New Delhi:
Billionaire philanthropist George Soros is facing criticism after pledging $30 million to groups fighting anti-semitism.
Officials have described George Soros’s move as the “definition of chutzpah” and accused him of backing groups that allegedly helped fuel anti-Israel protests and encampments across US college campuses.
Joel Petlin, superintendent of Kiryas Joel School District, accused the Open Society Foundations of indirectly supporting anti-Israel protests and university encampments.
“For Alex Soros to now complain about his father being the ‘target of antisemitism’ is the textbook definition of the word ‘chutzpah,’” Petlin wrote on social media platform X. “Chutzpah” is a Yiddish term often used to describe hypocrisy.
George Soros uses his Open Society Foundation to indirectly fund the anti Israel protests and encampments on college campuses.
For Alex Soros to now complain about his father being the “target of Antisemitism” is the textbook definition of the word “chutzpah.”
— Joel M. Petlin (@Joelmpetlin) May 13, 2026
The statement came after Alex Soros, who runs the Open Society Foundations on behalf of his father, announced a new funding initiative aimed at combating antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate over the next three years.
“My father has been the target of antisemitism his whole life. It has only strengthened our resolve to stand against all forms of hate,” Alex Soros said in a video released on May 13, adding that his father, a Holocaust survivor born in Hungary, has faced antisemitism throughout his life.
“This investment is about keeping people safe and pushing back against hate,” he added.
My father has been the target of antisemitism his whole life. It has only strengthened our resolve to stand against all forms of hate.
Proud that @OpenSociety is making a $30 million investment to build trust and solidarity across communities and keep people of all faiths safe. pic.twitter.com/NFoYHmkUrR
— Alex Soros (@AlexanderSoros) May 13, 2026
At the same time, George Soros’ foundation has reportedly donated more than $15 million to groups connected to pro-Palestinian protests that took place after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
Kalman Yeger sharply criticised the Soros family’s new anti-hate funding initiative, stating, “The Soros family claiming they will fight antisemitism is like the arsonist showing up with an empty fire extinguisher,” according to the New York Post.
However, the foundation said the fund would go towards defending democratic rights and advancing security in the US over the next five years. “We are continuing our work unabated. We will not be intimidated into silence,” said Laleh Ispahani.
US President Donald Trump had also targeted George Soros last September while announcing an FBI crackdown on what he described as “left-wing terrorism.”
Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to investigate individuals or groups accused of funding violent left-wing protests in the United States. “If they are funding these things, they’re going to have some problems,” Trump said, referring to George Soros and Reid Hoffman.
The move came after the assassination of Charlie Kirk and a shooting outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas that left one detainee dead and two others injured.
However, the Open Society Foundations denied the allegations and said its mission is focused on promoting democracy.
“These accusations are politically motivated attacks on civil society, meant to silence speech the administration disagrees with and undermine the First Amendment right to free speech,” it said, according to The Associated Press.
