SUPPORTING STATEMENT: Following the barbaric terrorist attack on innocent Israeli civilians and tourists by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other ‘lone wolf’ terrorists on October 7 – the most lethal day for Jews since the Holocaust1 – a number of NGOs, some of which are human rights organizations that exist for the sole purpose of responding to such tragedies, failed to condemn Hamas and failed to help Israeli victims and their families. Then those same organizations rushed to vilify Israel when it defensively responded, and some also directly assisted terrorists in Gaza.2
Such organizations include UNWRA, UNICEF, Red Cross, Islamic Relief, Amnesty International, Save the Children, WHO, WFP, Care, Elevate, International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps.
Mastercard contributes to, has a partnership with or provides a donation platform for every single one of those organizations.3
Mastercard’s Human Rights Statement reads: “[I]n recognition of how interconnected the world is and how we contribute to that interconnectivity, we expect our employees and partners of all kinds – from suppliers and customers to peer organizations – to share our commitment to respect and promote human rights.”4
Since Mastercard requires its “partners” and “peers” to “respect and promote human rights,” why hasn’t Mastercard ended its partnerships with Hamas-sympathizing organizations? Has Mastercard at least contacted them for not abiding by its Human Rights Statement? The Company has a fiduciary duty to vet how the money it gives away is spent.
Some of these organizations not only propagandize for Jew-hating terrorists, but also directly aid them. UNWRA, for example, provided Hamas with supplies meant for civilians,5 and the Red Cross failed to properly cooperate with the Israeli government and hostage families in caring for hostages.6
Why is Mastercard contributing to or hosting donation platforms for organizations that assist terrorists who slaughter, rape and kidnap innocent Jews?
Mastercard’s Human Rights Statement also claims: “We partner with others to create innovative approaches to prevent our products, services and technologies from being used in activities that may contribute to human rights abuses, including money laundering, terrorist financing and evasion of sanctions.”7
To that end, what has Mastercard done to ensure that Hamas, PIJ and ‘lone wolf’ terrorists haven’t used Mastercard services in preparation for the attack? And to ensure that its NGO partners don’t assist terrorists in Gaza, as UNRWA and others have?
Shareholders deserve to verify if and to what extent Mastercard is using shareholder assets to fund and promote terrorist-allied organizations.