Israeli Ministry tracked global charities in 2013 over BDS links

An internal Israeli government spreadsheet from October 2013, obtained by Al Jazeera, details how the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs collected data on more than 150 international charities. The file singled out organisations such as Oxfam, Medico International, and World Vision International, labeling them as critics of Israel or active in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. Experts describe the document as evidence of early state monitoring that preceded Israel’s 2017 law banning entry to BDS supporters. Charities named in the file have rejected the allegations as unsubstantiated, while advocates argue the tracking targets life-saving humanitarian work.

The document, accessed via the ministry’s website, listed basic details for the charities, including director names, addresses, and contact information. In a comments column, specific organisations were remarked upon with statements such as “critic of Israel,” “involved in anti-Israel campaigning,” or “highly involved in BDS.” The file suggested Oxfam was “active in global BDS efforts” and encouraged NGOs to join “violations of international law” by supporting projects in the occupied West Bank. Oxfam told Al Jazeera the comments “appear to reflect allegations and interpretations, rather than an objective assessment” of its work, adding that the charity rejects assertions not supported by credible evidence.

Many of the comments cite NGO Monitor, an Israel-based organisation that describes itself as a nonpartisan research institute. Mayssoun Sukarieh, senior lecturer in the Department of International Development at King’s College London, described NGO Monitor as a “right-wing” organisation “that monitors people who are pro-Palestine.” Sukarieh said the document shows Israel’s methodology in monitoring charities and the BDS movement four years before it passed a law barring entry to anyone supporting the campaign. She noted that in 2013, “Israel was starting to feel the bite of BDS, and the ministry wanted to cross-reference different aspects of these organisations.”

Giovanni Fassina, director of the European Legal Support Center, said the list was compiled in the “hype of the years Israel was passing laws and fighting BDS.” He stated that Israel has been “blacklisting” groups and individuals “for a long time” using a network that includes groups like NGO Monitor. “This is not a new tactic. They have been doing this since 2013. In my opinion, the document shows the start of that process.” The ministry did not reply to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

Charities named in the file have rejected the allegations as unsubstantiated. Medico International’s Riad Othman described the file as an “overreaction on the part of Israel,” stating that the organisation has neither supported nor called for the boycott movement, though it has publicly defended the right of individuals and groups to call for it. The Palestine Solidarity Association of Sweden, which said it was “active in BDS,” added that Israeli officials closely monitor networks that support the Palestinian cause and view the nonviolent movement as a strategic threat.

Tania Hary, executive director of Gisha, an Israeli NGO that advocates for the freedom of movement for Palestinians, said the document “has nothing to do with security.” Rather, she said, it is “further proof that the Israeli government has been tracking the activities of organisations that do life-saving work for Palestinians living under Israel’s brutal occupation for decades.” Gisha was not among those named in the file.

The document was created in October 2013, a time when the BDS movement against Israel was gaining momentum. That year, the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking refused to join a conference in Israel over the occupation of Palestine, several student bodies adopted academic boycotts and Canada’s largest Protestant church, the United Church of Canada, began a campaign against goods made in Israeli settlements. Experts said the file shows Israel’s methodology in monitoring charities and the BDS movement four years before it passed a law barring entry to anyone supporting the campaign.