Wednesday, September 07, 2011

NGO Monitor: NIF Delegitimization Of Israel Continues

From NGO Monitor:



According to the New Israel Fund (NIF) 2010 financial report, published at the end of July 2011, NIF authorized grants worth approximately $16.4 million in 2010. This is a significant decrease from 2009, when $19.9 million was authorized (17% decrease). 
  • Approximately 26% of 2010 funding went to highly politicized groups involved to varying degrees in delegitimization campaigns.
  • In September 2010, NIF published new funding guidelines, declaring, in part, that groups working "to deny the right of the Jewish people to sovereign self-determination within Israel, or to deny the rights of Palestinian or other non-Jewish citizens to full equality within a democratic Israel" will "no longer be eligible" for funding. NIF also issued various statements expressing opposition to anti-Israel "lawfare" and BDS (boycotts, divestment, and sanctions).
  • The 2010 grants do not reflect any apparent changes or implementation of the guidelines, in particular funding for Adalah, Mada al-Carmel, and Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP).
  • The total lack of transparency on NIF funding processes prevents any independent assessment of 2011 grants.
  • A Wikileaks cable (February 2010) contained comments from Hedva Radovanitz, then NIF's Program and Grants Director: "in 100 years Israel would be majority Arab and that the disappearance of a Jewish state would not be the tragedy that Israelis fear since it would become more democratic" (emphasis added).
  • In response, NIF now claims that "Her comments...are her personal views. They do not reflect the policies or positions of the New Israel Fund...her resignation was largely due to her disagreement with the positions and direction of NIF." NIF did not clarify why someone with these views was appointed to such an important position within the organization, managing grants for over 300 organizations.[italics added]
NIF authorized grants for NGOs engaged in
delegitimization campaigns in 2009-2010

NGO NIF Grants  2009 NIF Grants 2010 
Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)$603,250$781,123
Adalah$55,400$475,950
Agenda$244,500$587,000
Al-Qaws$45,500$58,110
Al-Yeter$7,000$104,000
Arab Forum for Sexuality$10,000None
Aswat$7,200$42,300
B'Tselem$111,722$368,832
Bimkom$449,000$274,000
Breaking the Silence$49,000$152,540
Coalition of Women for Peace$8,620$20,130
Emek Shaveh$0$2,500
Gisha$4,350$35,975
HaMoked$36,320$208,300
Ikrit$5,000$1,000
I'lam$159,500$21,000
IPCRI$15,000$18,942
Israel Social TV (Syncopa Community)$47,500$25,000
Ir Amim$154,800$347,113
Machsom Watch (Women's Fund for Human Rights)$39,500$34,362
Mada Al-CarmelNone$100,000
Mossawa$213,000$92,625
Negev Coexistence Forum$7,500$32,169
Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI)$7,500$30,000
PHR-I$178,182$301,947
Rabbis for Human Rights$183,000$90,915
Women Against Violence$322,000$88,000
Yesh Din$42,850$38,886
Total$3,007,194$4,333,199

Technorati Tag: .

No comments: