Canary Mission's blacklist tactics target pro-Palestinian activists

• Mission's surveillance efforts lead to arrests, like that of Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk, by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ISTANBUL

Canary Mission, a group claiming to combat hatred against Jews on college campuses, posted a photo of Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk on its website on Feb. 6, leading to her arrest on Wednesday.

The group identified her as a Tufts University Ph.D. student and claimed that she “engaged in anti-Israel activism in March 2024,” referring to her opinion essay criticizing her university's stance on Israel's war on Gaza.

On its website, the group targeted her, stating: "Rumeysa Ozturk engaged in anti-Israel activism in March 2024, in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israelis on October 7, 2023 ... As of February 2025, Ozturk's LinkedIn said she was located in the Greater Boston area, Massachusetts."

Ozturk, on her way to an Iftar dinner, was abruptly targeted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. On Wednesday, the 30-year-old was arrested and forcibly restrained near her apartment, marking another incident in the wave of immigration enforcement actions.

Mission’s website also features Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who was arrested by ICE like Ozturk for leading campus protests.

The platform blacklists not only student groups in US universities but also organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera.

Muslim, Arab, immigrant students are targets

Although the group primarily targets Muslim, Arab, and immigrant students and academics, it also includes Jewish individuals who oppose the occupation of Palestine. Some profiles contain highly personal details, raising privacy concerns. For instance, Stanford student Esther Tsvayg’s childhood photos were included in her profile, drawing criticism.

Google searches reveal that Canary Mission’s targets are highlighted on far-right websites, showing the platform’s direct impact on their futures. Jewish student Zoe Jasper, in a 2019 article, expressed her fear upon learning she was blacklisted, noting that it ultimately pushed her to become more involved in progressive movements.

According to a 2018 report by Haaretz, Israeli intelligence directly benefits from Canary Mission's surveillance activities. It is said that the data collected by the group is used to identify individuals who will be banned from entering Israel.

Haaretz revealed that funds were funneled to Canary Mission through the little-known non-profit organization, Megamot Shalom, which notably lacks an official website or spokesperson.

The report also identifies Jonathan Bash, a Jerusalem resident, as the manager of the organization, which is owned by Royal Research, a company specializing in research and data collection. Bash was also found to be collaborating with Ben Packer, a far-right American-born rabbi who was one of the key partners in Megamot Shalom.

Connections to Israeli intelligence

Although Canary Mission’s connections to Israeli intelligence and its American financiers were initially concealed, a tax form error eventually exposed them, as shown by a 2023 report. This led to the revelation that billionaire Sanford Diller, a prominent Trump supporter who had donated $6 million to a pro-Trump committee, was involved with the platform.

Diller, a staunch pro-Israel extremist, has backed several right-wing, Islamophobic groups, including the American Freedom Law Center, whose founder has a “record of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, and anti-Black bigotry,” and Stop Islamization of America, which spread fears of an Islamic conspiracy.

Furthermore, it was documented that the American Helen Diller Family Foundation, controlled by the Jewish Community Federation in San Francisco, donated $100,000 to Canary Mission through Megamot Shalom. A significant portion of these funds was directed toward organizations linked to far-right groups and Jewish settlers in Israel.

Canary Mission conducts a systematic smear campaign to silence pro-Palestinian activists by posting their personal information and photos on its website. It then attempts to discredit them on social media by accusing them of "antisemitism" or "supporting terrorism," often using anonymous accounts to spread insults, harassment, and threats.

After being suspended in 2018 for violating social media rules, Canary Mission’s X account was quickly reinstated and continues to uphold its surveillance and pressure tactics.