In the only stable democracy in the Middle East, Israel, anyone can criticize the government. But when foreign countries fund groups that wantonly slander the Jewish state, Israelis have a right to be miffed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made that point clear to British leader Theresa May and Belgium’s PM Charles Michel this week. Who can blame him?
“How would you feel if I was funding — with Israeli government money — organizations that call British soldiers ‘war criminals’ ”? Bibi asked May.
That’s just the kind of thing “many governments do when they fund groups like Breaking the Silence, B’Tselem, Adalah, etc.,” Netanyahu said. “I think the time has come to stop the funding.”
Directly or indirectly, UK government outlays of more than $2.5 million have gone to “groups that polarize Israeli society and for campaigns exploiting false allegations of ‘war crimes,’ ” says Gerald Steinberg of the watchdog outfit NGO Monitor.
It certainly looks like “intervention in internal Israeli affairs,” as Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked says.
Israel faces enough hate. Allies like Britain shouldn’t feed the beast; as Bibi says, it’s time they stop.
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