Justice For All Welcomes Montgomery County’s Decision to End Public Funding for the Maryland Israel Development Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 13, 2026)

Justice For All joins the Islamic Maryland Action Network (IMAN) and other allies in welcoming Montgomery County’s decision to remove public funding for the Maryland Israel Development Center (MIDC) from its budget, following sustained advocacy by community members, interfaith leaders, civil rights organizations, and grassroots groups.

Together members of the IMAN Action Network and all mobilized a broad public campaign that generated more than 50,000 letters to elected officials, calling on Maryland state and county leaders to end the use of taxpayer funds to support MIDC.

“Montgomery County’s decision to end funding for MIDC is a meaningful victory for every Marylander who believes our public dollars should reflect principled values,” said IMAN Steering Committee Member and CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “Scrutiny is growing because Marylanders do not want our tax dollars used to underwrite organizations connected to apartheid, illegal occupation, weapons manufacturing, surveillance, or genocide. We thank the allies, public officials, advocates, faith leaders, and students who listened, organized, and acted.”

“This campaign was never only about one budget line item,” said IMAN Steering Committee Member and Justice for All Director of Advocacy Hena Zuberi. “It is about whether Maryland will choose justice, human dignity, and moral consistency over business as usual. Montgomery County has taken an important step, and now the State of Maryland and every county that has supported MIDC must follow. This decision sends a clear message that local and state governments must be accountable to the communities they serve, and must carefully scrutinize public funding for any organization tied to human rights abuses abroad.”

“This news belongs to the people who refused to be silent,” said IMAN Steering Committee Member and Islamic Center of Maryland Executive Director Nadeem Ahmad. “It belongs to every person who sent a letter, attended a hearing, contacted an elected official, shared an alert, or spoke up for Palestinian life. This is what organized conscience can achieve.”

BACKGROUND:

Member organizations of the Islamic Maryland Action Network (IMAN) submitted oral and written testimony to the Maryland General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee and county councils across the state, urging lawmakers to end public funding for the Maryland Israel Development Center (MIDC).

Throughout the budget process, community advocates, faith leaders, and civil rights organizations argued that taxpayer dollars should not subsidize an organization linked to Israel’s military-industrial sector, particularly amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and growing public concern over companies involved in weapons production, surveillance technology, and other industries associated with human rights abuses.

MIDC describes itself as a nonprofit public-private partnership that promotes trade and economic cooperation between Maryland and Israel. However, it has faced increasing scrutiny for facilitating the expansion of Israeli companies into Maryland, including firms involved in defense, military technology, surveillance, and related sectors.

In Montgomery County, the IMAN Network opposed a proposed allocation of $45,831 in county funding for MIDC, calling on county officials to ensure public funds are not directed toward organizations connected to Israel’s military establishment.

Following Montgomery County’s decision to remove funding for MIDC, IMAN is renewing its call on the State of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Commerce, and all Maryland counties to permanently end grants, subsidies, public partnerships, and other forms of taxpayer support for MIDC and similar organizations.

The Islamic Maryland Action Network (IMAN) is a statewide crisis response coalition representing more than 350,000 Muslims across Maryland. Its mission is to foster a coordinated, compassionate, and effective response to crises by uniting diverse Muslim communities throughout the state.

Contact: Hena Zuberi,  hena@justiceforall.org Phone: 202-908-JUST

Website: https://www.justiceforall.org