Gerald Steinberg 2 (2)Click here to read full article.

[EXCERPTS]

For over a decade, Israel has been the target of an intense political war, based on a strategy of delegitimization and waged through boycotts and lawfare cases. The intensity and scope of these attacks have increased steadily, particularly in Europe and more recently, in the United States and Canada. The current wave of anti-Israel BDS resolutions, particularly in academic groups such as the American Studies Association (ASA) and the Modern Language Association (MLA), are the latest assaults.

The BDS campaign on university campuses, churches and the media has been carefully planned for more than a decade, and is financed by hundreds of millions of dollars, euros, pounds, krona provided to so-called “non-governmental organizations” (NGOs) that operate cynically under the façade of human rights and similar ethical principles.

Most of this money comes from Europe, usually involving taxpayer funds funneled through secret processes to organizations that operate under the banners of promoting human rights, humanitarian aid, democracy and peace.  As a result, while the resolutions, panels, petitions and other forms of anti-Israel boycott warfare are taking place in the United States (the MLA meeting is in Chicago), the weapons and organization behind the assault is European.

Beyond these widespread BDS attacks, every battle has a specific externally-funded NGO dimension.

While debating and refuting propaganda is important, it is also necessary to cut off the supply lines and resources available to NGOs such as CWP, Electronic Intifada, JVP, PACBI, and many more. To defeat the attacks, the funders/enablers in Europe and beyond must be exposed, and then held responsible for the actions of their clients and recipients.