Denmark will no longer fund Palestinian organizations with links to terror groups and those that boycott Israel.
By: United with Israel Staff
Denmark has set new conditions for the financing of civil society organizations, including a ban on grants to organizations that promote boycotts on Israel or are connected in any way to terror organizations.
The new guidelines specifically state that projects that promote BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), and groups that question Israel’s right to exist or those with terror links will not be eligible to receive funds, NGO Monitor revealed.
In October, the Danish Foreign Ministry announced grants under the new criteria to NGOs active in the Arab-Israeli conflict. All Palestinian NGOs with ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror group will no longer receive funds.
Palestinian NGOs that promote international lawfare against Israel were also removed from the funding list.
The guidelines also state that organizations must act in accordance with Denmark’s stated position that there should be two states for two peoples. Any organization who questions the existence of the state of Israel will not receive assistance.
The Danish government will cease the funding of 16 out of 23 Israeli and Palestinian organizations, some of which are connected to BDS and PFLP.
“This breakthrough reflects NGO Monitor’s detailed research reports and analyses, and we will continue to provide updates to governmental officials and other decision-makers in Denmark and elsewhere,” the watchdog group stated.
Last year, the Swiss Parliament approved a resolution on NGO funding that included similar language, and NGO Monitor vowed to “continue to urge other countries to adopt guidelines on preventing support for NGOs that promote anti-Semitism, incite violence, have terror ties or engage in political anti-Israel campaigns.”
European-Funded Anti-Israel Organizations
Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs has exposed that many BDS organizations have a money trail that leads to a United Nations or European Union-recognized terror organization.
According to 2015 data published by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, European governments funnel a staggering 100-200 million euros annually to anti-Israel organizations operating under the guise of human rights advocacy.
There are some 25 organizations registered in Israel that receive the majority of their funding from foreign governments, including the far-left NGO Adalah that defends Palestinian terrorists in court, and Coalition of Women for Peace and Who Profits, which promote the anti-Israel BDS movement.
HaMoked, a legal advocacy group for Palestinian terrorists, received in 2012-2016 over NIS 15,500,000 ($4,080,000) from the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN) and 11 European governments (Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom).
In addition, in 2008-2012 HaMoked received nearly NIS 3,000,000 ($790,000) from the New Israel Fund, and in 2014, NIS 3,300,000 ($870,000) from a Palestinian foundation based in Ramallah.
Other European-funded NGOs include Zochrot, which operates to eliminate the Jewish character of the State of Israel by promoting the resettlement of millions of Palestinians in Israel, and Yesh Din, which accuses Israeli soldiers of perpetrating war crimes and petitions Israel’s Supreme Court against the Israel Defense Forces.