German group cuts support for Palestinian rights NGO
Remembrance, Responsibility and Future, known by its German acronym, EVZ, says it supports education projects, but not those with a political agenda.
By Uri Blau Tags: Palestinians NakbaA German foundation that helps victims of the Nazis has decided to discontinue funding the Israeli NGO, Zochrot (Remembering), which strives to raise awareness of the Palestinian Nakba among Jews in Israel. Remembrance, Responsibility and Future, known by its German acronym, EVZ, also asked the Israeli organization to remove any mention of it in its publications.
"EVZ supports educational projects but does not support organizations that also have a political agenda," one of the German foundation's directors, Gunter Saathoff, told Haaretz. "Since Zochrot supports the right of return, the foundation cannot extend its cooperation with it."
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Zochrot founder Eitan Bronstein. |
| Photo by: Nir Keidar |
EVZ's site states that the foundation is committed to the victims of National Socialism, a critical examination of history and working for human rights.
Recently, the Knesset has dealt with various bills to stop European funding of leftist groups in Israel. Sonja Bohme, a senior program manager at EVZ, confirmed that it received inquiries from Israel concerning its support of Zochrot.
Several months after promising 25,000 euros for an educational project dealing with the Nakba - the Palestinian term for the catastrophe that happened to them in 1948 - EVZ summoned new Zochrot director Liat Rosenberg to Berlin. "They requested we refrain from mentioning EVZ in our publications dealing with the project," said Rozenberg. After the meeting with Rosenberg, Bohme wrote a memo stating that "EVZ appreciates Zochrot's agreement not to make EVZ's support public."
In 2011 EVZ also supported Mahapach-Taghir, a Jewish-Arab organization commited to social change in Israel, but is yet to pledge future funding. Asked if the decision concerning Zochrot would influence support of Mahapach-Taghir, Saathoff said that the NGO's request had not been submitted yet and that "at this stage we cannot determine which projects will be funded in the future."
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Are they Arabs? No. Are they Muslims. No. What is their business in this conflict? None. So how can they not have a politcal Agenda
The Palestinians are occupied by Israel and the occupation is growing. In time Israel hopes to make the scattered Palestinian enclaves smaller and smaller until they disappear completely. By disaapear I don't mean that the Palestinians become Israeli citizens. I mean that they disappear either to the grave or emigration. This is the Israeli political agenda. Is it not allowed for the Palestinians to have a political agenda as well? Are they just supposed to watch and wait as the Israeli plan moves forward?
I'm sure they wouldn't have any trouble if EVG was financing Im Tirtzu or any of the pro-settler organizations. It's sad Europeans cave in to this kind of crude intimidation.
The rest was written twice but does not fit in the mind of the moderater - and there was nothing of incitement or wrong information in it. Only the background whom EVZ serves in Germany
how about right of return for native americans?? You have a problem with that?
Go ask for your cause somewhere else. Maybe Iran will help you. Maybe Russia....I doubt the Western countries believe in your existence as a unique nation.
The "palestinian" right to return is a fantasy. It will never happen.
This group gives the pals false hope. There is no right of return.
The leader of the Arab countries have a faith in violence. See the studies of Gene Sharp. www.aeinstein.org
is following international law an agenda?
Are you kidding? International Law in Israel/Palestine; there is not even Rule of Law in this region.
It is sad. Germany has a big responsibility in the eviction of Palestinians from their own homes. If Germany had treated the European Jews properly, the history would be different for the Palestinians. And now, this German group cuts the funding of an NGO trying to raise awareness about the Nakba. Germany should be one of the first countries funding solutions to the Palestinian refugee problem. They were part of the problem.
Right on!!!
The arabs should be the one to find solutions for their brothers' refugee problem. They are responsible for this situation. They asked the paletinian arabs to leave their home in order for them to destroy Israel, they attacked Israel, they lost, they kept their palestinian "brothers" in camps for almost 3 generations and treated them like third grade non-citizens.
It is really funny that Israelis/Jews are telling Palestinians: forget about it, move one, find home somewhere else because my family was expelled from here 2.000 years ago and now I want my "home" and "land" back. So, they should move one but Israelis/Jews should be all the time putthing history on the top of the agenda in order to build more settlement, to destroy more homes, to expell more Palestinians? Until when it is going to continue the industry of what happen many years ago?
Blackmail.