The German government has quietly decided to cut funds towards two Israeli human rights organizations, according to a Sunday report by the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
The two NGOs in question are Zochrot and New Profile, with the former being reported to have lost 25% of its budget and the latter losing about half. The government also recently defunded Palestinian NGOs.
Zochrot advocates for Israel taking accountability of the Nakba, referring to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Arab residents during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and for the "right of return" for Palestinians. German officials told the Israeli NGO's director, Rachel Beitarie, that it was "important for Germany to support Israel because of Germany's history," according to the report.
The work organization Kurve Wustrow has done
Kurve Wustrow, a German anti-violence aid organization, wanted to continue working with the Israeli NGOs, holding meetings with officials and making phone calls. None of this, however, convinced the German government not to cut funding.
The German NGO's acting director, John Preuss, left feeling "tired and frustrated" as a result, with the report citing him saying that it was the first time that the German government defunded one of their projects. The NGO is also active in combat zones in other countries, such as Myanmar and Sudan.
Zochrot issued a response to the cutting of funds, saying, "We understand it as being consistent with the German government’s unconditional support of the state of Israel as the latter continues its crimes against the Palestinian people, in Gaza and everywhere."
The organization also said that the move puts them in a financially difficult situation. They then accused the German government of being actively involved in anti-Palestinian racism, as evident from its suppression of Palestinian expression in Germany.
The other NGO, New Profile, is more volunteer-based, offering support to objectors of the IDF who risk imprisonment.
An investigation by Deutsche Welle concluded that the defunding of the two Israeli organizations is a precursor to cutting funds of other human rights organizations that are critical of Israel's military conduct in Gaza.
Olga Deutsch, NGO Monitor Vice President, stated: “Since October 7, the German government has made a fundamental change in its approach to funding human rights projects and NGOs. Germany is now screening NGO output and holding its grantees accountable, as they should. Both Zochrot and New Profile openly promote one-state agendas and make statements that are unacceptable in Germany. A German organization like Kurve Wustrow should have been able to do its own due diligence."
"There is a clear difference between encouraging healthy discourse about human rights and denying Israel’s right to exist. When this line is crossed, Germany and other governments should act decisively and swiftly," Deutsch concluded.