New York, NY, December 16, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was deeply disturbed by a video produced by the Israel-based organization Im Tirtzu, which labels leading Israeli human rights activists as “foreign moles” operated by foreign governments. Im Tirtzu is employing fear tactics to suppress left-leaning Israeli NGOs, the League maintained, and it labeled the video “a form of incitement which crosses the line into hate speech.”
Titled “Foreign Agents revealed,” the video depicts four Israeli representatives of left-leaning Israeli nongovernmental organizations that have received funding from European countries of being complicit in Palestinian terrorism. The video calls on the Israeli government to pass legislation which would label NGOs whose funding is largely from foreign countries as being “foreign agents,” thereby preventing the NGOs from meeting with Israeli government or military officials.
Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO, and Carole Nuriel, acting Director of ADL’s Israel Office issued the following statement:
Im Tirtzu’s highly disturbing video employs fear tactics to accuse Israeli human rights activists and organizations of being culpable in the ongoing wave of Palestinian terrorism. This is a form of incitement which clearly crosses over into hate speech.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with the mission and work of the nongovernmental organizations singled out in the video, accusing them of supporting Palestinian terror in order to delegitimize their activities is outrageous and potentially libelous.
We believe Im Tirtzu should apologize for their unwarranted attack on the individuals and organizations referenced in the video.
ADL repeated its concern that efforts to pass Knesset legislation targeting the funding and activities of left-leaning Israeli NGO could negatively impact Israel’s vibrant civil society and democratic traditions. The League called on the Israeli government to ensure that Israel’s freedom of speech and expression was not jeopardized by such undemocratic legislation.