Over 70 current and former staff, board members, and general assembly members, as well as senior management and founders at these NGOs have direct ties to the PFLP. A number of them are employed in financial positions at the European-supported NGOs, raising questions about oversight and aid diversion.
At the end of last year, Israel announced the arrests of dozens of PFLP activists for the murder of 17 year-old Rina Shnerb, including at least five members of terror-tied NGOs previously flagged by NGO Monitor.
Detailed research, released on Tuesday by the Jerusalem-based research institute NGO Monitor, shows the close links between eight NGOs funded by the European Union and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror group.
This series of reports includes new specifics on government sponsors and terror-linked staff members, including individuals indicted for the murder of an Israeli teen.
NGO Monitor identified the Palestinian NGOs Addameer, Al-Dameer, Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P), Health Work Committees (HWC), Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC), and Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC), as having substantial ties to the PFLP, designated as a terror group by the US, EU, Canada, Israel and other countries.
This is part of a wide-ranging network used by the terror group to gain legitimacy by operating under the façade of civil-society.
The research, consisting of eight reports, includes documentation of millions of dollars in funding to these groups from the EU, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, France, Ireland, Norway, and Belgium, as well as support from the US, Canada, Japan, UN-OCHA, and UNICEF.
Over 70 current and former staff, board members, and general assembly members, as well as senior management and founders at these NGOs have direct ties to the PFLP. A number of them are employed in financial positions at the European-supported NGOs, raising questions about oversight and aid diversion.
Such risks were highlighted at the end of last year when Israel announced the arrests of dozens of PFLP activists for the murder of 17 year-old Rina Shnerb, including at least five members of terror-tied NGOs previously flagged by NGO Monitor. In particular, the alleged head of the terror cell, who was indicted for preparing and detonating the explosive device, worked as an accountant at UAWC. Two other suspects also had financial roles.
“This comprehensive analysis of the network of NGOs shows clear and demonstrable ties to a violent terrorist group. Our ongoing, methodical research and analysis sheds light on the large-scale infiltration of civil society by the PFLP, with a particular focus on terrorists in financial roles at these groups,” commented Prof. Gerald Steinberg, President and founder of NGO Monitor.
He said this ‘’new and fully sourced research’’ should assist governments in re-examining the financial support that they provide to this network of terror-linked anti-peace and anti-human rights NGOs.”
The reports are accessible online at http://pflp.ngo-monitor.org