More on the EU's Hypocrisy, Its Violation of its Own Supposed Values

Links added 2-3-2013

Gerald Steinberg of NGO Monitor continues to reveal the EU's moral corruption, its interference in Israel's internal politics against the rights of Jews and the  security of Jews. The EU funded the so-called Four Mothers movement which demanded Israeli retreat from Lebanon. After PM Ehud Barak succumbed to pressure from 4 Mothers & other groups, some of them also funded by the EU, and retreated from Israel's security zone in Lebanon in 2000, the Hizbullah was empowered as a result to reinforce its control of Lebanon -- and to do one of the things it likes best, attacking  Israel and killing Jewish civilians.  Israel  was  subject after the retreat and up to the end of the 2006 war to frequent terrorist attacks, kidnappings and rocket attacks, no less than before, on the northern front. The 2nd Lebanon War of 2006 saw  nearly 4000 rockets shot at Israel, killing about 135 soldiers and civilians. The previously peaceful city of Haifa was struck by many rockets. Likewise struck were Qiryat Shmonah, 'Akko [Acre], and Nahariyah. This war was due to the retreat from the Security Zone and the consequent strengthening of Hizbullah. By the way, whereas Hizbullah had an estimated 4000 rockets during the 2006 war, it now has an estimated 60,000 rockets or more. Of course there was a UN Security Council resolution supposedly stopping the war in 2006 and telling the Hizb not to bring in more rockets and not to station its murderous militia or its weapons south of the Litani River. But the Hizb violated UN SC res 1701 with impunity.

 Many thanks due to the European Union's "peace" policy for Jewish and Lebanese suffering. Those who strive to bring "peace," often have a forked tongue.

Here are excerpts from Steinberg's op ed in HaAretz:

On 29 September 1999, a small committee of the European Commission met to allocate €5 million for "Middle East Peace Projects" to what are ostensibly non-governmental organizations (NGOs). No protocol or record was published for the public, in contrast to most meetings involving EU allocations. This committee awarded grants to a number of groups, including "The Four Mothers Movement to Leave Lebanon in Peace"(€250,000); and to Peace Now (€400,000) for, as recorded in the protocol, promoting their political agenda among "a social group that traditionally has anti-peace views and votes Likud" and among "immigrants from the former Soviet Union."

The only reason that we have this information is due to a leaked protocol from this single meeting. In the thirteen years that have followed, all documents related to EU funding for dozens of Israeli and Palestinian political NGOs have been labeled top secret - reminiscent of the most highly classified military plans and nuclear weapons designs. As a result, even members of the European Parliament are also denied substantive information.

. . . . .

What can explain this total absence of accountability, and the Court's rubber stamp approval? Perhaps EU officials fear being held responsible for wasting taxpayer funds, particularly during a deep economic crisis. While the EU funds a few political advocacy NGOs in other democracies (three in the U.S., a handful in Canada, for example – and not in secret), there is nothing comparable to the scale of its involvement in Israeli civil society. The total annual amount being channeled from the EU (including the European Instrument for Human Rights and Democracy and other frameworks), and individual governments (EU member states, [plus] Norway and Switzerland) to Israeli political advocacy groups is one of the official secrets.

. . . . .

Indeed, instead of peace, European funding has added to the violence and conflict. In 1999, the Mothers Movement used their EU grant to finance a political campaign that played a central role in the Israeli unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 (in this very limited sense, the EU policy succeeded). But then Hezbollah's attacks increased, eventually leading to the 2006 war. It would not look good for EU officials to be seen as having been even partly responsible (by acting irresponsibly) for these events.

. . . . .

European officials understandably fear public criticism of their role in alienating millions of Israelis who reject the neo-colonialist effort to use groups like Peace Now to manipulate Israeli democracy. €600 million from European taxpayers allows their well-compensated lawyers and public relations firms to flood the courts with frivolous political lawsuits, and to travel around the world campaigning against Israel. This European infringement on Israeli sovereignty has become a hot issue. . . . .

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See Steinberg's full article here.

Steinberg  responds to a critic of the above article. 

LINKS ADDED 2-3-2013 
Op ed in Jerusalem Post [here]

Report on EU funding by NGO Monitor [here]

A page of links to NGO Monitor issues regarding the EU [here] -- a summary of the

UPDATING 6-9-2013 EU hides its financing for anti-peace "ngos" here.