Netherlands

Profile

Country/TerritoryNetherlands

Activity

Background

  • The Netherlands funds numerous Israeli and Palestinian NGOs directly through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Embassy in Tel Aviv, and the Representative Office in Ramallah (NRO), and indirectly through Dutch aid organizations and Oxfam-Novib.
  • According to the Dutch MFA’s “Human Rights Report 2018,” the Netherlands provided over €2.7 million in direct and indirect funding to human rights NGOs operating in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
  • Revealing a lack of transparency, in 2021, the new Dutch government Development Aid Portal removed the names of “implementing organisation(s)” on multiple project in areas designated as “Palestinian territories.” The Development Aid Portal does not display names of implementing partners or NGOs receiving Dutch funding on multiple projects in areas designated as “Palestinian territories.”
  • In January 2022, the Dutch Foreign Minister announced that the Netherlands will cease all funding to the Union of Agricultural Works Committee (UAWC). According to the Minister, an “external investigation of the UAWC made it sufficiently plausible that there had been ties at individual level between employees and board members of UAWC and the PFLP for some time.” The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) is a designated terrorist organization by the USEUCanada, and Israel. (See more on UAWC below.)
  • In June 2016, the Dutch Parliament passed a resolution calling for “the ending of funding to organizations that directly or indirectly pursue a boycott or sanctions against Israel.”

Direct Funding

Funding via Representative Office in Ramallah (NRO)

NRO Funding to Palestinian NGOs

NRO Funding to Israeli NGOs

  • Breaking the Silence
    • In 2018, Breaking the Silence received €200,955 and an unspecified amount 2019-2022 from the NRO under the RAM CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION SUPPORT project.
    • In 2018, Breaking the Silence received funding for “bilateral support.” One of Breaking the Silence’s stated objectives for this project is efforts to encourage “diaspora Jewish communities to voice their opposition to the occupation.” Breaking the Silence will also use the Dutch funds to “increase opposition in the international arena to Israel’s prolonged occupation of the oPt” through challenging “key international public figures…to respond.”
    • Breaking the Silence makes sweeping accusations based on anecdotal, anonymous, and unverifiable accounts of often low-ranked soldiers. These “testimonies” lack context, are politically biased, and erase the complicated reality of asymmetrical warfare. In addition, they reflect a distorted interpretation of the conflict in order to advance the political agenda of Breaking the Silence activists, thereby fueling the international campaigns against Israel.
  • B’Tselem
  • Gisha
  • Bimkom
    • In 20182019, Bimkom received €79,200
    • Bimkom regularly files petitions in an attempt to alter government policies related to spatial planning, planning procedures, and Bedouin communities.
  • Yesh Din
    • In 20182019, Yesh Din received €169,111 and an unspecified amount 2019-2022 from the NRO under the RAM CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION SUPPORT project.
    • In 2018, Yesh Din received funding for “bilateral support.” According to the grant agreement, Yesh Din is expected to ensure that the “Issue of impunity of ISFP [Israeli security forces personnel] in cases of offences committed against Palestinians in the West Bank and in Jerusalem remains on international agenda and in discussions between GOI [Government of Israel] and foreign government representatives. Increased international awareness on systemic impact of law enforcement failure for Palestinian communities, forcible home entries and the human rights situation in the West Bank and in Jerusalem (emphases added).
    • 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.

Funding via Embassy in Tel Aviv

  • The Embassy in Tel Aviv does not publish details on NGO funding. According to information submitted by Israeli NGOs to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits, the Embassy allocated NIS 849,940 to Israeli NGOs from 2018-2021.
  • Beginning in 2019, all funding to Israeli NGOs was allocated via the NRO (see above) under the project RAM CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION SUPPORT.

Previous Embassy funding includes:

Funding via Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Lack of Transparency

  • The Development Aid Portal does not display names of implementing partners or NGOs receiving Dutch funding for multiple projects in areas designated as “Palestinian territories.” 
  • Project in PALESTINIAN ADMIN. AREAS (2020-2025)
    • Sectors: Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution
    • Budget: €2.6 million
    • Implementing organisation(s):Donor Country-Based Ngo Group
  • Project in Ramallah (2018-2024)
    • Sectors: Legal and judicial development
    • Budget: €17.37 million
    • Implementing organisation(s): United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  •  Project in Ramallah (2020-2023)
    • Sectors: Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution
    • Budget:  €328,116
    • Implementing organisation(s): No organisation name specified
  • Project in Ramallah (2020-2021)
    • Sectors: Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution
    • Budget: €152,000
    • Implementing organisation(s):  Multiple Parties
  • Project in Ramallah (2019-2021)
    • Sectors: Multisector aid
    • Budget: €5.95 mln
    • Implementing organisation(s):  No organisation name specified
  • Project in Palestinian admin. Areas (2017-2021)
    • Sectors: Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution
    • Budget: €999,480
    • Implementing organisation(s):  Donor Country-Based Ngo Group
  • Project in Palestinian admin. Areas (2021-2024)
    • Sectors: Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution
    • Budget: €299,750    
    • Implementing organisation(s): No organisation name specified
  • Project in Palestinian admin. Areas (2021)
    • Sectors: Sectors not specified
    • Budget: €377,218    
    • Implementing organisation(s): Developing Country-Based Ngo Group
  • Project in Ramallah (2020-2021)
    • Sectors: Human Rights
    • Budget: €158,891
    • Implementing organisation(s): No organisation name specified

Indirect Funding

Oxfam-Novib

Kerk in Actie

Dutch Funding to Israeli and Palestinian NGOs

NGOMechanismAmountYear
Union of Agricultural Works Committee (UAWC)NRO€11.5 million2017-2021
€8,400,0002013-2018
€13,000,000 2017-2021
Al MezanNRO€202,0552018-2019
€192,2802018
Palestinian Working Woman Society for DevelopmentNRO€83,600 2018
Independent Commission for Human Rights NRO€623,113 2017-2020
€770,993 2017-2019
AMAN CoalitionNRO€961,028 2013-2018
Breaking the Silence NRO €191,8402018
B’TselemNRO€167,2002018
MFANIS 7,1152017
GishaEmbassy TLV€62,7002018
BimkomEmbassy TLV€75,2402018
Yesh DinNRO€160,9302018
Public Committee Against Torture in IsraelNRO€26,7802018
HaMokedEmbassy TLVNIS 7,2802017
Comet-MENRO€615,5242019
€852,2232018
€816,6952017
MUSAWANRO€1,300,0002016-2019
Association for Civil Rights in IsraelEmbassy TLVNIS 140,4372016
Geneva InitiativeEmbassy TLVNIS 209,9932018

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