Behind Alpher’s liberal facade (”Who Rules Israel?”)
Writing in the International Herald Tribune, Yosi Alpher has invented an “extremist right wing” conspiracy in order to discredit the widespread and justified Israeli response to the central role of FONGOs (Foreign government-funded non-government organizations) in demonization — based on double standards and the exploitation of the human rights rhetoric. Goldstone, lawfare, boycotts, and “Israel apartheid weeks” are all part of this deadly political warfare targeted exclusively and immorally at Israel, as detailed in NGO Monitor’s research reports.
Contrary to Alpher’s myth, the draft legislation in the Knesset on NGO transparency is supported by MKs from many groups, including the opposition Kadima party. They recognize that tens of millions of euros are provided secretly every year by European government to groups that operate under the facade of Israeli “civil society”, and which use these massive budgets to gain publicity and political power without any democratic accountability. Moreover, this cynical exploitation of human rights has undermined the universal foundation of these principles. If Alpher and others who claim to be liberals were truly committed to these liberal values, they would add their voices to the demand that such exploitation end, and that Europe practice the transparency that it preaches to others. Instead, they invoke simplistic and misleading ideological labels, and obfuscate the substance of the Israeli debate.
Prof. Gerald M. Steinberg
President, www.ngo-monitor.org
