the US, UK, and Australia has been built to take on Israel," one source familiar with the operation told the Post.

The nonprofit's own website describes itself as "a strategic foundation that is large, well-funded, and institutional in quality," adding that it partners with organizations "that we believe have an ability to consistently deliver results that align with our strategic objectives." Investigators are now scrutinizing whether PFF funneled donor funds to Al-Haq, a Palestinian group sanctioned by the United States, and whether opaque U.K. corporate entities were used to obscure cross-border financial flows.

The Mamdani Connection

At the center of the fundraising operation is Bassema Yousef, a New York-born Democratic donor and longtime ally of Mayor Mamdani who now lives in London. Sources described Yousef as the "lynchpin" of PFF's fundraising. Her social media presence features multiple anti-Israel rants, including claims that Israel is committing "war crimes with U.S. tax dollars."

Yousef reportedly established PFF with backing from two wealthy donors: Austin, Texas-based investing executive Basil Qunibi and Palestinian-Australian motorsports magnate Yasser Shahin, a Porsche factory driver who competes at Le Mans. U.K. corporate filings confirm Shahin's role in supporting the organization, and the IRS has confirmed PFF maintains a nonprofit arm registered in Delaware.

Washington's Crackdown on Foreign-Financed Activism

The reported probe fits a broader pattern of federal enforcement action against nonprofit networks accused of financing anti-Israel activism and foreign-linked influence. Homeland Security Investigations is the arm of DHS that targets networks exploiting legitimate financial systems to hide illegal transfers, including the financing of sanctioned organizations and cross-border money movement through corporate shells.

The agency declined to comment on the matter, with a DHS spokesperson saying HSI "does not comment on the existence or status of specific investigations, nor on investigative methods, intelligence sources, or potential enforcement actions." The scrutiny also lands as Mayor Mamdani faces separate federal attention over rising antisemitism concerns in New York City, adding political weight to a case that reaches from Manhattan to London, Austin, and the Gulf.

What Happens Next

The investigation remains in its early stages, and federal authorities have yet to announce subpoenas, charges, or any formal action against PFF, Yousef, or the donors behind the fund. DHS spokespeople have declined to confirm or deny the probe's existence, which is standard practice for HSI operations.

What is clear is that a nonprofit built around a $100 million mission to take on Israel is now under the microscope of federal financial investigators. Watch for whether the probe expands into subpoenas targeting the fund's U.K. entities, and whether the Mamdani administration in New York is drawn further into the scrutiny as the Trump administration continues its enforcement push against financial wrongdoing in the nonprofit world.