The Bremen-based schwelle Foundation is deeply concerned about the situation of partner organisations in Israel and the Palestinian territories, but also about the state of democracy here in Germany. The federal elections had just ended when the CDU, led by Friedrich Merz, launched a campaign against non-profit organisations, an enquiry with 551 questions to the current federal government. According to the CDU enquiry, Initiatives and organisations working against right-wing extremism and racism are not neutral, so they should be denied non-profit status. This is an incredible violation of the fundamental rights of democracy.
At the beginning of January, we received information from Israel and from friends of the educational institution Kurve Wustrow that the German government had immediately ended funding for a program with the two Israeli NGOs New Profile and Zochrot. Both NGOs have been doing recognised human rights work in Israel for years: New Profile works for the fundamental right to conscientious objection, while Zochrot is dedicated to remembrance work on the subject of the ‘Nakba in Israel’.
In addition, we received a concerned letter from our partners Combatants for Peace in February:
According to them, the Israeli government's Committee of Ministers for Legislation has passed a draft law amending the 1980 Associations Law and imposimng strict financial and operational restrictions on NGOs funded by foreign government agencies. If passed, this law will drastically reduce the scope of action of the NGOs and silence many voices calling for peace, human rights and binational cooperation.
The draft law includes a high tax on foreign donations and funding, as well as a demand to deny organisations access to judicial reviews in human rights matters and petitions against state agencies. The draft states:
‘A court may not consider a petition from an NGO (non-governmental organisation) whose primary funding comes from a foreign state entity, if it is not funded by the state.’
In the case of our partners Combatants for Peace, this means that they would lose their right to petition Israeli courts because they rely on international funding. The Freedom School, a training program for young people, is currently still funded by the EU. The Israeli government's plans are a direct attack on democracy and deprive civil society organisations of one of their most important instruments for protecting human rights.
The schwelle has written a letter of protest to the (still) German Foreign Minister and the Foreign Office, but has not yet received a reply. The Israeli NGO New Profile turned to our foundation after the German government's funding was cut off, asking for support. The schwelle is in talks with representatives of New Profile and will probably support the organisation's important advisory work. Here we present the organisation:
New Profile Israel
New Profile was founded in 1998 as a feminist movement that works to reduce the influence of the military on Israeli civil society and seeks to promote peace, non-violence and a just and democratic society. Its members, both women and men, believe that militarism – which is deeply rooted in Israeli society – makes society more violent, sexist and racist, weakens civil and democratic values, blocks the path to peace and hinders the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestine by perpetuating human rights violations against Palestinians and other marginalised groups.
New Profile focuses on combating militarism in Israel, creating a more civil, tolerant and peaceful society and reducing social discrimination against those who have not served in the military. New Profile promotes critical discourse on the impact of militarism on Israeli society and the people in it.
The Counselling Network supports people who choose to avoid or end their service in the Israeli military, and it does so in a society that views such a decision as unlawful. It offers them free advice, information and legal assistance in the extremely complicated and stressful exemption process. The network relies on the long years of experience of its staff and volunteers, who have supported more than 20,000 young people in obtaining exemption from military service since 2001. In addition, the network's volunteers provide advice on the personal situation in relation to exemption.
Through its educational and public relations work, New Profile raises questions about militarism in Israel and its effects on Israelis and those living under military occupation. New Profile conducts workshops and lectures for various target groups, especially young people and educators. The movement is connected to a broad network of activists, professionals and researchers who discuss militarism in various contexts.
Further information about New Profile can be found here: https://newprofile.org/en/
