Norway Joins IHL NGO donor consortium supporting BDS and demonization

Via NGO Monitor:

As of June 1, 2016, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided NOK 5 million ($600,000 – screenshot below) to the Human Rights & International Humanitarian Law Secretariat (Secretariat), managed by the Institute of Law at Birzeit University (IoL-BZU) in Ramallah and NIRAS – a European consulting firm.

The Secretariat funds non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in BDS campaigns (boycott, divestment and sanctions) and other forms of demonization.

Some grantees have also promoted antisemitic rhetoric and have apparent links to terror.

The donor consortium, including Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, provides 80% of its four year budget ($10.38 million before Norway’s accession) to core NGO funding.
13 out of 24 core fund recipients support BDS;
11 out of 20 project fund recipients support BDS;
Core recipients promoting BDS receive $5.78 million of the $10.38 million.

Norway’s decision stands in sharp contrast to the Dutch Parliament’s resolution (June 2016) calling for a review of its funding to the Secretariat over concerns about BDS support.

The Swiss Parliament will vote on a similar resolution following criticism from journalists and a motion questioning Swiss funds to the Secretariat signed by 41 MPs from different parties. This criticism includes alleged involvement of officials from the PFLP terror organization (details below) and disproportionate salaries.

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