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

• In 2022-2023, Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) received NOK 4.7 million from Norway.
  • PCHR describes Israel’s policies as “apartheid” and accuses Israel of “ethnic cleansing,” “war crimes,” and the “Judaization of Jerusalem,” while regularly distorting or denying the context of terrorism against Israeli civilians.
  • On July 25, 2017, PCHR organized a workshop on “Consequences of Former Prisoners’ Salary Suspension on their Economic and Social Rights.” At the event, Raji Sourani, PCHR director, stated that “the decision of suspending former prisoners’ salaries was shocking to the prisoners, their families and all Palestinians as it is illegal, immoral, and violates the Basic Law and the international human rights law.”
  • According to a 1995 article in the Washington Report, Raji Sourani served “a three-year sentence [1979-1982] imposed by an Israeli court which convicted him of membership in the illegal Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine…” He was also denied a US entry visa in 2012.
  • In February 2014, the PFLP organized a ceremony in Gaza honoring Sourani for winning the “Alternative Noble (sic) Prize.”
• In 2022, Al Haq received NOK 3.6 million.
  • Al Haq is a leader in anti-Israel “lawfare” campaigns and BDS activities.
  • On October 22, 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense declared Al-Haq a “terror organization” because it is part of “a network of organizations” that operates “on behalf of the ‘Popular Front’.”
  • General Director Shawan Jabarin is allegedly linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a designated terrorist organization by the U.S., EU, and Canada. Click here to read NGO Monitor’s unofficial translation of the decision by the Israeli High Court of Justice.
• In 2019-2023, Norway is providing NOK 23.7 million to Redd Barna Norge (Save the Children Norway) for a project with Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P), Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (PCDCR), and Ma’an News Agency.
  • Numerous individuals with alleged ties to the PFLP have been employed and appointed as board members at DCI-P. On October 22, 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense declared Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P) a “terror organization” because it is part of “a network of organizations” that operates “on behalf of the ‘Popular Front’.” For more information on DCI-P’s PFLP ties, read NGO Monitor’s report “Defense for Children International – Palestine’s Ties to the PFLP Terror Group.” 
• In 2022-2023, Ma’an Development Center received NOK 12 million from Norway.
  • In May 2018, Ma’an Development Center employee Ahmad Abdallah Aladini was killed in the violence on the Gaza border. Aladini was a “comrade” of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a terrorist organization designated as such by the US, EU, Canada, and Israel. According to the PFLP, Aladini was active against the “Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip.”
    • On his Facebook page, Aladini posted PFLP propaganda, including images that glorify violence and terrorists. On May 7, 2018, Aladini posted a PFLP memorial notice for the death of six members of Hamas who were killed during the “crimes of the Zionist enemy.”
• In 2021-2022, Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC) received NOK 5.2 million.
  • Accused Israeli forces of “resorting to extra-judicial killing, mass intimidation and collective punishment in order to maintain their grip on Palestinian territory in violation of basic international norms.”
  • Supports BDS initiatives through participation in activities and events, signing of petitions and initiatives, and membership in BDS platforms.
• In 2022-2023, Miftah received NOK 5 million.
  • Utilizes anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric. Describes terror groups as “resistance fighters” and accuses Israel of perpetrating “massacres,” “cultural genocide,” and “war crimes.”
  • In March 2013, published an article written by Nawaf al-Zaru that repeated the antisemitic blood libel that Jews use Christian blood to bake Passover matzah.  After significant public criticism, MIFTAH removed the article, but attacked the blogger who exposed the article for “smearing” the organization and downplayed the centrality of the blood libel in the article. 
• In 2020-2022, Norway granted NOK 16.7 million to the Independent Commission for Human Rights.
  • ICHR regularly collaborates with and has demonstrated its support for EU, US, Canada and Israel-designated terror groups, such as Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). 
• In 2021-2023, Norway granted NOK 2.9 million to the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC).
  • JLAC is highly active in promoting BDS campaigns, lobbying international bodies, and utilizing highly inflammatory rhetoric.
  • In 2010, JLAC published the first edition of its book We Have Names, We Have a Homeland, which alleges that “brutality and sadism is the true face of Zionism and the State of occupation” and accuses Israel of “savage,” “abhorrent,” and “fascist” practices. The book continues to ask, “Has the history of humanity ever known such brutality as practiced at the hands of Israel…?”

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.”

• 7amleh (NOK 3.7 million in 2020-2023)
  • Since 2016, 7amleh has campaigned against Facebook’s, Twitter’s, and Instagram’s  policies of taking down posts featuring incitement to violence, support for terror, and antisemitism, arguing that social media platforms “all too often lead to the silencing and erasure of critical voices,” “censor[ing] Palestinian voices,” and attacking “free speech.”
  • 7amleh board members and officials have used Facebook to celebrate violence against Israelis. 
• Ir Amim  (NOK 2.6 million in 2022)
  • Ir Amim’s activities consistently promote a one-sided Palestinian narrative, accusing Israel of the “Judaization” of Jerusalem, and alleging without evidence that the security barrier’s supposedly “demographic rationale therefore outweighs its security rationale.”
• B’Tselem (NOK 1 million in 2022)
  • Actively pursues its political agenda in the Israeli courts and the Knesset.
  • Accuses  Israel of “apartheid,” perpetrating “war crimes,” “beating and abus[ing]” Palestinians, “demolition of [Palestinian] houses as punishment,” and forced “deportations.”
  • In October 2016, Hagai Elad appeared before a special session of the UN Security Council initiated by Egypt, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Angola, asking the UN to take “decisive international action” against Israel. In his presentation, Elad made no mention of Palestinian terror attacks or incitement.
• Yesh Din (NOK 1 million in 2022)
  • Yesh Din is central to the allegations that Israeli investigative and court systems are unable or unwilling to investigate allegations of wrongdoing and is part of a wider “lawfare” strategy of pressing “war crimes” cases against Israeli officials in foreign courts and in the International Criminal Court (ICC). These campaigns use faulty information and skewed statistics to promote their political claims.
• Gisha  (NOK 1.2 million in 2022)
  • Gisha employs “apartheid” other international legal rhetoric to promote a partisan political and ideological agenda.

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).
  • The Union of Agricultural Work Committee (UAWC) is identified by Fatah as an official “affiliate” and by USAID-engaged audit as the “agricultural arm” of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a terrorist organization designated as such by the US, EU, Canada, and Israel. UAWC is also highly active in promoting BDS campaigns and utilizing inflammatory rhetoric. For more information on UAWC’s PFLP ties, read NGO Monitor’s report “Union of Agricultural Work Committees Ties to the PFLP Terror Group.”
• 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.
  • DanChurchAid has provided funding to a number of highly biased and politicized NGOs active in the Arab-Israel conflict. Some of DanChurchAid’s partners and grantees promote BDS (boycotts, divestments and sanctions) and lawfare campaigns, false “war crimes” allegations, and even antisemitic propaganda.

KFUK-KFUM Global

• In 2020-2023. KFUK-KFUM received NOK 5.3 million for two projects from Norway.
• Calls for “a broad economic boycott to get Israel to end the occupation.”
• Supports the Kairos Palestine document, which characterizes terrorist acts of “armed resistance” as “Palestinian legal resistance,” denies the Jewish historical connection to Israel in theological terms, and calls to mobilize churches worldwide.
• Partners with EAPPI (see above).

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.