Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Israel is currently being undermined by a sophisticated and well funded group of NGOs many of whom are funded by The New Israel Fund (NIF). The stated purpose of these NGOs is to promote social equality, coexistence, democracy, justice and other lofty goals. The hidden agenda is to undermine the Zionist character of Israel.

NIF is one of best funded NGOs  in Israel. It has an annual budget of over 100 million shekel and uses its financial clout to influence the public agenda. Although they support legally registered Israeli NGOs, the goal of the majority of these organizations is to weaken Zionism.

The NIF argues that it promotes democracy, as well as justice and equality for all residents of Israel. But in reality, it works to create internal chaos and uses international issues to undermine the very existence of the State of Israel.

Recently the NIF’s image has suffered a major blow due to the exposure of its true motives and intentions. It has been spending a fortune trying to improve its image. They joined the “Celebrate Israel Parade” in New York. They have financed their own initiatives and conferences featuring strong Zionist political figures, and even target their marketing towards the religious Zionist community

The organizations and institutions that are associated with religious Zionism and receive funding from the NIF allow the NIF to claim to be a friend of Israel with good Zionist credentials. However, the NIF also attempts to change the views of their targeted audience from within by using good people who are trying to advance  tolerance. Rachel Liel, the Executive Director of the NIF in Israel, admitted that they made a strategic decision to break into the religious Zionist world, using “people who they (the religious Zionist community) will listen to, who speak the language, and understand the culture.”

The NIF is trying to introduce its ideas into the religious Zionist community using people respected by that community. The funding received by these religious Zionist organizations is minimal. However, the NIF receives great benefits from these small contributions by appearing as a friend of the cause of Zionism. The hypocrisy is apparent when they fund a Zionist organization, and simultaneously in another venue claim that that same organization commits “war crimes.”

The NIF’s true face is evident in its support of rabidly anti-Zionist organizations such as  “Yesh Din” ,“Breaking the Silence”, and the “Adalah Center.” Yesh Din regularly publishes false reports in leading newspapers in Europe accusing Israel of committing war crimes. Breaking the Silence activists tour giving sensationalized accounts of misbehavior of Israeli soldiers. The Adalah Center specializes in providing false testimonies on the situation of the Beduin in the Negev.

The true face of the NIF is not in the modest donations that it provides to Zionist organizations but rather as the main supplier of fuel for the vicious BDS movement.

The New Israel Fund is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. By inserting itself into religious Zionism the fund gains doubly. First, it whitewashes its bad image  so that people forget that it funds organizations like B’Tselem, an organization that during Operation Brother’s Keeper launched the terrible “they were hitchhiking” campaign that fiercely attacked the IDF and the Israeli government. Secondly, the NIF with its new Zionist friendly image can recruit wonderful, good quality people who are truly motivated by Jewish tolerance and who are duped by NIF.

NIF’s gift of a small amount of honey to worthy Zionist organizations is not sufficient to cover up their real goal which is the substantial funding of  anti-Israel NGOs.

Matan Peleg
CEO of Im Tirtzu Movement
en.imti.org.il