JERUSALEM – Following exposure of NIF’s central role in funding BDS activities of the Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP), the New Israel Fund (NIF) on May 12 issued a statement falsely claiming that NGO Monitor “knowingly published false information.”
NGO Monitor notes that NIF continues to avoid its responsibility and to misrepresent facts regarding its funding of CWP – specifically the group’s “Who Profit’s” BDS campaign – and has resorted to uncivil smear tactics, including grossly distorting the conversation between Prof. Steinberg and Rachel Liel.
The most recently available public NIF grant information shows CWP received nearly $300,000 from 2006-2009. In addition to this grant, CWP’s website continues to state that NIF accepts tax-exempt donations in the U.S., UK, and Switzerland on their behalf and on behalf of the “Who profits?” project. NIF still has not published its 2010-2011 grant information.
“Clearly NIF officials belatedly realize that they are responsible for very costly mistakes in funding the leaders of the BDS and demonization campaigns,” says Prof. Gerald Steinberg, president of NGO Monitor. “We hope that as part of accepting NGO Monitor’s guidelines for ethical funding, the NIF will publish all of its grant information in a timely manner. It is important to verify that both direct and indirect funding for groups such as the CWP has indeed ended, and that the NIF join in publically denouncing this immoral activity. We also urge NIF to end the uncivil attacks that seek to silence this important discussion. As the CWP and other examples show, NIF officials and donors often do not understand the implications of the organization’s own funding and activities.”
Prof. Steinberg’s letter to NIF-Israel Executive Director Rachel Liel
Prof. Steinberg’s letter to Dr. Cherny regarding NIF.
