Left-wing Israeli groups received $27M from Europe over 3 years - Shlomo Cesana

by Shlomo Cesana

Israel's NGO Transparency Law requires organizations to disclose direct and indirect funding from foreign governmental bodies • According to the Foreign Ministry, many of the organizations receiving massive funding promote anti-Israel activity.

An anti-Israel demonstration | Photo credit: GettyImages

Some 24 Israeli non-governmental political advocacy organizations dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reported a total of nearly 105 million shekels ($27 million) in direct and indirect funding from foreign governments, especially in the European Union, from 2012 to 2014, according to an NGO Monitor report from earlier this year.

The organizations are required by Israel's NGO Transparency Law to disclose funding from foreign governmental bodies. NGO Monitor collected and analyzed the data provided about donations given directly by foreign governments and those given via governmental conduits. 

According to the Foreign Ministry, many of these organizations focus on Israel's activities in Judea and Samaria, often encouraging pro-Palestinian activists and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. 

Some of the organizations to receive foreign government funding were B'Tselem, Gisha, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Breaking the Silence. 

The Breaking the Silence organization, which is dedicated to exposing alleged wrongdoings by the Israel Defense Forces, reportedly received some 2.2 million shekels ($573,000) in foreign funding. The group also recently launched an exhibit in Switzerland, receiving $16,000 in Swiss government funding and sparking Israel's condemnation.

Foreign funding is often given to organizations on a project basis. For example, left-wing organization B'Tselem's video project received several thousand dollars in funding, while the Coalition of Women for Peace received some 38,000 shekels ($9,900) for "international activities."

The data collected by NGO Monitor reveal massive funding from the EU and Norway, constituting 17.2% and 13%, respectively, of the total donations reported by political NGOs. Belgium, Ireland, Germany, Finland and the Netherlands were among other countries funding controversial NGOs. 

Shlomo Cesana

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=25941

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