10 June 2009

Editor

Jerusalem Post

In his eagerness to libel me and NGO Monitor’s research, Larry Garber, CEO of New Israel Fund has again misread the text. (‘Many Narratives, Not Just One’, June 7 2009).

My article on the fictitious narrative that is used by many NGOs to demonize Israel did not endorse the "Nakba Law". (‘Taking Back the Narrative’, May 30, 2009). I explicitly noted that if had been passed (and the cabinet wisely withdrew it), it would have been nullified as a violation of free speech. The other 700 words of my analysis focused on the narrative wars, in which NIF’s misguided funding plays a key role.

In his diatribe, Mr. Garber chose to ignore the substantive criticism of NIF’s support of blatant anti-Zionist activities under the facade of "civil rights". For example, NIF gave $125,000 to Mada al-Carmel, an NGO behind the Haifa Declaration, promoting the campaign supporting ‘a change in the definition of the State of Israel from a Jewish State’. And there are many more such NGOs among NIF’s grantees. Disregarding these facts and trashing serious analysis will not help NIF to correct its mistakes or answer donors concerned about the way their funds are used by NGOs who demonize the Jewish state.

Prof Gerald Steinberg

Executive Director – NGO Monitor