NGOs such as B’Tselem, Adalah, and Breaking the Silence receive massive amounts of funding from foreign governments, claiming to promote a human rights agenda in Israel. In reality, these groups focus on delegitimizing and demonizing Israel before international audiences, seeking to generate external pressure outside of Israel’s democratic framework.
The following analysis presents all grants reported by the 35 Israeli NGOs receiving foreign government funding and involved in political advocacy, according to their annual financial reports for 2017-2019.
On January 12, 2021, the Israeli NGO B’Tselem launched a high-visibility international campaign, under the headline, “A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid,” escalating its political and ideological condemnations that go far beyond criticism of policies.
NGO Monitor has analyzed the NIF’s 2018 financial reports, which detail grants to 280 Israeli non-governmental organizations (NGOs). We focus specifically on the 20% of the NIF’s funding that is distributed to 31 political advocacy NGOs claiming to promote human rights.
‘Who Profits’ initiates international BDS campaigns, targeting Israeli and foreign banks, security companies, civil infrastructure facilities, and private companies. It supports BDS campaigns around the world in finding target companies.
On November 20, 2018, Human Rights Watch, in cooperation with Kerem Navot, published a report targeting Airbnb. The report followed a two-year long coordinated and well-financed BDS campaign.
On November 22, 2018, B'Tselem published a report that utilized a flawed methodology, minimized the context of violence and terror, belittled the human rights of Israeli civilians living in close proximity to the border, and ignored Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups’ incitement to violence against Israel.
On November 19, 2018, Airbnb issued a press release announcing it was “removing listings” in “Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank.” This change in policy was a clear result of a coordinated and well-financed campaign targeting the company by NGOs involved in BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) campaigns against Israel.
Since 2014, Adalah has expanded its activities to the United States through the "Adalah Justice Project." Through the Adalah Justice Project, Adalah has increased its involvement in BDS campaigns and legal warfare.
NGO Monitor analyzes EU-funded projects to the Israeli NGO, I'lam. I'lam, and the other partners on the projects, are highly politicized organizations whose activities suggest they are not focused on dialogue, or on facilitating the core EU objective of peace based on dialogue and a two-state framework.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has used millions of European taxpayer funds, primarily from the UK, for a campaign that exploits the Israeli justice system and is aimed at circumventing appropriate diplomatic channels.