Your US Tax Dollars Are Funding BDS

Over the years, I have posted several blogs critical of the policy of the American Consulate-General in Jerusalem in supporting, exclusively Arab-oriented activities such as student grants, workshops, sports, artistic, cultural, musical programs, exhibitions, and much more.

A synopsis:

These are discriminatory policies pushed by the American Consulate-General in Jerusalem.  A rather disturbing pattern of behavior has emerged that would point to a need for Congressional review and oversight procedures.
 

Except for matters of passports, visas and birth registration, all other activities, whether social, educational, scientific, cultural or even relating to sports and the arts, are so restricted that no Jewish American citizen, and for sure no Israeli Jew, who lives in the area supervised by the Consulate, can benefit from or take part in.  They are intended for Arabs solely.  They include workshops, shows, exhibitions and student grants, among others.

Jews resident in the area of Judea and Samaria face a policy of exclusion.  That, I suggest, would seem to be unconstitutional and illegal.  And most probably illegitimate.  In the same geographical area under the Consulate’s jurisdiction there exist two separate and not equal populations.  A look at the Consulate’s web site will confirm my claims.

And now, this:

Due Diligence and Accountability? The Negative Impact of U.S. Government Funding for Mideast Political NGOs

NGO Monitor May 20, 2013

Executive Summary 

Introduction

National Endowment for Democracy

United States Agency for International Development

Middle East Partnership Initiative

United States Institute of Peace

Appendices

Executive Summary

This NGO Monitor report relates to U.S. government funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that operate in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, specifically to groups whose activities contribute to the political campaigns designed to demonize and delegitimize Israel.

Our detailed analysis shows that, in many cases, these NGO activities directly contradict U.S. government support for peace efforts and for promoting Palestinian democracy. Grants are awarded without due diligence, there is no requirement for independent evaluations prior to grant renewals, and there are pronounced inconsistencies between stated objectives and the implementation of funded projects.

Recommendations include publication of clear guidelines and criteria whose violation would eliminate an NGO from consideration, and the independent and systematic monitoring of the activities of the NGO grantees (replacing reliance on claims made by the NGOs themselves). 
Key Findings

1. NGO Monitor has analyzed U.S. government funding for NGOs claiming to promote peace and human rights in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The report documents artificially narrow and misleading criteria in assessing grant proposals, resulting in funding for NGO applicants whose activities sharply contradict program objectives and policies, as well as reliance on evaluations from the NGOs themselves, rather than independent analysis.

2. The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) funds political advocacy NGOs that promote BDS (boycotts, divestment, and sanctions[1]) campaigns targeting Israel, and contributed to the discredited Goldstone Report (2009) on the Gaza war and other forms of demonization.  This activity is entirely inconsistent with U.S. policy. NED-funded groups include Al-Dameer, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Holy Land Trust, MIFTAH, Palestinian NGO Network, Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (Palestinian).

3. NED funded MIFTAH ($178,740; 2007-2012), a Palestinian NGO centrally involved in anti-Israel campaigns and antisemitism, including repetition of the infamous blood libel and allegations of “the slaughter of Palestinian children,” “massacre,” “cultural genocide,” “war crimes,” and “apartheid.” NED officials acknowledged that in evaluating MIFTAH’s proposal involving youth leadership they did not consider the NGO’s wider activities. In providing renewals for six years, NED reported relying on MIFTAH’s own evaluations, without any independent examination.

4. USAID funds a number of Israeli political advocacy NGOs, including Parents Circle Family Forum, Keshev, H.L. Education (Geneva Initiative), and Windows – Channels for Communication. The presentations and political activities of Parents Circle Family Forum ($1.61 million from USAID, plus $120,000 from USIP, 2010–2013) often promote a one-sided narrative of the conflict. The activities of this NGO are the subject of intense controversy and criticism in Israel, particularly from other bereaved parents who do not share the political views. (Appendix 10-11).

5. Windows’ “Youth Media Program,” ($750,000 from USAID, 2010–2013) is described as “a tool for Israeli and Palestinian participants to learn about each other and to communicate with each other about the conflict.” However, this program has become a platform for incitement and promotion of conflict, including comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany. The degree of supervision exercised over the use of funds is unclear.

6. Officials from Sikkuy, funded by USAID, have published opinion articles that include allegations of racial discrimination and have contributed to efforts to portray Israeli Arabs as an indigenous minority subject to discrimination, as part of a wider political process seeking to delegitimize the recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.

7. A number of NGOs have received U.S. government funds in multiple years and from multiple funding frameworks. The evidence suggests that officials involved in administering the funding do not have the information necessary to assess the overall activities and agendas of the NGO grantees, or to verify claims in the NGO submissions and reports.

8. USAID funds a number of Israeli political advocacy NGOs that are directly involved in central domestic political debates, raising questions about interference in the Israeli democratic processes.

In a recent letter I had published in the Jerusalem Post which included this:

Most recently, the Consulate is promoting The Women2Women International Leadership Program, a 10-day summer exchange program.  A condition of student eligibility is that "nominees must be Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, the West Bank, or Gaza Strip".  This wording neatly excludes Jews, whether they live in Ramat Eshkol, Rechavia or Shiloh.  Is that an American democracy value?

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