NGO Monitor: New Israel Fund's NGO Grants under Critical Spotlight

From NGO Monitor:

The New Israel Fund (NIF) organized the 'NIForum', a 10-city North American tour of meetings on a "Progressive Vision for Israel" in October, 2007. As detailed analysis by NGO Monitor has shown, NIF grants are influenced by radicals whose private agendas have been overwhelmingly rejected by Israeli voters. NIF continues to use "civil society" grants to support groups including Adalah, Mossawa, the Arab Human Rights Association (HRA), Hamoked, and others which lead the campaign to end Israel as a Jewish State, and promote "apartheid" rhetoric, boycotts and sanctions. Similarly, NIF provided funding for Jeff Halper -- a fringe Israeli who accompanies Naim Ateek, the leader of the radical Palestinian group known as Sabeel, at conferences promoting the one-state solution and boycotts.

As reported in the media, NIF's CEO, Larry Garber claimed that the "NIF position is we think it is constructive that a dialogue is initiated," but Gerald Steinberg of NGO Monitor pointed out that "[The NIF] have refused any kind of offer for a dialogue. Instead they want to convince their supporters that what they're doing is above board and acceptable. I have not seen any forum to which they've invited critics." "The NIForum has shown itself to be a timid, inadequate response to the growing dissatisfaction and criticism from NIF donors. The Forum pretends to provide the missing transparency, accountability, and public debate, but the lineup of speakers is 'the same old same old' who are part of the NIF power structure."