Secret Israeli dossier provides no proof for declaring Palestinian NGOs ‘terrorists’ (+972 Magazine)
“Lara Friedman, who heads the Foundation for Middle East Peace, called the dossier ‘a combination of out-of-context quotes implicating the [six] organizations, and which were taken during interrogations of people who were arrested for other things, together with alleged documents suggesting that not every dollar the Europeans gave one of the groups went to the purpose it was intended, yet without connecting that money to terror. In a court of law, this is not considered the highest level of evidence. This is not proof.’ (Full disclosure: FMEP is a financial supporter of the nonprofit that publishes +972 Magazine.) Friedman says the reason the Europeans, as opposed to the Americans, are far more reticent to accept the Israeli allegations as truth is a result of a ‘long escalation.’ ‘The Israelis have long tried to get the Europeans to stop funding these groups: first by accusing them of delegitimizing Israel, then by accusing them of being terrorist groups, and now by accusing them of affiliation with terrorist groups. In the United States, on the other hand, there is a general lack of awareness of the process to delegitimize these organizations and shut down their funding. So when the Israelis show up in D.C. and say they have evidence, the Americans don’t know any better,’ Friedman said.”