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Funding NGOs in Territories? Charity Money Often Used for Politics

(Jerusalem Post) Rafael D. Frankel - After calls to cease funding the Palestinian Authority in the wake of its takeover by Hamas, foreign governments and philanthropic organizations are considering increasing their funding of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which operate throughout the Palestinian territories. However, in addition to providing humanitarian relief, critics charge that NGO money is often used for political activity, much of it anti-Israel in nature. NGOs are using their funds, either directly or indirectly, for political activities that often breach the mandate of their humanitarian work, said Bar-Ilan University Professor Gerald Steinberg, the founder of NGO Monitor, which tracks the activities of NGOs operating in Israel and the territories. Some have used funds to campaign for divestment from Israel and the branding of Israel as an apartheid state.
2006-02-26 00:00:00
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