NGO Monitor is a project with the stated aim of monitoring non-governmental organizations operating in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. It is a program of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, and was formerly a joint project with B'nai Brith International.[1].
NGO Monitor describes its goal as "end[ing] the practice used by certain self-declared 'humanitarian NGOs' of exploiting the label 'universal human rights values' to promote politically and ideologically motivated anti-Israel agendas."
NGO Monitor has criticized several international human rights organisations, including Christian Aid for its alleged "extensive involvement in anti-Israel propaganda campaigns" [2] and Human Rights Watch whose reports it found to be "systematically and exceedingly biased" [3], Amnesty International [4], Oxfam [5] and Medecins Sans Frontieres [6]
It has also accused the Ford Foundation of funding NGOs, such as the Palestinian human rights organization Al Mezan Center, allegedly involved in "blatantly political anti-Israel activities". [7] Subsequent to this criticism, the Ford Foundation modified its policies regarding funding of NGOs.[8]
Praise of NGO Monitor
Describing it as a "friend of Israel", the Jewish Watch Dog site calls it "a branch of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs that was founded to promote accountability, and advance a vigorous discussion on the reports and activities of humanitarian NGOs in the framework of the Arab-Israeli conflict."[9] David Bedein of David Horowitz' magazine FrontPageMag.com describes it as a "watchdog organization".[10]
NGO Monitor's reports appear regularly on the "Around the World" section of the "Hotbeds of Prejudice" subpage of the Israeli Hasbara Committees website [11].
Criticism of NGO Monitor
Critics dismiss NGO Monitor as politically motivated and biased. At Political Research Associates, Jean Hardisty and Elizabeth Furdon describe it as a "conservative NGO watchdog group, NGO Monitor, which focuses on perceived threats to Israeli interests", adding that "The ideological slant of NGO Monitor's work is unabashedly pro-Israeli. It does not claim to be a politically neutral examination of NGO activities and practices."[12]
At the US-based Al Jazeerah Information Center, an editorial by Mohammed Salah Al-Attar (translated from Arabic by Nida Younis) states: "The stands of the Israeli NGO’s monitor springs from the overwhelming well-known stands of the Israeli official and political parties on different topics: the relation with the Palestinian people and its national aspirations and existence in its home land; and the peace issues in the country and worldwide. On these bases, the monitor establishes controversies and contradictory concepts which are characterized by suggesting a mixture of doubts on the UN NGO’s and the human organizations. Furthermore, it exploits the accusation of anti-Semitism, opposition to Israel and the Jewish people and deceptive systematic illusions to falsify stands. In addition, it does not mirror facts on the ground. Therefore, the Palestinian side seems to hold the responsibility for the continuous violations and war crimes which are actually committed by the Israeli occupation ." [13]
Ittja , the Union of Arab Community Based Organisations in Israel, labels NGO Monitor as "an organ of the American pro-Israel lobby working closely with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs" and goes on to claim that the "NGO Monitor has taken upon itself the task of defending the policies of the state of Israel, no matter what they are or whom they hurt, by demonizing everyone who opposes those policies, no matter how they go about doing so. It consistently implies that criticism of Israel is evidence of anti-Israel, anti-Semitic and anti-Jewish intentions." [14]
Staff
Apart from interns, its staff includes[15]:
- Dr. Dore Gold, Publisher (a former Israeli ambassador, currently President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon)
- Gerald M. Steinberg , Editor (Professor of Political Studies at Bar Ilan University, where he directs the Interdisciplinary Program on Conflict Management and Negotiation; also a Senior Research Associate at the BESA Center for Strategic Studies , a consultant to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Security Council , and a columnist)[16]
- Simon Plosker , Managing Editor (formerly public affairs officer for the Board of Deputies of British Jews and British Aliyah Movement co-ordinator)[17]
- Aharon Etengoff , Webmaster and Senior Researcher (formerly of the Photography & Film and Public Relations Departments of the IDF Spokesperson’s Office)[18]
- Simon Lassman , Consultant (Project Manager and Client Executive, Info-Prod Research (Middle East) Ltd.; Executive Management Team, Access Middle East.org)
Organizations reviewed by NGO Monitor
External links
Last updated: 09-12-2005 02:39:13
