A group of more than 120 families organized in Choosing Life Forum of Bereaved Families on Tuesday sent a letter to German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas blasting Germany for funding “far-Left propaganda organizations” in Israel. Mass is about to visit Israel.
Maas is coming to Israel on Wednesday to urge the Israeli government against applying sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria. According to the Choosing Life Forum and Im Tirtzu, in recent years the German government has provided more than 18 million euro ($20 million) to far-Left NGOs in Israel, many of whom are leading the public opposition to Israeli sovereignty.
According to the letter, written in German, English and Hebrew, “from 2012-2019, Germany alone has provided €18,258,873 to 32 far-Left Israeli political organizations.”
“More than 17% of this sum was transferred to organizations that defend terrorists and their families in Israeli courts. Terrorists who have murdered our loved ones! Take for example the organization ‘HaMoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual,’ which in the past several years has submitted judicial petitions on behalf of 73 terrorists and their families. These terrorists are responsible for the murder of 71 Israelis.”
“This past Saturday night, protesters came out to Rabin Square in Tel-Aviv in order to demonstrate against Israel’s plan to apply sovereignty over parts of Judea & Samaria and the Jordan Valley. This was a legitimate protest and a healthy expression of Israel’s vibrant democracy,” the letter continued. “At the same time, we are troubled by the fact that eight of the organizations that helped organize the protest are funded by the Government of Germany.”
“Foreign Minister Maas,” the letter stated, “if you wish to come to Israel to speak with your Israeli counterparts and try to convince them one way or another, that is legitimate and welcome. But if you are trying to exert your influence via political organizations that you fund in order to create social unrest that will serve your interests, that is subversion and impudence of the highest order, and it is unwelcome here.”
The letter concluded: “Finally, it is important to emphasize that the funding of Israeli political organizations by the German government is a waste of taxpayer money that would be better invested on the citizens of Germany. We are calling on your government to immediately cease all funding of all radical Israeli political organizations. This funding makes a mockery of any and all efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”