Posted on 03/23/2022 5:02:03 PM PDT by MarvinStinson
The grant raised concerns for the potential of abuse by organizations to act against Israel via BDS and international law tribunals.
The US State Department has offered a grant of up to $987,654 for projects that include reporting human rights violations by Israel, raising concern about the potential for abuse by organizations seeking boycotts, sanctions and international law tribunals against Israel.
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announced "an open competition for projects that strengthen accountability and human rights in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza" last month, thought to be the first of its kind from Washington.
The proposals are meant to "collect, archive and maintain human rights documentation to support justice and accountability and civil society-led advocacy efforts, which may include documentation of legal or security sector violations and housing, land and property rights."
The projects can also "take meaningful action in pursuing truth, accountability and memorialization; and/or provide psychosocial support to survivors of atrocities."
Prof. Gerald Steinberg, Director of NGO Monitor, which tracks funding for NGOs dealing with Israel-related issues, said he has never seen a US funding announcement of this kind.
US funding “generally was not for these more political NGOs under the headings of human rights,” he said.
According to Steinberg, “the language [of the NOFO] is reflective of what European governments use to justify funding organizations like Al Haq and Breaking the Silence,” Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations, respectively, that have advocated for boycotts of Israel and for Israeli officials to be tried for war crimes.
“It’s hard to see any other explanation for this type of grant,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
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