Israeli spreadsheet listed aid groups’ stances on Israel and BDS

An Israeli government spreadsheet from 2013 catalogued international charities and singled out some over their perceived positions on Israel, Palestine and the boycott movement, Al Jazeera reported. The file matters because it offers a look at how Israeli officials assessed humanitarian groups years before Israel barred entry to supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.

Al Jazeera said it obtained the official file through the website of Israel’s Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, which at the time was called the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Social Services. The ministry did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment, according to the outlet.

The spreadsheet listed more than 150 charities, with entries including names of directors at the time, addresses, phone numbers, email contacts and fields of work, Al Jazeera reported. A separate comments column flagged 15 organisations with notes about their alleged political activity or criticism of Israel.

Charities flagged in comments column

According to Al Jazeera, the file described France-based Premiere Urgence Internationale as a “critic of Israel,” said Geneva-based Defence for Children International was involved in “anti-Israel campaigning,” and marked Spain’s Mundubat as heavily involved in BDS. The BDS movement seeks boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.

The spreadsheet also alleged that Oxfam was active in worldwide BDS efforts and encouraged nongovernmental organisations to take part in projects in the occupied West Bank that lacked approval from the Israeli Civil Administration, Al Jazeera reported.

Oxfam told Al Jazeera that the comments appeared to be allegations and interpretations rather than an objective review of its work. The charity said it operates under compliance and accountability rules, rejects unsupported assertions, and does not support or promote BDS. Oxfam also said it upholds international law and that Israeli settlements violate international humanitarian law.

Other organisations named in the comments included ACSUR-Las Segovias, DanChurchAid, Diakonia/NAD, Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Medico International, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Palestine Solidarity Association of Sweden, Solidarite Socialiste, Vento di Terra Onlus and World Vision International, according to Al Jazeera.

Experts point to wider monitoring

Tania Hary, executive director of the Israeli rights group Gisha, told Al Jazeera the file was unrelated to security. She said it showed Israeli government monitoring of organisations doing humanitarian work for Palestinians under occupation. Gisha was not listed in the file, Al Jazeera reported.

Al Jazeera said many comments in the spreadsheet cited NGO Monitor, an Israel-based group that describes itself as a nonpartisan research institute. The outlet noted that NGO Monitor’s website lists campaigns including one focused on what it calls the “anti-Israel NGO network” in the United States.

Mayssoun Sukarieh, a senior lecturer in international development at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera that NGO Monitor is a right-wing organisation that monitors pro-Palestinian activity. She said Israel in 2013 was starting to feel pressure from BDS and that the ministry appeared to be comparing different features of the organisations.

Giovanni Fassina, director of the European Legal Support Center, told Al Jazeera the list emerged during years when Israel was passing laws and opposing BDS. He cited a 2011 Israeli law imposing sanctions on calls for economic, cultural or academic boycotts of Israel or its West Bank settlements, and said Israel had long used networks including NGO Monitor to blacklist groups and individuals.

Links to the BDS debate

Al Jazeera reported that the file was created in October 2013, as BDS activity was gaining visibility. That year, physicist Stephen Hawking declined to attend a conference in Israel over the occupation of Palestine, some student bodies backed academic boycotts, and the United Church of Canada campaigned against goods made in Israeli settlements, the outlet said.

Medico International’s Riad Othman told Al Jazeera the Israeli file reflected an overreaction. He said Medico had not backed BDS or called for a boycott, though it had defended the right of people and groups to call for one.

The Palestine Solidarity Association of Sweden told Al Jazeera that Israeli officials are known to monitor networks supporting the Palestinian cause and view nonviolent BDS activity as a strategic threat. The group said it was active in BDS and believed the campaign was the most effective way to press for Palestinian rights and Israeli compliance with international law.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.