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.
• Norway prohibits funding for “discrimination, including hateful expressions and anti-Semitism” and commits to not funding organizations that “expressed key goals to promote the BDS campaign.” 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 details of ongoing and new projects for the current year.
• 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

• According to information available on the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/NORAD website (as of June 2, 2020), the Norwegian government committed funds of over NOK 150 million (over $15.5 million) to politicized organizations active in the region for 2020. These funds are distributed via NORAD, the Embassy in Tel Aviv/Israel, the Representative Office in Al Ram/Palestine, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2020, overall development aid to “Palestine” amounted to  NOK 556 million.

Funding to Palestinian NGOs

• Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) (NOK 2.75 million for 2019-2021)
  • 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.”
• Al Haq (NOK 2.5 million in 2019)
  • Al Haq is a leader in anti-Israel “lawfare” campaigns and BDS activities. 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.
  • Al Haq proposed sabotaging the Israeli court system by “flooding the [Israeli Supreme] Court with petitions in the hope of obstructing its functioning and resources.” In October 2013, Al-Haq and Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) held a meeting with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to present a legal opinion, accusing Israel of “widespread and systematic commission of international crimes and violations of international law.”
• Ma’an Development Center (NOK 5 million in 2017-2019)
  • 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.”
• Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC) (NOK 2.6 million in 2019)
  • 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.
• Addameer (NOK 2.2 million for 2014-2016)
  • Refers to the Israeli army as the “Israeli Occupying Forces,” and accuses Israel of “collective punishment,” “war crimes,” and a “policy of using Palestinian prisoners as pawns to achieve political and military gains.”
  • Lobbies international frameworks against Israel and supports BDS.
  • Addameer is an official PFLP “affiliate,” and a number of Addameer staff members have alleged connections to terror groups. Addameer’s chairperson and co-founder, Abdul-latif Ghaith, was banned by Israel from travelling internationally due to his alleged membership in the PFLP. He was also banned from entering the West Bank in 2011-2015.
• Al Mezan (NOK 3 million for 2014-2016)
  • Al Mezan is highly active in political warfare, accusing Israel of “genocide,” “crimes against humanity,” “apartheid,” “ethnic cleansing,” “massacres,” and “slaughtering civilians,” and refers to “resistance” and “Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).”
  • Also received joint project funding with Save the Children, Defence for Children International – Palestine Section, and Ma’an Network (NOK 9.4 million– 2014-2018)
• Miftah (NOK 5 million for 2014-2017)
  • 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. 

Funding to Israeli NGOs

According to information submitted by Israeli NGOs to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits, the Embassy allocated NIS 4.8 million to Israeli NGOs from 2017-2019. According to the Norwegian MFA Grants Portal funding to Israeli NGOs is Categorized as “Middle East Regional.”

• Ir Amim (NOK 4.2 million in 2018-2019)
  • 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.”
• Gisha (NOK 1.9 million in 2018-2019)
  • Gisha employs “apartheid” other international legal rhetoric to promote a partisan political and ideological agenda.
• Yesh Din (NOK 2.3 million in 2019-2020)
  • 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.
• B’Tselem (NOK 800,000 in 2019)
  • 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.

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.

Funding

• In 2020 NRC received NOK 9.1 million for Humanitarian Response in Palestine.
• NRC’s received NOK 43.6 million (2016-2019) in Norwegian government funding for projects in the region.

Activities

• NRC supports politicized “Litigation of public interest cases …through Israeli courts and international mechanisms” in 2016. Previously, NRC funded over 4,000 cases and legal interventions in Israeli forums.
• A lawyer affiliated with the NRC program stated that the objective of these cases is 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)
• NRC works with a narrow selection of political NGOs that promote a one-sided narrative of the conflict in implementing its legal aid and “public interest litigation” related programs. In 2016 and 2017, NRC partnered with HaMoked, JLAC, Society of St. Yves, Terrestrial Jerusalem, Yesh Din, CAC, Bimkom, Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution(PCDCR), Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), Al Mezan, among others.
• Through its Standby Roster for Civilian Observers (NORCAP), NRC “contributes” to Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH).
  • In addition, in 2018 TIPH received NOK 5.7 million from the Norwegian MFA.

Norwegian People’s Aid-NPA (Norsk Folkehjelp)

• NPA is a leader and mobilizer of anti-Israel BDS (boycotts, divestments, and sanctions) campaigns.
• 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 2017, NPA hosted Al-Haq’s General Director, Shawan Jabarin, who has alleged ties to the PFLP terrorist organization and as such has previously been denied exit visas by Israel and Jordan.
• 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.”
• In 2019, NPA received NOK 7.4 million for “Humanitarian assistance for refugees in Gaza.”
• From 2020-2024, NPA received NOK 70 million from Norway for “Civil Society influence for reduced inequality in Palestine” in partnership with the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC).
  • Identified by Fatah as an official PFLP “affiliate,” and by USAID engaged audit as the “agricultural arm” of the PFLP.
  • Several UAWC staff members, founders, board members, and general assembly members are tied to the PFLP. This includes Samer Arbid, UAWC’s financial director, indicted and currently standing trial for leading a PFLP terror cell that murdered a 17-year-old Israeli girl in August 2019. (For more information on UAWC’s PFLP ties, read NGO Monitor’s report “Union of Agricultural Work Committees Ties to the PFLP Terror Group.”)
• From 2016-2019, NPA received NOK 50 million from Norway for “Partnership for democratic development in Palestine.” Implementing partners include:
  • Union of Agricultural Work Committees(UAWC) (see above)
  • Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO):
    • PNGO is the Palestinian NGO umbrella organization comprising 67 Palestinian organizations.
    • In January 2020, PNGO vehemently opposed a new clause in European Union grant contracts with Palestinian NGOsthat prohibits grantees from working with and funding organizations and individuals designated on the EU’s terror lists. According to media reports, PNGO claimed that Palestinian terrorist organizations are “political parties.”
    • PNGO requires that members refuse to sign US anti-terror waivers prohibiting them from accepting “anything but unconditional funding.” In June 2017, PNGO condemned Norway’s decision to pull funding from a youth center named after Dalal Mughrabi, a terrorist who murdered 37 Israeli civilians in 1978- including 12 children.
  • Other NGOs include: Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (PCDCR) and Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center [Association] in Palestine (DWRC).

Norwegian Church Aid-NCA (Kirkens Nødhjelp)

• In 2020 NCA received over NOK 8 million for projects involving “civil society.”
• Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) received over NOK 124 million (2015-2018) for projects with a number of problematic partners in the “Palestinian territories.”
• According to NCA, NCA in Palestine used NOK 20.3 million in funding.
• Published a “Country plan 2011-2015: The occupied Palestinian Territory with Israel and faith-based organisations in the Middle East,” together with the ACT Alliance, presenting a highly biased and politicized view of the conflict and accusing Israel of “excessive use of force,” “demolitions,” “displacement,” “harassment,” using “human shields,” and promoting the Palestinian narrative of “Nakba” [meaning the establishment of Israel is a “catastrophe”].
• NCA sends Norwegian members to the World Council of Churches’Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).
  • EAPPI consistently demonizes Israel, making accusations of “apartheid,” “war crimes,” and “Bantustans”; calls the security barrier, which has saved countless lives from suicide bombings, “evil.”
• NCA is active in promoting BDS campaigns against Israel. NCA held campaign titled “Close the Weapons Loophole!” calling on Norwegian authorities to “regulate exports” and to stop “sell[ing] weapons to Israel.”

Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI)

• In 2020 the Norwegian government committed NOK 2.1 million to EAPPI.
• In 2017-2019, EAPPI received NOK 6.2 million from the Norwegian government,
• 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.

KFUK-KFUM Global

• KFUK-KFUM received two project grants from Norwegian MFA, Section for civil society, Human Rights and Democracy)
  • NOK 8,6 million (2016-2019)
  • NOK 2.7 million (2016-2019)
• 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 2017-2018, Who Profits received NIS 9,000 from the Fagforbundet (Labor 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.

Funding to Norwegian and international organizations active in the region

Funding to Norwegian and international organizations active in the region