Shoebat Foundation

OVERVIEW

The Shoebat Foundation was founded by Walid Shoebat, a Palestinian American who claims to be a former PLO terrorist and converted from Islam to Christianity. However, a CNN investigation found no evidence supporting his claimed 1979 attack on Bank Leumi, and Israeli officials could not corroborate his story. The SPLC has profiled Shoebat in its Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists.

KEY FIGURES

Walid Shoebat (Founder) — Self-proclaimed ex-terrorist whose claims have been debunked by CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 investigation. His own relatives and Israeli officials could not verify his terrorist background.

Keith Davies (Executive Director) — Also heads the Forum for Middle East Understanding (FFMU), the 501(c)(3) that funds the foundation.

Theodore Shoebat (Son) — Extremist commentator known for violent anti-LGBT rhetoric; stated that gay people should be "rounded up and killed," leading even former allies to denounce him.

FUNDING & TRANSPARENCY ISSUES

The FFMU reported 2014 earnings of $1.75 million. Shoebat reportedly earned nearly $500,000/year from lectures to law enforcement. When the Washington Post asked if the foundation was a registered charity, Shoebat claimed Pennsylvania registration, but the PA Attorney General's office had no record. CAIR found no evidence of IRS filings. Davies promised tax returns to CNN but never provided them.

NETWORK CONNECTIONS

Operates within the broader counter-jihad speaker circuit. Shoebat lectures to police departments promoting claims about Muslims seeking to impose Sharia in the US.