Catholic Aid Societies and Political Campaigns Directed at Israel
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CATHOLIC AID SOCIETIES AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS DIRECTED AT ISRAEL J u n e 2 0 1 4 ( Updated July 201 5) This report was produced by BDS in the Pews A Project of NGO Monitor CATHOLIC AID SOCIETIES AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS DIRECTED AT ISRAEL J u n e 2 0 1 4 (Updated July 2015) This report was produced by BDS in the Pews A Project of NGO Monitor NGO Monitor's mission is to provide information and analysis, promote accountability, and support discussion on the reports and activities of NGOs claiming to advance human rights and humanitarian agendas. 1 Ben-Maimon Blvd. Jerusalem 92262, Israel Tel: +972-2-566-1020 Fax: +972-77-511-7030 [email protected] www.ngo-monitor.org This report was produced by BDS in the Pews A Project of NGO Monitor (ע"ר The Amutah for NGO Responsibility (R.A. #580465508 © 2015 NGO Monitor. All rights reserved. Organization in Special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2013 Catholic Aid Societies and Political Campaigns Directed at Israel Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 3 Key Findings ...................................................................................................... 4 Recommendations ............................................................................................ 7 CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS ............................................................................................ 8 Key Points .......................................................................................................... 8 Background ....................................................................................................... 8 Finances ............................................................................................................ 9 Bias in the Arab-Israeli Conflict ......................................................................... 9 CATHOLIC AGENCY FOR OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT – CAFOD (CARITAS - U.K.) .......... 11 Key Points ........................................................................................................ 11 Background ..................................................................................................... 11 Budget and Transparency ............................................................................... 12 Grantees .......................................................................................................... 12 Bias in the Arab-Israeli Conflict ....................................................................... 13 CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES (CARITAS - U.S.) ................................................................ 17 Key Points ........................................................................................................ 17 Background ..................................................................................................... 18 Budget and Transparency ............................................................................... 18 Grantees, ......................................................................................................... 20 Bias in the Arab-Israeli Conflict ....................................................................... 21 CORDAID (CARITAS - NETHERLANDS) ........................................................................... 27 Key Points ........................................................................................................ 27 Background ..................................................................................................... 27 Cordaid within the Catholic Church Structure ................................................ 28 Budget and Transparency ............................................................................... 28 Grantees .......................................................................................................... 29 Grantees (2012 - 2015): .................................................................................. 29 TRAINING YOUTH GROUPS ............................................................................. 34 Past Cordaid Grantees (2004 – 2014): ............................................................ 34 Bias in the Arab-Israeli Conflict ....................................................................... 36 DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE/Développement et Paix (CARITAS - CANADA) ................ 46 Key Points ........................................................................................................ 46 Background ..................................................................................................... 46 1 Catholic Aid Societies and Political Campaigns Directed at Israel Budget and Transparency ............................................................................... 47 Grantees .......................................................................................................... 48 Bias in the Arab-Israeli Conflict ....................................................................... 48 SECOURS CATHOLIQUE (CARITAS - FRANCE) ................................................................ 51 Key Points ........................................................................................................ 51 Background ..................................................................................................... 51 Budget and Transparency ............................................................................... 51 Grantees .......................................................................................................... 52 TRÓCAIRE (CARITAS - IRELAND) ................................................................................... 60 Key Points ........................................................................................................ 60 Key Points ........................................................................................................ 68 PAX (NETHERLANDS) .................................................................................................... 84 Key Points ........................................................................................................ 84 CCFD-Terre Solidaire (France) ...................................................................................... 94 Key Points ........................................................................................................ 94 APPENDIX I: TABLE - CATHOLIC CHARITY FUNDERS TO NGO BENEFICIARY ............... 101 APPENDIX II: TABLE - NGO BENEFICIARIES AND THEIR CATHOLIC CHARITY FUNDERS .................................................................................................................................... 107 APPENDIX III: CARITAS MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT ......... 114 APPENDIX IV: NGO MONITOR LETTER TO CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS ..................... 115 APPENDIX V: CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN NGO MONITOR AND CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES .................................................................................................................... 116 NGO Monitor letter to Catholic Relief Services (October 2, 2013) .............. 116 Catholic Relief Services Reply – October 15, 2013 ....................................... 118 APPENDIX VI: Correspondence between NGO Monitor and USAID .......................... 119 NGO Monitor letter to USAID (October 8, 2013) .......................................... 119 USAID Reply – October 17, 2013 .................................................................. 120 APPENDIX VII: CATHOLIC CHARITIES THAT CONTRIBUTED FUNDS TO TRÓCAIRE...... 121 APPENDIX VIII: TRÓCAIRE’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN NGOS . 122 APPENDIX IX: THE GOAL OF BDS: DEFEATING ISRAEL, NOT PEACE ........................... 124 APPENDIX X: WHAT IS BDS? ....................................................................................... 125 NOTES ......................................................................................................................... 129 2 Catholic Aid Societies and Political Campaigns Directed at Israel EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “Anyone who does not recognize the Jewish people and the State of Israel — and their right to exist — is guilty of antisemitism.” Pope Francis I May 28, 2015 his NGO Monitor report relates to Catholic aid charity funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Israel and the T Palestinian Authority, specifically to groups whose activities contribute to political campaigns that demonize and delegitimize the State of Israel. During his May 2014 visit to the Middle East, Pope Francis I explicitly called for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. His laying a wreath at the tomb of Theodore Herzl sent a powerful and clear message of the Vatican’s recognition of the right of the Jewish people to sovereign equality in a state of their own. The Pontiff’s invitation to the Presidents of Israel, Shimon Peres, and the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to meet at the Vatican underscores the Pontiff’s wish to see a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our detailed analysis demonstrates that, in many cases, NGOs funded by Catholic aid charities participate in international boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) campaigns to isolate Israel diplomatically, economically, culturally, and militarily. Leaders of the BDS movement are on record overtly calling for the destruction of the State of Israel (see Appendix IX). As such, in stark contradiction to