NGO Monitor: EU Funded NGO Behind Spanish Court Case

Release Date: 29 January 2009   

NGO Monitor: EU Funded NGO Behind Spanish Court Case

(Jerusalem) – Jerusalem based watchdog, NGO Monitor said that today’s attempt by Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) to bring charges against Israeli military and political leaders, this time through the Spanish courts, is only the latest stage in a long anti-Israel campaign by PCHR and other NGOs.    

In recent years, NGOs, including PCHR have brought several spurious charges against Israel and its leaders.  The cases against Doron Almog and Shaul Mofaz in the UK courts were brought with the assistance of PCHR and against Avi Dichter in USA by PCHR and Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR).  Meanwhile, the accusations of ‘genocide’ and ‘war crimes’ against Ariel Sharon supported by the NGO Badil in the Belgian courts, immensely damaged Israel’s international image.   

NGO Monitor released the only in depth study of its kind on the issue in October 2008. Titled ‘Lawfare‘, the study crucially revealed that NGOs, using the façade of human rights, are behind these campaigns.  The study also noted that not one of the cases brought by NGOs has previously been upheld in the courts.  NGO Monitor has consistently highlighted these cases ever since.     

PCHR is funded by the European Union and the Danish, Norwegian, Dutch and Irish governments.  Al-Haq, an NGO which brought a case to the UK courts in 2006, on behalf of the alleged Palestinian victims of Israel’s security barrier, is funded by the Swedish, Canadian, Norwegian and Irish governments.  

Prof Gerald Steinberg commented "Given that not one court has upheld their complaints, it is clear that NGOs continue to manipulate judicial systems, not out of concern for human rights, but as part of the campaign to demonize Israel.  European governments who fund these NGOs cannot claim to be supporting human rights, nor can they be counted among those that promote peace and mutual acceptance between Israelis and Palestinians.  This very damaging government funding, which is the antithesis of human rights, must be halted immediately."        

——– ENDS ————   

Editors Notes:

Please click here to view the ‘Lawfare’ study in full

NGO Monitor was founded to promote transparency, critical analysis and debate on the political role of human rights organizations.  For more information, see our website at

http://www.ngo-monitor.org  

Other recent publications and reports by NGO Monitor include:-

The NGO Front in the Gaza War – Jan 29, 2009

HRW’s Gaza ‘Collective Punishment’ Hoax  – June 16, 2008

‘Europe’s Hidden Hand’, EU Funding for Political NGOs – March 27, 2008

NGO Monitor’s Executive Director is, Prof. Gerald Steinberg.

Members of NGO Monitor’s International Advisory Board include Elie Wiesel, Prof Alan Dershowitz, Sir Martin Gilbert and R. James Woolsey

For further information, comment or interviews, contact Dan Kosky

E: dan.kosky@ngo-monitor.org" target="_blank">dan.kosky@ngo-monitor.org