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Editor,

The article "New Israel Fund Australia on the way" (Australian Jewish News, April 21, 20110) states that "the NIF has come under fire from Professor Gerald Steinberg’s NGO Monitor, among others, for supporting organisations that advocate boycotts of Israeli products. Prof Steinberg has insinuated the NIF is anti-Zionist.” The allegation regarding the insinuation is totally false. NGO Monitor is an independent research organization and while our research demonstrates the sharp contrast between NIF’s claims and its funding policies, I have never characterized NIF or its officials, such as Naomi Chazan,
as anti-Zionist. Instead, their funding of political groups that promote BDS, demonization and the discredited Goldstone reports suggested that these NIF officials are severely misguided. However, NIF has recently agreed to adopt NGO Monitor’s funding guidelines. If this promise is actually implemented (and no evidence has yet to be provided), these guidelines would restore the NIF’s severely damaged reputation.

Prof Gerald M. Steinberg
President, NGO Monitor and
Professor, Bar Ilan University