Leaked Document Reveals Israel Marked 150 NGOs as Pro-Palestinian

An internal Israeli government document obtained by Al Jazeera has revealed the monitoring of more than 150 international charities and humanitarian organisations, with several flagged for being critical of Israel or linked to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The document, dated October 2013, includes basic information on the organisations, such as directors’ names, addresses, and fields of work. In the comments section, at least 15 organisations were specifically marked, including Oxfam, which was noted as being ‘active in global BDS efforts’. Oxfam has denied the allegations. ‘The comments appear to reflect accusations and interpretations, not an objective assessment of our work,’ an Oxfam spokesperson told Al Jazeera. The organisation clarified that while it does not support or promote BDS, it maintains that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. Other groups listed include the Norwegian Refugee Council, Medical Aid for Palestinians, World Vision International, and Defence for Children International. Many of the notes in the document cite information from NGO Monitor, an Israel-based research institute. Mayssoun Sukarieh, a senior lecturer at King’s College London, described NGO Monitor as a right-wing organisation that specifically tracks pro-Palestinian groups. She noted that the timing of the document in October 2013 was significant, as the BDS movement was gaining international traction, highlighted by physicist Stephen Hawking’s decision to boycott a conference in Israel. ‘Israel was beginning to feel the impact of BDS, and the ministry was trying to map out different aspects of these organisations. This data may have been gathered in preparation for the law that was eventually enacted in 2017,’ Sukarieh said. Giovanni Fassina, director of the European Legal Support Center, stated that the list provides early evidence of Israel’s strategy against the BDS movement, which has been subject to sanctions under Israeli law since 2011. Riad Othman from Medico International, another organisation on the list, said his group does not support a boycott of Israel but defends the right of individuals and groups to call for one, calling the monitoring an ‘exaggerated reaction’. Observers say the document demonstrates that the Israeli government was monitoring humanitarian organisations and civil society networks long before it formalised its policies against BDS supporters in 2017.