1 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:05,600 We've all heard about the American Israel 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:07,680 Public Affairs Committee, or APEC, the 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:09,600 powerful pro-israel lobby group shaping 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,000 US politics. But little is known about 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,080 its main counterparts operating across 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,560 the Atlantic in Europe and England that's 7 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,880 quietly pulling strings in both the EU 8 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,680 and British parliaments. So who's 9 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,880 behind the group, what do they want and 10 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,240 why are they operating under the radar? 11 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,520 Meet El Net, Europe's most influential 12 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:33,800 Israel lobby group. El Net, which stands 13 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,080 for European Leadership Network, presents 14 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,280 itself as an NGO promoting shared 15 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,320 democratic values between Europe and 16 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,360 Israel. But a closer look reveals an 17 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,680 entirely different agenda. Founded in 18 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,160 2007 with offices across Europe and 19 00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:49,360 England, El Net's purpose is to align 20 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,840 European MP's with pro-israel narratives 21 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:53,760 and to ensure that Tel Aviv's interests 22 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,160 get a direct line into European 23 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,640 decision-making. The man behind it? 24 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:00,960 Ranan Elias, who first dealt with 25 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,640 European affairs at AIPAC and later at 26 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,760 the Israeli National Security Council. 27 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,840 His words in 2008 were clear. If 28 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,600 groups like ours had even 10% of the 29 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,320 budget of US pro Israel lobbies, we 30 00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:17,080 could change European policies. And 31 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,680 that's exactly what Elnat has been trying 32 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:20,000 to do. 33 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,680 But how is El Nat influencing European 34 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:29,760 and British politicians?Simple 35 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,880 direct engagement. El Nat cultivates 36 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,520 personal ties with key figures and 37 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,120 individual lawmakers. As a core tactic, 38 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,680 it sends lawmakers on luxury, all 39 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,240 expenses paid trips to Israel, framing 40 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,200 them as educational experiences. In the 41 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:46,880 first seven months after Tel Aviv 42 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,040 launched its genocidal war on Palestine's 43 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,840 Gaza on October 7th, 2023, Elnet 44 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,560 arranged over 20 trips, sending nearly 45 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,920 300 parliamentarians from both the 46 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,840 EU and the UK to Israel. But these 47 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:01,880 trips aren't just for show. They're 48 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,240 designed to get MPs on board with 49 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,560 Israel's narratives and to push Tel 50 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,200 Aviv's agenda into related policies. 51 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,760 Among the many attendees were UK 52 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,320 politicians Andrew Percy. And Anthony 53 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:16,280 Higginbotham, who declared that the 54 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,880 troops were donations. Numerous UK Labour 55 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:20,880 Party members also received money from 56 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,480 Elnat amid Israel's ongoing war on Gaza. 57 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,160 A 2024 report by Declassified 58 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,640 UK revealed that nine Conservative 59 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:31,280 MPs received funds from pro Israel 60 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,080 groups, including Elnat, and key figures 61 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,560 like John Woodcock, the Baron of Walney, 62 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,320 joined Elnat's online briefings about Tel 63 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:41,440 Aviv's atrocities in the Palestinian 64 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:43,640 enclave. El Net's lobbying led to 65 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:45,720 increased support among EU politicians 66 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,680 for Israeli policies that had previously 67 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,400 come under heavy criticism from some EU 68 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,800 member states and neutralized opposition 69 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,080 to Tel Aviv's actions in Palestine, such 70 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:56,960 as those related to its illegal 71 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,520 settlements or its brutal war on Gaza. 72 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,120 El Net Israel CEO Emmanuel Navon says 73 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,040 parliamentary delegations to Israel 74 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,840 directly impact the level of support Tel 75 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,800 Aviv receives from Western countries. In 76 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,200 May 2024, he told supporters that El Net 77 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:14,960 had influenced the European Parliament's 78 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,320 resolution conditioning a Gaza 79 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,600 ceasefire and the release of Israeli 80 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,080 hostages and the defeat of Hamas. 81 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,640 Now, this resolution would never have 82 00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:26,400 been passed without the many years of 83 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,240 work done by El Net or those 84 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:29,920 parliamentarians that have literally 85 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:32,400 turned them around as pro Israeli as 86 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,040 being pro Israel after visiting Israel. 87 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,480 So the question now is, besides Israel, 88 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:40,080 who else is funding El Net? 89 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,480 Unsurprisingly, tracking the money leads 90 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,000 us back across the Atlantic to the US. El 91 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:47,960 Net's primary funding comes from private 92 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,320 donations often linked to anti Muslim 93 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,960 groups and prominent pro Israel and pro 94 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,600 Republican billionaires. For years, El 95 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,680 Net has copied the modus operandi of the 96 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,080 US's Israeli lobbies. The group's US 97 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,080 based fundraising arm called Friends of 98 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,080 El Net or Fel Net. Is led by former 99 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,480 Israeli diplomat David Siegel, who also 100 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,000 overseas a majority of El Net's budget. 101 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:12,880 Fel Net raised over $7,000,000 in 102 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:15,280 2022, a million more than in 103 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,160 2021. Other donors include Bernie Marcus, 104 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,440 the co-founder of Home Depot, and 105 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:22,840 billionaire Larry Meisel, as well as the 106 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,560 Lisa and Michael Lafell Foundation linked 107 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,520 to billionaire investor Michael Lafell. 108 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:29,360 Funding also comes in from American 109 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:30,800 billionaires tied to various 110 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:32,520 transatlantic groups promote 111 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,360 Islamophobia. And finance illegal Israeli 112 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,080 settlements such as Miriam Adelson and 113 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,720 Nina Rosenwald. Still, since 114 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:42,800 Elnet's budgets and donors are only 115 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,320 partially disclosed and information about 116 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,080 the exact allocations of funds remains 117 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:50,400 scarce, the influence of the group's 118 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,200 undisclosed contributions on European 119 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:55,840 policy making warrants further 120 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:56,480 scrutiny. 121 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,240 Elnet's lobbying also extends into. The 122 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,240 tech, defense and business sectors. The 123 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,400 lobby group uses its influence to secure 124 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,480 lucrative trade deals with EU countries. 125 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:10,560 These deals promote the use of Israeli 126 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:12,480 defense and tech firms in sectors like 127 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,200 cybersecurity, AI and Agritech. 128 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,240 In 2017, Alnet successfully lobbied for 129 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,560 the continuation of the European Israeli 130 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,120 Association Agreement, which is a legal 131 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,120 framework aimed at fostering political 132 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,840 dialogue and Economic cooperation between 133 00:05:27,840 --> 00:05:30,720 Tel Aviv and the EU. These efforts help 134 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:32,960 Israeli companies access EU funding and 135 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,720 markets. So after peeling back a 136 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:38,200 few layers of Elnet's vast 137 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,040 operations across Europe, we have to ask 138 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,920 who's really benefiting more from this 139 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,560 lobby group, Europe citizens or Israel?