UKLFI: Supporting Israel with legal skills

Representations to stop EU funding of terror

UKLFI has written to two MEPs and the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, urging the EU to stop funding terrorist linked NGOs.

This follows a statement published in the Jerusalem Post, when Commissioner Várhelyi said “There is no terror financing from EU funds, as long as there are EU funds that will not be happening, this will not be tolerated, and if it happens, it will be rectified. And I will see it to it myself that it is done and delivered”.

Olivér Várhelyi, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Wiki Commons

UKLFI’s letter, which was co-signed by NGO Monitor, International Legal Forum and Palestinian Media Watch set out details of two serious examples of the problem, but pointed out that there are many other cases. It urged Varhelyi to establish clear procedures that would prevent abuse and would not be open to misinterpretation by EU Commission staff.

 The letter enclosed  dossiers of evidence against two of the EU funded NGOs: the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) and Defence for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P), showing their links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist group.

For further information on links between DCI-P and the PFLP see article HERE and NGO Monitor report HERE.   For further information on the links between UAWC and the PLFP see article HERE and NGO Monitor report HERE.

Two of UAWC’s former finance directors are currently on trial for the murder of a 17 year old Israeli girl and injuring of her father and brother, that took place in August 2019.

Below are details of recent grants from the EU to UAWC  that we know of, although there may be others:

  1. Subject of grant: Making olive oil competitive through the introduction of local value chain approach in the OPT.

         Total: 2,480,224 Euros

         Year: 2012

  1. Subject of grant: Moving herders from aid dependence to self-sustaining growth through livestock husbandry development and market expansion.

         Total: 3,545,374 Euros

         Year: 2013

         Action location: West Bank – Palestine

  1. Subject of grant: Juthoor: Land, water and human resource development in vulnerable areas of the west bank.

         Total Amount: 3,600,000 Euros

         Year: 2014

         Action location: OPT – West Bank – Hebron and Beth

  1. Subject of Grant: Moving herders from aid dependence to self-sustaining growth through livestock husbandry development and market expansion.

         Total Amount: 1,879,374 Euros

         Year: 2014

         Action Location: West Bank – Palestine

  1. Subject of Grant: Making olive oil competitive through the introduction of local value chain approach in the OPT

        Total amount: 609,895 Euros

        Year: 2014

Below are details of recent grants from the EU to DCI-P that we know of, although there may be others:

  1. Subject of Grant: Prevention, mitigation and rehabilitation for Palestinian children exposed to torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment

        Total amount: 981,298 Euros

        Year: 2017

  1. Subject of Grant: Strengthening community resilience and social cohesion in east Jerusalem on both sides of the separation wall (Mundubat)

        Total Amount: 699,236 Euros

        Year: 2017

UKLFI has also written to other Members of the European Parliament, who have indicated that they are unwilling to countenance the EU funding terrorist linked NGOs.  UKLFI enclosed  the dossiers of evidence against two of the EU funded NGOs, showing their links to the PFLP terrorist group.

We hope that EU officials will now do as they say, and put a stop to the EU funding of terrorism, and that MEPs will hold them to account if they fail to do so.