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Foreign Powers Also Try to Manipulate the Democratic Process in Israel
(New York Times) Gerald Steinberg - Re: "Foreign Powers Buy Influence at Think Tanks" (New York Times, Sept. 7): The problematic impact of foreign government funding for political advocacy nongovernmental organizations and think tanks is not unique to American democracy. For many years, the EU and European governments, including Norway, which you cite, have channeled tens of millions of euros to Israeli political groups in order to manipulate the democratic process. NGO Monitor research over a decade has demonstrated that funding processes are closely guarded state secrets, and Britain, the EU and other governments routinely deny related freedom of information requests in order to prevent critical public debate. If European states are active in this manipulation of democracy, it is hardly surprising that your reporting shows that Qatar and other closed regimes follow a similar route. The writer is president of NGO Monitor and a professor of political science at Bar-Ilan University.