(Jerusalem, July 9, 2007) – In its latest report into government funding of non-governmental organizations, Jerusalem based watchdog NGO Monitor has revealed the extent to which the French government support and fund NGOs with highly political anti-Israel agendas – many of whom support the widely condemned campaign to boycott Israeli trade and academics.

The report highlights the way in which the French government provides local and international NGOs with substantial financial support – in addition to its support for the Palestinian Authority.   Many of these NGOs – which claim to promote human rights, democracy and development – are in reality engaged in intense political advocacy campaigns directed against Israel; in contravention of French governmental funding guidelines.

Examples include the close relationship between the French Foreign Ministry and the Palestinian NGO Network (P NGO).  PNGO is composed of 92 Palestinian NGOs, and was an active participant in the 2001 Durban Conference which called for boycotts and embargoes of Israel.

In addition, the politicized Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is supported financially by the French Foreign Ministry.  PCHR, a vocal critic of the Palestinian Authority, is however another active participant in boycott campaigns.   Moreover, as NGO Monitor reports have demonstrated, PCHR also propagates an anti-Israel agenda in the media and international organizations.

NGO Monitor Executive Director, Prof. Gerald Steinberg noted, "By funding NGOs that promote radical anti-Israel political positions, rather than structural change within the Palestinian framework, the government of France contravenes its stated goals of seeking to ‘promote peace, security, and stability,’.

"Many NGOs we have found are in receipt of French tax payer’s money actively contribute to the Durban Strategy of demonizing Israel."

To read the full report click here.

 

ENDS ————  

 

Editors Notes:

 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

This report provides an overview of French funding mechanisms and NGO recipients in a method similar to previous NGO Monitor analyses of NGO funding by the European Union, Norway, UK, and Sweden .

Other recent publications and reports by NGO Monitor include:

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

 

For further information, comment or interviews, contact Jason Pearlman +972 (0) 526-328-795

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