#ngos

[halalchampagnesocialist]

To understand why Israel keeps targeting UNRWA infrastructure and UNRWA workers (and by extension, human rights activists) aside from the accusations they're ~secretly Hamas~, we must put it into the context of which these organisations operate.

To put it lightly, Israel is not a fan of international NGOs and human rights organisations at all, but especially the ones whose existence revolves around advocating for Palestinian rights and exposing the crimes of the occupation. It is not a fan of Palestinian ones at all either, but that goes without saying. I would even suggest that Israeli organisations like "Breaking the Silence" and "BtSelem" fall under this category, even liberal ~coexistence~ type groups like "Standing Together" are seen with suspicion to a degree as they pose a threat to the status quo. The Israeli state and Zionists also see the work of such organisations as a method of "delegitimising Israel" and "singling out Israel" and so on. There is even a pro-Israel organisation called "NGO Monitor" which exists to combat this exact thing.

In the case of UNRWA, there is a specific criticism made by Israel against them (aside from the secret Hamas operative one), and that is they "indoctrinate" Palestinians to hold onto their right of return by perpetually keeping them refugees. Obviously, it's a silly argument that is not worth entertaining. There are a lot of genuine criticisms to be made about UNRWA (which is largely to do with the NGOisation of the Palestinian struggle but that's another post) but they have helped sustain Palestinian existence and livelihoods by providing aid, employment, education and so on. In times of war and crisis, UNRWA has been providing important aid to Palestinians. It's hard not to see Israel's attack on UNRWA as an attack on that.

Even groups which are headed by Palestinians, both in the diaspora and in Palestine, such as International Solidarity Movement (ISM) or Youth Against Settlements, face constant attacks by settlers and soldiers. The purpose of these groups is to demonstrate civil disobedience and resist the occupation non-violently yet still face violence. Others exist merely to just document.

Israel is also so used to operating with impunity that any organisation shedding light on Israel's atrocities against Palestinians is a blow to their propaganda. All the reports, documentaries, and findings produce evidence that then becomes hard to deny or hide. There is a reason why Israel is currently not letting in any journalists or aid workers into Gaza, and even the ones it is letting in it is targeting as we've seen time and time again over the past year.

The problematic nature of NGOisation and the apoliticisation of the human rights framework aside, many of these organisations have played a role in presenting the case of the Palestinian struggle in front of a world audience. The ability to not just document or advocate but be believed is a privilege Westerners have and that's where these organisations tend to come in. As long as these organisations exist and/or have a reason to be in the West Bank and/or Gaza, then Israel cannot do what it actually wants to i.e. constant settlement building, attempted ethnic cleansing and more importantly, trying to convince the world that Palestinians do not have a justified struggle against the occupation and the allegations against Israel are merely "false."

[poetessinthepit]

One thing I think that is so insidious about the Pro-Israel narrative is that they don't even want you donating to the Palestinian cause to provide things like food or medical care for children. There is a concerted hasbara campaign to associate any NGO that provides any aid to palestinians with terrorism.

For example, if you attempt to raise money for the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund, a charity rated 4 stars by Charity Navigator, you may be linked to a page on a website called NGO Monitor. At first glance, this appears to be a neutral charity rating website similar to Charity Navigator. It's not.

Try searching any charity with no connection to the Israel-Palestine conflict on NGO Monitor, and you'll get no result.

Do a little digging, and you'll find out that NGO Monitor was founded by Gerald Steinberg, a Likud party member and former Israeli Security Council consultant. It is essentially a right-wing Israeli front posing as a legitimate charity watchdog while spreading misinformation.

Or consider this racist parody song from Israel's version of SNL. It depicts a hjiab donning woman crying and begging for money in front of an image of shelled out buildings presumably in Gaza. It then cuts away to reveal it is all a set, and her crying is acting, alluding to the Pallywood conspiracy theory. This is followed by caricatures of Hamas members swimming in riches in a luxurious hotel room in Qatar chanting "dollar bills, dollar bills" as donations pile up. The implication is clear; if you give money to Palestine, you are giving money to Hamas. The fact that this video is in English tells you who the intended audience is. It was posted on instagram by Noa Tishby, a former Israeli spokesperson.

This all reflects the true cruelty of the Israeli regime. They don't just want to harm the Palestinians; they don't want you to help them.

[eretzyisrael]

Source

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

There is an excellent paper at JCPA showing how the EU spent over 1.8 billion euros to promote gender equality among women in the West Bank and Gaza - when the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are explicitly against women's rights.

As I looked a little deeper, I saw that Spain spent €300,000 on "Building a life free of violence against women in Area C of the Governorates of Bethlehem" in 2022. I wondered exactly what the problem is in Area C specifically, which is under Israeli security control.

According to UN documents and others, there is a real problem Since the Palestinian Authority police cannot operate in Area C, some abusive men flee to Area C to avoid being arrested. Also, Arabs who live in those areas do not have to worry about being prosecuted for abusing their wives because of the security vacuum.

So what can be done? 

One NGO report summarized recommendations, mostly to add a Palestinian police presence in Area C - which would erode Israel's security control over the area and endanger Israeli citizens. 

If Israel occupies those areas under international law, then Israel should be responsible for enforcing all laws including domestic violence among Arabs. Why do no NGOs demand Israeli police arrest Arab wife beaters? If the Israeli police aren't doing their legal obligations, shouldn't there be demands for them to step up? When I was reading about this problem, that was my first thought - this is under Israel's jurisdiction and therefore Israel's responsibility.

So why don't any NGOs or the UN demand Israel adhere to international law?

Because they hate Israel and would prefer Palestinian women be beaten and abused rather than support more Israeli security control over areas it already has control over. 

To be sure, Palestinian women are reluctant to go to Israeli police, even in Arab areas of Jerusalem. A Palestinian NGO explains: "If a woman tries to go to the [Israeli] police, the family and community stigmatize her for going to the occupation and harming her family."

But that does not absolve Israel of doing everything it can to prosecute crimes in areas it controls. That is international law. Israeli police have problems in Arab communities in Israel as well, but they have to solve the problem nevertheless - and they also need to in all areas under their control.

I cannot find one NGO that constantly accuses Israel of violating international law to uphold that same law when the lives of Arab women are at stake.

No, instead of insisting that these areas are "occupied" and therefore Israeli security must prosecute Arab abusers of women, they say that Israel must allow a separate, hostile police force into its territory - which erodes Israel's control of the area, and which is their real goal, just as the EU builds illegal Arab buildings, especially schools, specifically in Area C knowing that they will be torn down for being built without permits. 

Even for "human rights" NGOs, hating Israel is more important than women's lives.

[fenrislorsrai]

Today we rest, tomorrow, we VOLUNTEER

Everything sucks but America is also full of many, many, many non governmental organizations that can help counter the incoming shit storm.

Look up who's in your area. If you have never interacted with any of them and this is your first time volunteering for anything: START WITH THE LIBRARY.

Volunteer with the Friends of the Library and indicate you're interested in other groups. Absolutely guaranteed majority of members also volunteer for some other groups and they will be ecstatic to tell you about the other ones.

If you're already a seasoned pro at this, yeah, go look up nationals who have branches all over.

But those little ones you get to do real, tangible things you can see improving your community NOW. Does joining the garden club solve all The Everything? No, but seeing a corner full of neglected bushes now full of flowers you helped plant and hearing people say how nice it is, helps YOUR mental health and strangers you live next to.

also you will make local friends! You will need them! and they need you just as much!

[thenib]

Hicham Rahma and Yazan Al-Saadi in our WORK issue.

[sickofthis666]

In a way, charities and NGOs are like political parties. Hear me out.

When you hesitate between multiple, you're forced to choose the lesser evil. Between the corrupt one who spends half the donations received on its leaders, and the one which advocates against the end of prostitution — for the right of men to buy women—, which one do you prefer? Which one make your guts twist in revulsion the less? Which one ranks best on your personal atrocity scale?

How much misogyny can you endure so political prisonners from the Middle-East or Russia are freed? How much human greed can you tolerate as long as some of the money go to the real causes? How much racism can you turn a blind eye to as long as suffering people in Africa get life-saving medecine?

[dibelonious]

Ready to mess around?

American Civil Liberties Union Democratic Socialists of America Black Lives Matter Center for American Progress Sunrise Movement MoveOn Southern Poverty Law Center Justice Democrats Open Society Foundations Mainstream media Celebrities

etc...

[familythings]

Hurricane Helene: How You Can Help Victims in North Carolina and in Other States

These days I’ve been following all the terrible news arriving from states in the southern USA. Hurricane Helene, despite holding the name of a very beautiful woman, is causing the same level of damage that the ancient Helen brought to Troy. I see lost roads, completely demolished houses, fallen trees, adding number of dead people, and very afraid people in shock asking for help and appealing for…

[thefreethoughtprojectcom]

What’s really going on here? Why is the Biden administration so obsessed with using taxpayer dollars to fund a massive influx of illegal immigrants into the country at a time when America already has high rates of poverty?

Read More: https://thefreethoughtproject.com/the-state/with-americans-homeless-biden-admin-and-religious-ngos-spend-millions-on-migrants

#TheFreeThoughtProject #TFTP

[correctopinionhaver]

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

By Lev Koufax

As if scripted, corporate media became flooded with images of brave anti-government protesters waving European Union and NATO flags as they battled with riot police. These clashes and the corresponding coverage continued for another night, after which the Georgia Dream Party pledged to withdraw the bill. But, funny enough, large, radically pro-Europe and pro-Ukrainian fascist demonstrations continued to rage throughout Tbilisi even after their demands were met.

The strangest part of this whole saga: the Georgian government swears that the law was modeled after a U.S. equivalent. The equivalent U.S. law, the Foreign Agents Registration Act, requires those the government believes to be “foreign agents” to disclose relationships and funding. Interestingly enough, CNN and similar outlets never attacked this U.S. law as being “Kremlin”-esque.  

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Seth J. Frantzman

Israel conducted an airstrike overnight between June 5 and June 6 that targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists who had illegally taken over part of a UN school in Gaza. The UN has complained about the airstrike and various reports have parroted these claims. However, the presence of terrorists at a UN facility once again shows that the UN is not doing enough to protect civilians from Hamas.

“Overnight, the IDF conducted a precise, intelligence-based strike targeting dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists hiding inside a UN school in Gaza. Some of these terrorists participated in the Hamas Massacre of October 7. I will soon reveal the identities of some of the terrorists we eliminated,” the IDF said.IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari went on to note, “The terrorists were operating from this UN school. They were planning and conducting attacks from inside classrooms of this UNRWA school. Our precise strike was based on concrete intelligence, from multiple sources. The terrorists inside this school were planning more attacks against Israelis, some of them imminent. We stopped a ticking time-bomb. This is what it was.”

The UN undersecretary for humanitarian affairs said that the strike is “yet another tragedy proving there is nowhere safe for civilians in Gaza. The rules of war must be respected. Civilians must be protected. States must use their leverage: Diplomatic and economic pressure, conditioning arms exports, and cooperation in fighting impunity.”

The Israeli claims and the UN claims once again show how the UN and other international organizations in Gaza are not doing enough to protect civilians from Hamas.

[immaculatasknight]

A Zionist money machine

[that-one-empty-skull]

Hey guys, now that the billionaire tincan imploded and we've got our last goofs out, maybe we can shift the conversation to focus on the thousands of refugees that needlessly drown in the Mediterranean sea every year due to racist border policies.

In addition to taking local political action you might want to donate to Sea-Eye - a NGO that runs rescue missions in the central Mediterranean and also organizes political camapigns to tackle the EU's institutional racism.

You can also take a look at Leave No One Behind, which showcases and supports a wide number of smaller to medium sized projects that help out people looking for refuge in Europe.

Feel free to add other ressources and projects you feel need more support!