Norway

Profile

Country/TerritoryNorway

Activity

  • The Norwegian government, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), provides tens of millions of kroner (NOK) through direct and indirect funding processes to politicized NGOs operating in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
  • According to Norway’s 2022 Draft Foreign Aid Budget, “Norwegian aid to Palestine does not go to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, nor to organizations with the main purpose of promoting the BDS campaign (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions).” Yet, many Norwegian-funded NGOs are active in BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) campaigns and promote anti-peace narratives and “lawfare” campaigns at the ICC. Some groups have also used antisemitic rhetoric and have apparent links to terror organizations.

Transparency

  • The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign affairs grant portal provides limited information on ongoing and new projects for the current year.
  • According to the new aid portal of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Due to anonymization of sensitive information, the portal may not show the correct information for individual partners.”
  • Previously funded and completed project information can be downloaded from the “Access to microdata” of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

Direct Funding to Israeli/Palestinian Political NGOs

  • In 2022, the Norwegian government committed more than NOK 180 million to a number of politicized non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that call for the end of Israel as a Jewish state, participate in the campaign labeling Israel as an apartheid state, and lobby for Israeli leaders to be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC). 
  • A number of the NGO grantees are linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) – a designated terrorist organization by the US, EU, Canada, and Israel.  In contrast to other funders, there is no indication that Norway has ended or suspended support for these NGOs.

Funding to Palestinian NGOs

Funding to Israeli NGOs

According to information submitted by Israeli NGOs to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits, the Embassy allocated NIS 7.5 million to Israeli NGOs from 2020-2023. According to the Norwegian MFA Grants Portal funding to Israeli NGOs is Categorized as “Middle East Regional.”

Indirect Funding

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been active in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza since 2009 and has offices in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, and Gaza. The organization employs 12 international staff and 106 national staff.

  • In 2020-2023, NRC received NOK 66.2 million for “Humanitarian Response in Palestine.”
  • One of NRC’s principle projects in Israel, “Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA),” exploits judicial frameworks to manipulate Israeli policy, bypassing democratic frameworks.
  • Included in ICLA’s program goals is “supporting the PA both locally and nationally on casework” and works with “other NRC core competences, West Bank Protection Consortium partners, and UN OCHA, as well as with local authorities and village councils.”
  • As part of the ICLA program, NRC provides “legal assistance, including paralegal services, accompaniment, follow up or court representation in order to ensure the best possible individual legal protection outcomes” in “collaboration, coordination and partnership both internally within NRC and externally with NGO sector… and with the PA with a view to address some of the barriers to participation of the hard to reach population in ICLA response.”
  • A lawyer affiliated with the NRC program stated that the objective of these cases are an attempt to “try every possible legal measure to disrupt the Israeli judicial system… as many cases as possible are registered and that as many cases as possible are appealed to increase the workload of the courts and the Supreme Court to such an extent that there will be a blockage” (emphasis added).
  • According to its 2023 ICLA project response plan, “In 2023, NRC Information, Counselling and Legal aid team (ICLA) will target 17,583 Palestinians identified as affected by conflict-related violations and protection risks such as conflict-related violence, risk of forcible transfer, restrictions on freedom of movement and access to services, including livelihoods and settler violence.”

Norwegian People’s Aid-NPA (Norsk Folkehjelp)

  • In 2020-2024, NPA will receive NOK 48.5 million from Norway for “Civil Society influence for reduced inequality in Palestine in partnership with the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC).
  • Played a central role in lobbying the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) to divest from Israeli companies “involved in building activities in the illegal settlements,” promoting distorted factual and legal claims.
  • In April 2018, the US Department of Justice fined NPA $11 million for civil fraud. NPA was charged with violating the US False Claims Act for providing material support to Iran and Palestinian terror groups, Hamas, the PFLP, and the DFLP. According to Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman:  “For years, Norwegian People’s Aid obtained grant money from USAID by falsely representing that it had not provided, and would take reasonable steps to ensure that it did not knowingly provide, material support to prohibited parties under U.S. law.”

Norwegian Church Aid-NCA (Kirkens Nødhjelp)

  • In 2020-2024, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) received NOK 33.1 million for projects with a number of problematic partners in the “Palestinian territories.”
  • In 2020-2024, the Norwegian government committed NOK 8.6 million to EAPPI via NCA.
    • Founded by the World Council of Churches, EAPPI sends volunteers to the West Bank to “witness life under occupation.” Upon completion of the program, the volunteers return to their home countries and churches where many engage in anti-Israel advocacy, including advocating for BDS campaigns in churches, comparing Israel to apartheid South Africa and Nazi Germany, and other delegitimization strategies.
    • EAPPI volunteers have used inflammatory, demonizing, and antisemitic rhetoric against Israel.
  • In 2020-2024, the Norwegian government committed NOK 32.1 million to DanChurchAid via NCA.

KFUK-KFUM Global

Who Profits

  • According to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits, in 2019-2020, Who Profits received NIS 79,000 from the Fagforbundet (Norwegian Municipal Union).
  • Initiates international BDS campaigns, targeting Israeli and foreign banks, security companies, civil infrastructure facilities, and private companies. Also identifies companies for other BDS activists to target.

Direct Norwegian Funding to NGOs Active in the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Israeli NGO amounts based on quarterly financial reports submitted to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits. Palestinian NGO amounts based on the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign affairs grant portal. Amounts in NIS unless noted. 

Organization20222021202020192018
Akevot216,284
Al-HaqNOK 3.5 million
AMAN CoalitionNOK 5 millionNOK 6 millionNOK 4.8 millionNOK 4.6 million
Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)218,494219,956110,000200,000
B'Tselem542,849198,771308,000341,000
Emek Shaveh216,855219,955
Gaza Community Mental Health ProgrammeNOK 2 millionNOK 2 millionNOK 2.3 million
Gisha438,727238,131390,000
HaMoked14,000
Hebron Rehabilitation CommitteeNOK 2 millionNOK 1.5 millionNOK 2.3 million
Human Rights Defenders Fund39,13826,00080,000
Independent Commission for Human RightsNOK 2 millionNOK 4 millionNOK 8.7 million
Ir Amim1,345,057436,000
Ma’an Development CenterNOK 3 millionNOK 3.7 millionNOK 2.3 millionNOK 1.2 million
MiftahNOK 2 millionNOK 2.5 millionNOK 3 million
Palestinian Center for Human RightsNOK 1.5 millionNOK 3.6 millionNOK 1.8 million
Peace Now307,576347,880192,495303,000
Redd Barna Norge (project with Defense for Children International - Palestine (DCI-P), Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (PCDCR), and Ma’an News Agency)NOK 484,221NOK 3,578,484NOK 4,368,290
Women's Centre for Legal Aid and CounselingNOK 2.6 million
Yesh Din307,587398,540186,552354,000

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