Following a report by Im Tirtzu, a complaint was filed with the police against four German foundations operating in Israel.
Last Thursday, Merav Hajaj of the "Choosing Life" forum filed a complaint against four German foundations registered in Israel, alleging illegal behavior.
The complaint was inspired and informed by the investigations published in the book "A State for Sale" based on the conclusions of a report by the research division of the "Im Tirtzu Movement”, which looked into the conduct of these foundations, which operate in Israel and allegedly violate several laws.
According to Im Tirtzu, some of the foundations’ alleged unreported donations were detailed in official letters sent by the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits to the foundations, but until a complaint is filed with the police, there are no known sanctions or penalties that can be imposed on the funds.
According to the investigation, it is claimed that Germany directly and through party funds and other channels transferred at least NIS 150 million to left-wing organizations in Israel. One of the most prominent outlets is party political funds, which are linked to active parties in the Bundestag.
The investigation found that these include, among others, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Hans Seidel Foundation, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and the Heinrich Böll Foundation. The investigation published in ‘A State for Sale’ stated that these foundations allegedly do not submit quarterly reports on donations from foreign political entities, thereby violating the Non-Profits Law and the Mandatory Disclosure Law for those supported by a foreign political entity.
In addition, they do not prominently mention in the company's publications that they are supported and that most of their funding is from foreign political entities - another violation of the law, according to the investigation. In some of the filings, it was discovered that members of the audit committee and the board of directors allegedly received remuneration in violation of the Companies Law. The report also concluded that some of the grantee organizations did not submit financial and/or verbal reports as required by the Non-Profits Law.
Merav Hajaj of the Choosing Life Forum said: "It is not possible that German foundations, funded by the German government, intervene and undermine Israeli sovereignty. We demand that the German government not interfere with Israeli policy, and that antisemitism be addressed in their territory instead of fueling Palestinian antisemitism."
Matan Peleg, CEO of the Im Tirtzu movement, added: "The fact that political foundations belonging to German parties are interfering in Israeli politics must bother anyone who seeks democracy. Israel is not a country for sale. It is an independent, sovereign and democratic state. The Germans must immediately cease to interfere in our internal affairs."