Last Friday, NIF partner Molad – a think-tank committed to progressive values – released a groundbreaking report exposing government funding of organizations supporting Price Tag — violence by radical settlers imposing a “cost” on divergence from their political agenda – attacks and other illegal activity.
The report focuses on two NGOs in particular – the Samaria Residents Council and the Binyamin Residents Council – that have received millions of shekels from public funds all while voicing supporting for illegal actions by settlers. These organizations were founded by regional authorities in the West Bank to adopt the more extreme stances that the authorities themselves could not.
In recent years, publications distributed by these NGOs called for more Price Tag attacks, praised riots, called for the establishment of illegal outposts, for arson, and for physical attacks on Palestinian citizens. They also supported blocking intersections and military bases, as well as other means of frustrating the actions of the IDF.
This report could not have come at a more critical time. On the same day it was released, news spread of the gruesome arson attack by suspected Jewish extremists on a Palestinian family in the village of Duma. The attack killed a 1 ½ year old child and badly burned his mother, father, and four-year old brother. The survivors remain hospitalized in critical condition. Following the attack, new details have emerged about the operations of far-right Jewish radicals.
This week Channel 10 News also revealed that another tax-exempt organization called Honenu has been providing stipends of thousands of shekels to the families of convicted Jewish terrorists. The Peace Now movement called for action against this group, drawing on its many supporters to pressure Finance Minister Moshe Kahalon to cease all government support for this organization.
New Israel Fund continues to demand action from the authorities to put an end to the violence and incitement. In a letter to Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, NIF Executive Director in Israel wrote this week: “As justice minister we call on you to act forthwith against Jewish terror. Invoke your authority, and act determinedly and without compromise against this terror that threatens our lives and threatens to harm us.”