Overview:
In the aftermath of Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023, Zionist lobbies have struggled to control the narrative amid massive online and street protests against the Zionist regime. Interestingly, a specific network of Zionist operatives has taken to virtually and physically harassing students protesters with a focus on university campuses in the US. Its openly confrontational style, shady connections and an attempt to keep a high-level of confidentiality have made this network stand out within other similar Zionist lobbies seeking to stifle pro-Palestine sentiment following the October 7 war.
This report seeks to shed light on how a number of wealthy and intelligence-linked Zionist agitators have wielded their money and power to intimidate opponents, and to shape public opinion against Palestine, as well as influence the actions of academic, business, and political leaders.
This network has been specifically active confronting protests at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The attacks against UCLA students have been facilitated by two main clusters, both connected to the Israeli government. One cluster is led by a Whatsapp group named “Israel Current Events” led by Barry Sternlicht. Another cluster, led by the Israeli intel-linked “Shirion” group, has orchestrated online and physical intimidation campaigns against pro-Palestine protests. The Sternlicht-led cluster, comprised of wealthy Zionist lobbyists such as Leonard Blavatnik and Bill Ackman, has funded the activities of the second cluster (the intimidation group) and has provided it with any needed political support by lobbying among local US politicians.
Formation of “Israel Current Events” Group
Shortly after the October 7, 2023 incident, Barry Sternlicht – an American billionaire and the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Starwood Capital Group – started a WhatsApp group on October 12 along with other high-profile Zionists to challenge the narrative against Israel. A significant number of the group’s members were among the Forbes’ top billionaires and Israeli government officials. Other members came from real estate, finance, and communications backgrounds. This group’s connections stretch beyond New York and Washington DC, touching the highest levels of the Israeli government, the US business world, and top universities.1
Billionaire Leonard Blavatnik was one of the most prominent business figures among them. Blavatnik had a video call on April 26 with Mayor Eric Adams (D), about a week after the mayor first sent New York police to the Columbia campus Palestine encampment. Blavatnik donated $2100, the maximum legal amount, to Adams that month. Leonard Blavatnik is an American-British Jewish investor born in Ukraine. He is 31st richest man in the world2 and the richest man in the UK3, who funds scholarships for Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) veterans. Blavatnik’s wide scale of contacts, affiliations, and bi-partisan political donations illustrate an omnipresent yet shadowy character with minimal media attention.4
Within the Whatsapp group, it was discussed to show a film demonstrating so-called “Hamas brutality” across US universities. Sternlicht financed the idea of an anti-Hamas media campaign with various Wall Street and Hollywood billionaires for $50 million. Bill Ackman -the CEO and portfolio manager at Pershing Square Capital Management based in NYC5– was named as the figure who facilitated, attended, and promoted the initiative publicly.
Israeli Intel-affiliated Intimidation Group
Before the UCLA protests, the Guardian reported the formation of an Israel-based surveillance network called “Shirion Collective” in Australia, after forming cells in the US and UK. The network claims to “expose anti-Semites” online by tracking pro-Palestinian action and openly divulging identities behind them. The collective aims to intimidate anti-Zionist activists and spares no expenses on paying bounties of US$250 for students and up to US$15,000 for “crucial insights” received on politicians who criticize Israel. Shirion has even reached over to the Australian home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, and the shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson to advocate for putting Palestinian activists on terrorist watch lists.6
On 13 February 2024, and as a post on X, Shirion sought for “volunteers with Arabic-sounding names and Middle Eastern appearance and willing to wear keffiyehs and walk in to be instructed by ‘one of our ex-Mossad team leads’ for deeper infiltration” in US pro-Palestine encampments in campus.
Later on, the Shirion Collective posted videos mainly from violent counter-protests at colleges including that of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The images have featured the presence of campaigners from the Persian Jewish community, led by “The Bear Jews of Truth”. In these videos and social media posts, coordination among Shirion Collective members and individuals affiliated with the “The Bear Jews of Truth,” is evident.7
It is noteworthy that the GoFundMe link which Shirion Collective has placed on its page header, is a call to raise money for “Loud Video Displays of Oct 7 Truths”. The fundraising page in GoFundMe was launched by Nathan Moghavem8 which was later renamed as “Dani L” and “The Bear Jews of Truth” subsequently. According to the Guardian, the abbreviated “Dani L” stands for Daniel Linden. Prior to the fundraising, Linden used to coordinate the Shirion‘s Telegram channel. It is worth mentioning that he cooperates with OnlyFans, a platform that lets adult content producers monetize their content.
A few days after a brutal attack on the pro-Palestine protest in the UCLA, The Bear Jews of Truth thanked Bill Ackman for supporting the joint Shirion-Bear Jews initiative.
Bill Ackman’s Cronies
Not only did Bill Ackman support the Bear Jews of Truth but also donated $10,000 to a separate GoFundMe financing a similar “Hamas atrocities” presentation at the George Washington University and another $10,000 to fraternity brothers at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.9 Ackman has a long record of supporting bipartisan candidates for the US presidency. However, Ackman has currently switched to supporting Republican 2024 Presidential Candidate Donald Trump.
Interestingly Jessica Seinfeld is among “The Bear Jews of Truth” GoFundMe donors, the wife of the Zionist comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who has blatantly backed the IDF and Israel’s current genocide and has also donated $5,000 to the initiative. Interestingly, the Seinfelds reside in an iconic luxury co-op on New York’s Upper West Side owned by Zionist lobbyist, Bill Ackman.
Persian Jewish Community links to Israeli Intel Initiative
• Nathan Moghavem
Nathan Moghavem from Beverly Hills, is a 33-year-old real estate who set up GoFundMe to collect money to provide the Israeli intimidation campaign with equipment, personnel, security, and logistic aid to launch an anti-protest encampment in UCLA, Dickson Plaza. He initiated the page of “The Bear Jews of Truth” to act anonymously in coordination with the Israeli intel-linked “Shirion Collective”.
• Matin & Nouri Mehdizadeh
Matin Mehdizadeh was one of the counter-protesters along with Nouri Mehdizadeh who aimed fireworks directly at the encampment at UCLA. Both were involved in various physical attacks against UCLA studneets. Nouri has gone viral during UCLA’s anti-encampment campaign for being at the forefront of pro-Israeli counter protests. A day before the police raid on the students on campus on May 1, he was seen holding his phone that read “Enjoy Tonight” before hundreds were arrested in a police raid that night.
• Dean Golan Cohen
Dean Golan Cohen is educated at Irvine Valley College and Los Angeles Pierce College. He has a three-year record in IDF and may be a possible receiver of Len Blavatnik’s scholarships for “IDF veterans”.
It is worth noticing that Cohen is affiliated with another Los Angeles-based Persian Zionist named Tara Gohari. Gohari describes herself as “Personal Banker at Citi,” who has gotten her BA in graphic design from California State University, Northridge, and studied for three years at Pierce College, Lakewood.
• Yahoud Oren Younessian
Yahoud Oren Younessian was seen in the pro-Israeli riot at the UCLA with a license plate saying “IDF1FAN,” and dual-wielded flags: The US and Israel flag.
• Shiva Bagheri
Also in attendance were local “Beverly Hills Freedom Rally,” mainstays Shiva Bagheri. She is a known MAGA activist who has appeared in local interviews.10
• Michael Monempour
Michael Monempour is a pro-Israel counter-protestor seen intimidating female Muslim student protestors at the UCLA. Michael is a VP at Lyon Stahl Real Estate Investment. He has a close relationship with the Zionist lobby and is a known Zionist fundraiser.
2: https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/
3: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57199171
4: https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-complete-guide-to-the-jewish-oligarchs-in-the-russia-probe/
5: https://www.influencewatch.org/person/bill-ackman/
8: https://web.archive.org/web/20240427234515/https://www.gofundme.com/f/ucla-counter-protest