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. NGO Monitor describes its objective as "Promoting critical debate and accountability of Human Rights NGOs in the Arab Israeli conflict."[1]
Structure and staff
The 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.[2] Its staff includes:[1]
- 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)[3]
- Sarah Mandel, Associate Editor
- Anne Herzberg, Director of Research and Legal Advisor
as well as several researchers and interns.
Activities
NGO Monitor has criticized several international human rights organisations, such as Christian Aid (for its alleged "extensive involvement in anti-Israel propaganda campaigns"[4]), Human Rights Watch (for being "systematically and exceedingly biased"[5]), Amnesty International,[6] Oxfam[6] and Medecins Sans Frontieres.[7]
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".[8] Subsequent to this criticism, the Ford Foundation modified its policies regarding funding of NGOs. [9]
Praise and criticism of activities
Praise
David Bedein describes NGO Monitor as a "watchdog organization" in FrontPageMag.com article.[10] NGO Monitor's reports appear regularly on the "Around the World" section of the "Hotbeds of Prejudice" subpage of the Israeli Hasbara Committee website [11].
Criticism
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] Ittijah, the Union of Arab Community Based Organisations in Israel, labels NGO Monitor as "an organ of the American pro-Israel lobby." [13] It has been claimed that NGO monitor has falsified claims about other NGOs. [14] NGO Monitor criticized the New Israel Fund for funding organizations that the NGO Monitor claims are engaged in a "campaign to delegitimize Israel." These claims were denied by the director of the New Israel Fund who described NGO Monitors criticism as "un-democratic and un-Jewish" and "inherently and fundamentally flawed." [15]
References
- ^ a b "About NGO Monitor". NGO Monitor.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "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]
- ^ Policing Civil Society Spring 2004, Political Research Associates
- ^ [6]
- ^ Leonard Fein (2005-05-20). "Monitoring The Monitor". Jewish Daily Forward.
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(help) - ^ [7]
External links
- NGO Monitor home page
- Ambassador Dore Gold's biography
- NGO Monitor should not be taken seriously by Yacoub Kahlen and Robert E. Foxsohn, The Electronic Intifada, 18 October 2005
- The Israeli NGO's Monitor: Aims, purposes and mixture of claims, deformation of facts and illusions (Al-Jazeerah)