Rendell Dissociates From Firm That Called Peaceful Protests Terrorism
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell terminated a contract with an Israeli-American agency that tracked peaceful protests and reported them as potential terrorist threats.
Rendell said Tuesday that he was ?deeply embarrassed? by revelations of a $125,000 contract with the Philadelphia-based Institute of Terrorism Research and Response.
The state?s Office of Homeland Security contracted the institute to track threats, and then relayed its reports to a large number of law enforcement and private groups.
Its ?alerts? included an animal rights protest, a natural gas drilling protest, a gay and lesbian festival and a rally to support a Rendell-backed campaign for boosted education funding.
?Good Lord, and to think that we spent $125,000 on this at a time when every penny is dire for us is a further embarrassment,? Rendell said.
The institute, which claims to have a Jerusalem office, is run by directors who among other claims list experience in Israel?s security services. It also runs training programs in Israel.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO