Israel gets tough on EU funders

STUDY: COUNTRY CLAIMS R73M PAID TO ‘BOYCOTTERS’ But financing does not go to support terrorism, nor BDS activities, says delegation.

Israel accused European Union institutions yesterday of funding non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that promote “anti-Israel boycotts” and called for the support to end.

Issuing a 40-page study, Israel’s ministry of strategic affairs and public diplomacy put the scope of such assistance to European and Palestinian groups at €5 million (R73 million) in 2016.

It said it based the sum on EU figures for that year, describing them as the latest available.

Israel has long decried groups like the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, who want to isolate Israel over policies towards the Palestinians.

The EU delegation in Israel said it had not received any Israeli government communication on the matter but would be happy to review any relevant information received concerning EU-funded activities.

“Money from the EU budget may only be spent for the purpose for which it was contracted, under strict transparency rules and is subject to extensive monitoring requirements,” a statement from the delegation’s office said.

“We are therefore confident that EU financing does not go to support terrorism nor to BDS activities, as apparently suggested in the report,” it added.

More than a dozen NGOs “which promote anti-Israel boycotts” received the money, the Israeli report said. –