Background

  • NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that claim to promote human rights and receive funding from the IHL Secretariat erase the rights of Israeli victims and fail to condemn Palestinian perpetrators.
  • The IHL Secretariat Facebook page completely ignores the stabbings, shootings, and other attacks, and does not mention Israeli victims. It includes links to Israeli and Palestinian NGOs that condemn the responses of security forces to the attacks.
  • Most of the organizations receive core funding (as in organizational and administrative costs, including salaries of full-time staff, facilities, equipment, communications, and the direct expenses of day-to-day work) from the Secretariat  The same recipient organizations continuously receive millions of euros through annually renewed grants.
  • The Danish government just completed an independent evaluation of its funding in Palestine (including NGOs) and found there was no coherent strategy in place and no significant improvement. The Danish government should end its funding (direct and via the IHL Secretariat) to organizations that incite violence, violate human rights as oppose to defend, them and serve as a destabilizing factor – especially in the light of the current fragile situation.

NGO Statements

Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)

  • PCHR ignores video evidence and falsely claims that a number of Palestinians were killed or wounded “on the grounds of suspicion of carrying out stabbings” (emphasis added).  In fact, the attackers portrayed by PCHR as innocent victims, incontrovertibly committed attempted murder. PCHR also distorts the fact that the attackers were brandishing knives at police officers after carrying out stabbing attacks in front of dozens of witnesses and leaving behind multiple victims, including children and the elderly. Police acted in order to protect Israeli lives.

Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (Core funding $410,000) 

  • Facebook Post: “demands that the international community to intervene quickly and the formation of a United Nations Commission of inquiry on the crimes of the occupation forces and Israeli settlers…and violations of the sanctity of the al-Aqsa Mosque.”
  • “It has been killed since the beginning of the month, 19 Palestinians, of whom 13 were killed during the past three days alone at the hands of the occupying forces, and hundreds of citizens, some of whom had been shot by settlers.”

Al-Haq (Core funding $710,000)     

  • No mention of stabbings or Israeli victims.
  • Action Alert: “deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the OPT and its sever impact on Palestinian lives since 1 October Israeli occupying forces have killed 20 Palestinians…”
  • Press Release: “A Deafening Silence: EU must address escalation of violence against Palestinians”

Adalah (Core funding $190,000)  

  • Press Release: “Brutal and repressive acts undertaken by the Israeli police against Palestinian citizens and residents of Israel include the arbitrary arrests of minors; ‘preventive arrests’ of activists/protest organizers to thwart demonstrations; arrests of activists’ family members to pressure them; and severe physical violence against protestors, and in particular, Palestinians in East Jerusalem.”

Al-Mezan (Core funding  $415,000)   

  • Press Release: “Al Mezan Condemns the IOF Lethal Force against Civilians; Calls on the International Community to Intervene and Ensure Due Protection for Civilians”

Badil (Core funding $260,000)

  • Press Release: “For as long as Israeli impunity continues, so too will the killing of Palestinian children”