Nationalist protest in Tel Aviv, January 15,
Nationalist protest in Tel Aviv, January 15,Flash 90

Hundreds of nationalist activists gathered on Wednesday evening at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque Square for a demonstration against the radical leftist New Israel Fund (NIF) and the various organizations it funds which work against the State of Israel.

The demonstrators waved Israeli flags, called for Israel to maintain its Jewish character and held up signs that read, "Saving Israel from the NIF."

The protest was organized by the grassroots Im Tirtzu organization, which several years ago exposed the connection between NIF-funded groups and the infamous Goldstone Report, revealing that almost every single NGO involved in the one-sided report was funded by the New Israel Fund.

The Goldstone Report was a UN document that claimed Israel had committed war crimes when it launched the Cast Lead counterterrorism operation in 2008-9, against Hamas. It was widely discredited after its publication and even its author wound up recanting its claims.

Wednesday’s demonstration comes in the wake of the strikes and protests by illegal infiltrators, who have been protesting Israel’s new anti-infiltration law, which allows illegal immigrants entering Israel to be held for up to a year without trial. The illegal immigrants are held in a facility in Holot in southern Israel, where their basic needs are looked after but they are prevented from entering Israeli cities where they have been harassing local residents.

The illegal migrants' protests are organized by leftist groups that attempt to create the impression that they are spontaneous. Many human rights groups do not see the issue of "nationality" as relevant, and are working toward an idea of "universal citizenship" which would overrule security concerns and other issues. 

On Wednesday, Im Tirtzu member Alon Schwartzer wrote an opinion piece for the NRG/Maariv website, in which he pointed out that the NIF was behind the infiltrators’ protests and that even the migrants themselves have admitted that.

“I attended the demonstrations, but one need not be present to realize that they are not spontaneous,” he wrote.

“Receiving approval for a rally in Rabin Square costs hundreds of thousands of shekels which are allocated to expenses such as public relations and advertising and logistics. The dirty work and funding is not done by the infiltrators. In the shadows, those who encourage and organize the crisis, are the delegitimizing organizations. The infiltrators themselves openly admit that the NIF organizations and other organizations are helping them and are behind the signs, the slogans, the shirts, the logistics and acquiring the permits from the police,” added Schwartzer.

“Among these organizations one can find the ASAF organization, which receives hundreds of thousands of shekels from the NIF’s operational arm SHATIL and from European countries (Germany, Romania and more), the African Refugee Development Center (which receives hundreds of thousands of shekels a year from the NIF), the Worker’s Hotline (hundreds of thousands of shekels a year from the NIF and European countries), 'We Refugees', 'The Association for Human Rights', 'Rabbis for Human Rights' and the list goes on,” he wrote.

Schwartzer noted that the NIF often says that its goal is to help underserved populations in Israel but in its uncompromising support for infiltrators it is in fact hurting vulnerable populations, including residents of southern Tel Aviv.

“These delegitimizing organizations do not really want to help the infiltrators, but rather use the infiltrators to change the character of the state,” he concluded.

NIF admitted several months ago that it had taken a pummeling from Im Tirtzu’s revelations about it, but promised it will launch a new strategic drive.

In 2011, Im Tirtzu pulled out from the housing protests in Israel after finding a link between the protesters and the NIF.

A message posted to the NIF website several months later revealed its deep involvement in the social protests.

Photos: Flash 90