134.68.77.116 (talk) add third party sources via talk |
69.218.58.110 (talk) attribute per talk |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''NGO Monitor''' ('''Non-governmental organization monitor''') is an [[Israel|Israeli]] [[non-governmental organization]] with the stated aim of monitoring other non-governmental organizations operating in [[Israel]], the [[West Bank]], and [[Gaza]]. |
'''NGO Monitor''' ('''Non-governmental organization monitor''') is an [[Israel|Israeli]] [[non-governmental organization]] with the stated aim of monitoring other non-governmental organizations operating in [[Israel]], the [[West Bank]], and [[Gaza]]. [[The Economist]] and [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency |JTA]] identify NGO Monitor as a pro-Israel group<ref>[http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9804231 Boycotting Israel: New pariah on the block]</ref><ref>[http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/103936.html Ha'aretz columnist dropped by British Zionists]</ref> and [[The Jerusalem Post]] states the organazation writes reports detailing the operations of alleged anti-Israel political NGOs.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1187779135911&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Europe to host NGO attack on Israel]</ref> |
||
==Structure and staff== |
==Structure and staff== |
Revision as of 00:02, 18 September 2007
NGO Monitor (Non-governmental organization monitor) is an Israeli non-governmental organization with the stated aim of monitoring other non-governmental organizations operating in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. The Economist and JTA identify NGO Monitor as a pro-Israel group[1][2] and The Jerusalem Post states the organazation writes reports detailing the operations of alleged anti-Israel political NGOs.[3]
Structure and staff
NGO Monitor is the central project of the Organization for NGO Responsibility, an independent non-profit organization registered in Israel. It was formerly a joint project of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and B'nai Brith International founded jointly with the Wechsler Family Foundation .[4] NGO Monitor states that it was founded jointly with the Wechsler Family Foundation. Nina Rosenwald, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA)[5], is another NGO Monitor donor.[6] Its staff includes:[7]
- Gerald M. Steinberg, Executive Director (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)[8]
- Sarah Mandel, Associate Editor
- Anne Herzberg, Director of Research and Legal Advisor
as well as several researchers and interns.
Activities
NGO Monitor describes its objective as "Promoting critical debate and accountability of Human Rights NGOs in the Arab Israeli conflict." The organization further describes its aims as "to end to 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." [7]
NGO Monitor has criticized several international human rights organisations, such as Christian Aid (for its alleged "extensive involvement in anti-Israel propaganda campaigns"[9]), Human Rights Watch (for being "systematically and exceedingly biased"[10]), Amnesty International,[11] Oxfam[11], the Center for Constitutional Rights and Medecins Sans Frontieres.[12]
It has also accused the Ford Foundation of funding organisations such as the Palestinian Al Mezan Center, which it claimed was involved in "blatantly political anti-Israel activities".[13] Subsequent to this criticism, the Ford Foundation modified its policies regarding funding of NGOs. [14]
Praise and criticism of activities
Praise
In an editorial for the online conservative political magazine FrontPageMag.com, David Bedein, bureau chief of the Israel Resource News Agency, describes NGO Monitor as a "watchdog organization".[15]
NGO Monitor's reports appear regularly on the "Around the World" section of the "Hotbeds of Prejudice" subpage of the Israeli Hasbara Committee website [16], which defines itself as "a voluntary organisation" whose motto is "disseminating the truth about Israel and the Jewish people."[17]
Criticism
NGO Monitor criticized the New Israel Fund, which states that its primary objective is to strengthen Israel's democracy, for funding organizations that the NGO Monitor claims are engaged in a "campaign to delegitimize Israel." These claims were denied by the President of the New Israel Fund and law professor at Georgetown University Law Center, Peter Edelman, who described NGO Monitors criticism as "un-democratic and un-Jewish" and "inherently and fundamentally flawed." [18]
In an article for Political Research Associates, which describes itself as a progressive think tank devoted to supporting movements that are building a more just and inclusive democratic society[19], Jean Hardisty and Elizabeth Furdon describe NGO Monitor 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."[20]
Ittijah, the Union of Arab Community Based Organisations in Israel, labels NGO Monitor as "an organ of the American pro-Israel lobby." [21] It has been claimed that NGO monitor has falsified claims about other NGOs. [22]
References
- ^ Boycotting Israel: New pariah on the block
- ^ Ha'aretz columnist dropped by British Zionists
- ^ Europe to host NGO attack on Israel
- ^ [1]
- ^ Hudson Institute: Staff Bio
- ^ NGO Monitor: Founding Donor
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
about
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Professor Gerald M. Steinberg". Bar-Ilan University.
- ^ "Christian Aid (UK)". NGO Monitor.
- ^ "Special Report: "Activity Summary of Human Rights Watch March 2003 - March 2004"". NGO Monitor.
- ^ a b ""Human Rights Groups are Working Against Peace"". NGO Monitor.
- ^ "´Political Humanitarianism´ and Medical NGOs". NGO Monitor.
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Hasbara
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ NGO Monitor: Exchange of letters on NIF transparency and accountability
- ^ PublicEye.org: About PRA
- ^ Policing Civil Society Spring 2004, Political Research Associates
- ^ [6]
- ^ Leonard Fein (2005-05-20). "Monitoring The Monitor". Jewish Daily Forward.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help)