Click here to read "Analysis of NGO Funding: Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC)"

SWISS COOPERATION OFFICE GAZA & WEST BANK
(Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
POB 31840 Jerusalem 91317, Israel
gaza@sdc.net

01 Nov. 05

Re: ANALYSIS OF FUNDING FOR RADICAL PALESTINIAN NGOS: SWISS AGENCY FOR DEVELOPMENT & COOPERATION (SDC)

The recent Israeli NGO Monitor’s Newsletter raises serious accusations against Swiss activities in the Middle East. Amongst other issues they insinuate that Swiss aid money is utilised to support institutions and NGO’s who are hostile towards Israel. They mention that the Swiss Cooperation is politically one-sided and has aims that are in stark contradictions with the interests of Israel.

SDC and the Swiss Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly reject the unobjective and anchorless critique.

After the signing of the so called Oslo agreement in 1993 the Federal Council decided as part of the efforts of the international community ,to increase Switzerland’s Middle East engagement in the framework of the Peace Process.

Switzerland is convinced that any just and sustainable solution to the conflict needs to consider all aspects ,political, economic, social, humanitarian, legal and security ­aspects.

The Federal Council is engaged to secure the compliance with and the respect for the International Humanitarian Law, and in relation to the Middle East ­ for the full respect of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the universal humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence. In the same line the Federal Council supports the respect for and compliance with established principles of Human Rights and Good Governance which are indispensable for peaceful conflict transformation and peace building.

 

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To: SWISS COOPERATION OFFICE GAZA & WEST BANK
(Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
POB 31840 Jerusalem 91317
Israel
gaza@sdc.net

NGO Monitor welcomes SDC’s response (November 1) to our Analysis of Funding for Radical Palestinian NGOs: Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC), published on October 20, 2005. NGO Monitor was established precisely to foster accountability and debate regarding the role of NGOs in conflict zones.

However, the content of this response is very disappointing, lacking content or reference to the specifics of NGO Monitor’s report. Instead of either acknowledging or refuting information on SDC funding for radical political NGOs such as Al Mezan, the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem, and Dev.tv, the letter from SDC asserts, without any evidence, that the report is an "unobjective and anchorless critique". This response makes the standard claims of support for Middle East peace, while failing to refute documentation showing that, in fact, SDC’s funding for politicized Palestinian NGOs violates Swiss neutrality and contributes to the violence.

Similarly, generalized references to "just and sustainable solutions" and to "international humanitarian law", etc., are not consistent with SDC’s actual funding policies for groups that use the term "apartheid" to refer to Israel, and seek to implement the Durban strategy. These externally directed actions do not help Palestinian society, despite claims by the SDC.

To show that SDC’s pursuit of "established principles of Human Rights and Good Governance" is not only rhetorical, it must change funding policies that violate these principles.

On this basis, we look forward to a substantive dialogue with SDC that goes beyond misleading rhetoric, and to cooperation in promoting the goals of peace and good governance.

Dov Rabinovitz
Director of Communications