A year ago, in early June 2022, a recently launched website called the Mapping Project caused a significant commotion. This website asserts itself as a coalition of activists and organizers from different generations in Massachusetts. Its purpose is to document organizations that endorse the occupation of land in Palestine, which is a contentious issue. Currently, a congressman is urging the Department of Justice to investigate the website.
Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) has expressed significant concerns regarding the Mapping website. In a letter obtained by One America News (OANN), the congressman reached out to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging him to take action. Rep. Bergman believes that a thorough investigation into the Mapping Project is necessary. He specifically wants to uncover the source of funding for the website and its origins, including any potential connections or collaborations with Iran.
The congressman from Michigan is apprehensive that the Mapping website, which presents itself as a social justice movement in the United States, could have covert support from the Iranian government. He worries that its activities might generate social unrest and erode public trust in American institutions.
As per the legislator, the interactive map provides individuals with the ability to visualize the precise positions of more than 500 organizations in Massachusetts, encompassing civil and religious groups. This comprehensive list includes 271 law enforcement stations, nine military bases, as well as the offices of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Secret Service.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has raised concerns regarding the inclusion of numerous social and religious organizations, particularly Jewish ones, in the Mapping Project. The ADL has noted that this project is supported by the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement. Additionally, the civil rights organization has stated that the Mapping Project encourages individuals to “dismantle” and “disrupt” Boston’s Jewish community.
According to the ADL, the Mapping Project singles out and publicly criticizes Jewish organizations. When the website was initially launched last year, The Associated Press reported that prestigious institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Moderna, and other schools and companies were also included on the map. The project accused these groups of various misconducts, ranging from Jewish nationalism to ethnic cleansing.
Robert Trestan, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in New England, emphasized that Jewish institutions across the country are being specifically targeted, as if they are positioned as the focal point on the map. Meanwhile, US Attorney Rachael Rollins, who serves Massachusetts, expressed concerns about the Mapping Project’s usage of inflammatory language and informed the Associated Press (AP) that authorities were conducting an investigation to uncover the truth behind the website. However, a year has passed, and it appears that no significant developments have emerged from this inquiry.
Publicly, US Attorney General Merrick Garland has not responded to the congressman’s letter, and there is no indication that he has initiated an investigation either.
