|
Trending Topics
|
Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-712133
Europe's Palestinian Blind Spot
(Jerusalem Post) Ruthie Blum - Nine European countries declared on July 12 that they would continue backing the Palestinian NGOs designated by Israel last year as terrorist organizations. Prof. Gerald Steinberg, founder of the NGO Monitor, said: "To make sense of the furious reaction to the Israeli government's designation of six Palestinian NGOs...as prohibited terrorist fronts, it is necessary to understand the political and ideological context." Behind the "non-governmental" label, the network is an integral part of Palestinian strategy, and for at least 20 years, has received core funding from foreign governments (primarily Western European, including the EU) in return for influence and information. Under cover of civil society, the NGOs cooperate with their European sponsors, promoting soft-power warfare targeting Israel, including the apartheid and war-crimes campaigns. The Israeli designation constitutes a major threat for actors invested in the NGOs and their political campaigns." Steinberg added, "When European officials say they see 'no evidence' of the terror links of their Palestinian NGO clients, they are ignoring numerous open-source verifiable examples." As long as money is bestowed on bad actors, Palestinians cannot possibly create a "civil society" of any sort, let alone a free and democratic one.