Danish government funding to the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat
Update: On June 2, 2017, the Danish Foreign Minister halted distribution of Danish government funding to NGOs via the Secretariat, pending a “thorough investigation of all the organizations.” The decision came following extended criticism of Secretariat core-funding recipient Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (WATC), which helped inaugurate a youth center named after a terrorist. The Danish Foreign Minister stated: “Denmark and Danish tax money should under no circumstances be used for anything that in any way glorifies or promotes terrorism. Therefore, we now require of WATC that they pay Danish support back.”
Denmark, together with Sweden, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, jointly funds non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza through the Ramallah-based Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat (“Secretariat”). A number of these organizations:
- Incite to violence and justify terror
- Have direct ties to The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
- Promote blatant antisemitism
- Lead political warfare campaigns against Israel such as BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) and lawfare
- Call for a “one state” framework
Secretariat Budget (2014-2016)
- Original Secretariat budget: $17.6 million
- Danish contribution: $5.7 million
- $7.28m of $11.5m in Secretariat core funding is provided to NGOs promoting BDS
Denmark contribution 2017-2020
- According to official documents, Denmark will be providing an additional DKK 56 million ($8.3 million) for a renewed Secretariat funding cycle.
See NGO Monitor’s updated information on Danish funding and a comprehensive report on Danish funding in 2016.
Examples of NGOs funded by the Secretariat include:
- BADIL (Core funding: $370,000)
- Calls for one “dezionized State of Palestine”
- Supports international boycotts of Israel
- Published antisemitic cartoons, and posters calling for the elimination of Israel.
- Examples of Cartoons:
- Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) (Core funding: $710,000)
- Accuses Israel of “crimes” in confronting Palestinians carrying out stabbing attacks.
- Calls Hamas rockets that injure Palestinians “misuse of weapons.”
- Raji Sourani, founder and director of the PCHR, admitted to his membership in the PFLP
- Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling (Core funding: $710,000)
- Promotes BDS
- WCLAC fieldworker, Manal Tamimi, tweeted, “I do hate Israel ,i (sic) wish a thrid Intefada (sic) coming soon and people rais (sic) up and kills all these zionist settlers everywhere.”
- In September 2015, on Yom Kippur (a fast day and the holiest day of the year in the Jewish calendar), Tamimi tweeted: “Vampire zionist celebrating their Kebore day by drinking Palestinian bloods, yes our blood is pure & delicious but it will kill u at the end.”
- Al-Mezan (Core funding $415,000 approved for an additional $80,000 in 2016)
- Signatory of “Palestinian Civil Society Call for BDS”
- Files lawsuits against companies and governments doing business with Israel, and lobbies for cases against Israelis at the International Criminal Court (ICC)
- Addameer Secretariat funding ($325,000)
- An official PFLP “affiliate.”
- Chairperson and co-founder, Abdul-latif Ghaith, was banned by Israel from travelling internationally due to his alleged membership in the PFLP.
- Al-Haq (Core funding: $710,000)
- Leader in anti-Israel campaigns and lawsuits (“lawfare”) at the International Criminal Court.
- According to the Israeli Supreme Court, Al Haq director, Shawan Jabarin, is also a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror organization.