JEW OF THE DAY

Isaiah L. "Si" Kenen (deceased)

Founder of AIPAC; former lobbyist and journalist who worked directly for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UN delegation.

Kenen registered under FARA in the 1950s-1960s while employed by Israel's Office of Information at the UN. His work led to the creation of AIPAC in 1963 as a workaround to avoid ongoing FARA scrutiny for the American Zionist Council (AZC).

Prior to AIPAC, Israeli agents needed to register under FARA and faced the following obstacles:

- DOJ Oversight: Enforces FARA via public disclosures, audits (26 in 2024), and penalties (up to 5 years prison, $250,000 fines).
- Reputational Hit: "Foreign agent" label and media focus (e.g., 2025 influencer cases) harm credibility.
- Legislative Pressure: Vague rules and state-level "baby FARA" laws add scrutiny for nonprofits.

@Fashposting