Thursday 12 March 2009

Norway NGO funding: boycotts and apartheid rhetoric instead of peace and coexistence

"Norway provides tens of millions of kroner annually to NGOs that are involved in anti-Israel boycott campaigns and the Stop the Wall Campaign in Norway. Norway also funds extreme Israeli and Palestinian groups. Norwegian People’s Aid accuses Israel of "war crimes" and "collective punishment," and uses "apartheid" rhetoric. A NORWAC member, Dr. Mads Gilbert has engaged in radical propaganda, including justifying the 9/11 attacks and false claims on the Gaza conflict. Norwegian Church Aid is an "important affiliate" of the Stop the Wall Campaign in Norway."

"- The Norwegian government provides tens of millions of Norwegian kroner (NOK) annually to politicized NGOs that operate in the Palestinian Authority and Gaza. Some of these NGOs are involved in anti-Israel boycott campaigns and the Stop the Wall Campaign in Norway.

- Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), which received NOK 49 million from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) in 2007 for its work in with the Palestinians, accused Israel of "war crimes" and "collective punishment," is active in the Stop the Wall Campaign, uses "apartheid" rhetoric, and supported the so-called Free Gaza Movement. NPA also funds other anti-Israel NGOs and partners with them.

- The Norwegian Aid Committee (NORWAC) receives MFA humanitarian funds for emergency medical assistance. A NORWAC representative, Dr. Mads Gilbert has engaged in radical propaganda, including justifying the 9/11 attacks and false claims on the Gaza conflict.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) partnered with Palestinian "right of return" NGO Badil on a report on the security barrier. The report labels the barrier a "crime against humanity," and does not call for a halt to the terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians that led to the barrier’s construction.

- Norwegian Church Aid supports many NGOs with anti-Israel agendas, including Bat Shalom and EAPPI, and is an "important affiliate" of the Stop the Wall Campaign in Norway. NCA attacked the Norwegian government for refusing to transfer money to the "Hamas government" in Gaza.
- The MFA funds Israeli NGOs B'Tselem, PCATI, HaMoked, and Gisha. The Norwegian Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority supports extreme groups Al Haq, Al Mezan, PCHR, and Miftah. During the Gaza conflict, these NGOs condemned Israel, misrepresenting international humanitarian law to delegitimize Israeli self-defense measures.

- NORAD supports a number of NGOs active in "anti-wall" campaigns, including the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine, the "coordinator for the Norwegian Tear-Down the Wall Campaign and the Norwegian Boycott Israel Campaign.""

Read the whole NGO Monitor report here

A very helpful blog on Norway : Norway, Israel and the Jews

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