Activity

Oxfam Novib is the Dutch affiliate of Oxfam international, an “international confederation of 17 organizations networked together in 92 countries.” Within the Oxfam umbrella, Oxfam Novib plays a leading role on the Arab-Israeli conflict, including demonization and other anti-Israel campaigns.

See also NGO Monitor’s reports on Oxfam International, Oxfam Great Britain, and Oxfam-Solidarité (Belgium).

Funding

• In FY 2016-2017, total income was €179.9 million; total expenses were €182.9 million.
• Donors include the Netherlands, European Union, Cordaid, CARE, and other branches of Oxfam.
• Oxfam Novib does not reveal all of its governmental donors, but does note that it has received money from Sweden (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency –SIDA) and from Belgium.

2014-2017 grants received (amounts in Euro)

*According to Oxfam Novib, “The income shown here is the income received from other members of the Oxfam confederation for the implementation of projects by Oxfam Novib and partners.” It is unclear why such funding is included in a table of “Government Grants.”

**Other grants include income from various non-profit organizations, such as IKEA Foundation, Cordaid, ZOA and CARE Netherland.

Funding for Politicized NGOs

• Between 2014-2021, Oxfam Novib is granting €1,590,887 to a number of highly biased and politicized NGOs active in the Arab-Israeli conflict including Adalah, Al-Mezan, Bimkom, Coalition of Women for Peace, Culture and Free Thought Association, Emek Shaveh, Gisha, HaMoked , Miftah, Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC), Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ), Union of Health Work Committees, Women’s Affairs Center (WAC), Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC), and Yesh Din. (See below for a full list of projects funded by Oxfam Novib.)
• Oxfam Novib funds the following projects, amongst others:

1. In 2015, Oxfam Novib launched a program called “Tax, Budgets and Citizen Participation in OPT” (2015-2020). The overall goal of the program “is to increase the responsiveness of Palestinian national and local budgets to the needs of poor and marginalized citizens, while supporting autonomy and transparency in revenue generation.” The program is directed at four countries: “OPTI, Yemen, Tunisia and Morocco.” Total funding for all countries is nearly €11 million.
   • The program’s budget for Israeli and Palestinian organizations is nearly 50% of the budget – “€5,193,980 for 5 years, or €1,038,796 per year, of which 30% represents office and support costs and 70% is for direct activities.
   • The program funds Miftah, Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ), The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN), and Teacher Creativity Center (TCC)
2. Strengthening Resilience in E.J– Project partners include the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC), Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC),  and the Palestinian Counselling Centre (PCC).
   • WCLAC, PMRS, and PARC support BDS initiatives through participation in activities and events, signing of petitions and initiatives, and/or membership in BDS platforms.
   • Additional funding for this project was provided by the European Union’s East Jerusalem Programme.
3. Integrated Protection in Area C– Joint project with Bimkom and Yesh Din
   • Additional funding provided by the Direction générale Coopération au développement et Aide humanitaire (DGD) of the Belgium government.
4. Strengthening HR & Access to Info – Gaza – Project with Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) with additional funding by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).
   • According to the project description, “We hope to show that PCHR can be an effective voice of Palestinian peoples rights especially in the Gaza Strip, with the capacity to communicate individual and collective rights violations and advocate for appropriate remedies from both the national and international actors to end the Gaza blockade. This project is funded by the European Union and co-funded by Oxfam Novib.”

Political Advocacy

• Oxfam Novib is active in promoting an anti-Israel agenda. Its 2009 monitoring report states that Oxfam Novib has “taken the lead in campaigning on Palestinian issues” within the Oxfam International network.
• Oxfam Novib, along with Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) and Pax (and Cordaid until January 2016), formed the organization United Civilians for Peace, which advocates for BDS campaigns against Israel and partners with highly politicized NGOs.
  • In April 2016, Amin Abu Rashed, a reported Hamas operative, participated in a workshop organized by UCP on “Gaza/Palestine.”
  • In a 2013 film about the Israeli elections, UCP interviewed individuals from radical NGOs, including Eitan Bronstein Aparicio of Zochrot, Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, and Mohammed Zeitan of the Arab Association for Human Rights.
• In July 2017, on the occasion of “50 years of occupation,” Oxfam Novib called to “Put an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, and also to the blockade of the Gaza Strip.” According to Oxfam Novib Policy Officer for the Middle East Evelien van Roemburg, “The expansion of the settlements, excessive use of force, forced expulsions, restrictions of freedom of movement, seizures of land and the destruction of houses are illegal. A powerless condemnation is not enough…We can not wait another 50 years for a solution.”
• In June 2017, Oxfam Novib Head of Humanitarian Team Suying Lai, placed sole blame on Israel for the situation of people in Gaza stating “The occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel, which has been going on for 50 years, feeds the conflict between Israel and Palestinians…The occupation is the root cause of poverty and injustice in occupied Palestinian territory. This is exacerbated by the political struggle between the Palestinian Authority (in power in the West Bank) and the rulers in Gaza (Hamas). Sustainable and just peace is only possible if Israel ends the occupation” (emphasis added).
  • Country Director Chris Eijkmans, has also placed sole blame on Israel for the conflict stating, “There are few examples of poverty or injustice in the OPT that do not stem from the occupation.”
• Signed, as part of the UCP, the 2015 Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) document titled “Charting a New Course: Overcoming the Stalemate in Gaza,” which misrepresents international law and distorts legal terminology in order to place primary blame for the 2014 Gaza war on Israel. The paper fails to mention Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, as well as terror tunnels running beneath the border into Israel. It further encourages contact with Hamas, stating that, “Restricted contact can undermine humanitarian access and implementation of humanitarian programmes…”
• In September 2014, Oxfam Novib, alongside MIFTAH, Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD), Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (WATC), and Women for Women in Sweden, participated in meetings held at the 27th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to discuss “war crimes in Gaza and ongoing human rights violations in Occupied Palestine.”