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The Centrality of NGOs in Promoting Anti-Israel Boycotts and Sanctions
[Jewish Political Studies Review] Gerald Steinberg - NGOs (non-governmental organizations) focusing on human rights are powerful actors in international politics in general, and in the Arab-Israeli conflict in particular. The NGO community has advanced anti-Israel agendas in the UN, including in the 2001 Durban conference, which adopted the strategy of boycotts, divestment, and sanctions. NGO reports, press releases, and political lobbying campaigns have a powerful influence in the UN, the media, and academia. This NGO-led political war against Israel uses the weapons derived from the rhetoric of human rights and international law. Examples include promoting the Jenin "massacre" and "war crimes" claims, the campaign against the separation barrier ("apartheid wall"), academic boycott efforts, church-based divestment activities, and efforts to falsely label Israel's response to rocket attacks from Gaza as "collective punishment." Funding for many of these NGOs is provided by the European Commission and many member governments, as well as Norway, Switzerland, and private organizations. The writer is head of the Political Studies Department at Bar-Ilan University and Executive Director of NGO Monitor.