Letter to the editor of the Jerusalem Post, "Funds for demonization", in response to "Pinochet judge visits to see if officials culpable for house demolitions" by Tova Lazaroff
Sir, – "Pinochet judge visits to see if officials culpable for house demolitions" (February 7) was irresponsible publicity for Jeff Halper’s one-man NGO, the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions (ICAHD). It repeated, verbatim, ICAHD’s claims to hold Israel "accountable to human rights," and ignored its record of anti-Israel campaigning.
Halper supports boycotts and uses terms such as "apartheid" and "war crimes" to refer to Israeli policy against Palestinian terror. He often joins Naim Ateek of Sabeel, whose use of anti-Semitic themes is well documented.
The article also omitted the fact that the European Union gave ICAHD 472,000 euros in 2005 under its Partners for Peace Program, which ostensibly supports civil society projects promoting the peace process. In effect, the EU is funding this latest example of anti-Israel demonization, which contrasts sharply with the claim of contributing to peace.
JONATHAN PULIK
Communications Consultant to NGO Monitor
