RUTHFULLY YOURS

On April 25, a Haifa theater staged a play that could be construed as a show of solidarity with a terrorist who kidnapped and murdered Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984. One of the organizers of the play was the group Coalition of Women for Peace. This group supports boycotts against Israel and is funded by the European Union, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.

On Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism last month, while Israelis attended ceremonies honoring Israel’s fallen, the organizations Combatants for Peace (funded by Spain, Germany and the Netherlands) and the Parents Circle Families Forum (funded by the U.S., the European Union and Switzerland) held an “alternative” ceremony, to which families of terrorists were invited.

On Independence Day, the organization Zochrot (funded by Germany, Belgium, Finland, the U.K., Switzerland and the Netherlands), which seeks the dissolution of the State of Israel and the return of Palestinian refugees, was especially active.

Despite the understandable public protest over the activities of these groups, one of the cornerstones of an independent and sovereign nation is the right to debate, to argue and to influence. It is the only way for the people to decide their own future. And indeed, as heated as it may get, the democratic debate among the Israeli public is one of the state’s greatest strengths. But the problem begins when outsiders, who represent foreign political interests, interfere in our inner dialogue in a way that is not at all proportional.

Can anyone imagine Israel funding a British organization that identifies with the murderers of British soldier Lee Rigby (who was hacked to death by Muslims in 2013)? Could Israel officially fund a Spanish organization that holds an “alternative” ceremony in Madrid in memory of Spanish soldiers and al-Qaida terrorists? One can only imagine the backlash if Israel ever dared to intervene in the internal issues of another nation, thereby undermining its sovereignty.

Data collected from NGO reports, the Registrar for Non-Profit Organizations and other sources suggests that between 2012 and 2014 foreign countries donated at least 117 million shekels ($30 million) to 24 Israeli organizations involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (not necessarily in promoting human rights or peace). These organizations promoted boycotts, legal action, delegitimization of Israel, demonization of Israel, lobbying against Israel and petitions to the International Criminal Court.

Israel is the only democracy where foreign government funding at this level can profoundly impact the state’s agenda, the public discourse and the country’s status in the international community. This blatant effort by European governments to influence the Israeli public, in complete violation of the guidelines of friendly nation relations and contrary to diplomatic norms, has been widely criticized by most of Israel’s political spectrum.

How can we confront this phenomenon while preserving the delicate balance between a sovereign state’s right to defend itself and freedom of expression? Would legislation be the most effective means of combating this situation? Legislative efforts against these organizations in an effort to limit foreign funding in the past have proved unenforceable and detrimental to Israel in the international arena. Instead of bolstering Israel’s sovereignty in the face of those who seek to undermine it, paradoxically the legislation efforts helped these groups find alternate sources of funding.

Therefore, while existing laws certainly need to be enforced, the focus needs to be on dialogue, criticism and an organized strategy toward the foreign governments that provide this funding. This can be done through parliamentary, diplomatic, public and media pressure. It needs to be a strategy shared by all of Israel’s political parties, stemming from an understanding that the delegitimization of Israel is not a left or right issue. It is an Israel issue. The Israeli leadership needs to demand answers regarding foreign funding that impacts internal discourse and the funding of organizations that seek to undermine the State of Israel.

Our elected leaders need to use readily available information to shame the European countries that flout Israel’s sovereignty and try to influence our agenda. It is precisely what their leaders would do if Israel had dared to flout theirs.

Itai Reuveni is a researcher for NGO Monitor.