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Stung by reports of foreign funding, radical anti-Netanyahu group looks to raise funds domestically

The Israeli left-wing as a whole has been tarnished by ongoing revelations related to its funding, particularly when it comes from foreign sources.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

The Black Flags movement, one of the main groups organizing protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is looking to raise funds from the Israeli public after it was revealed it was accepting lucre from a group founded by former prime minister and Netanyahu rival Ehud Barak.

To counter the perception that it’s just a politician’s front group and not a mass movement, Black Flags is collecting donations through its WhatsApp account, which counts 115,000 members.

It has raised half a million shekels from over 3,000 donors in the first week. Its goal is one million shekels, website N12 reports.

It’s not clear if it’s still accepting money from Barak’s NGO, “National Responsibility.”

The Israeli left-wing as a whole has been tarnished by ongoing revelations related to its funding, particularly when it comes from foreign sources.

Last month, it was reported that foreign government monies were going toward the legal defense of protesters. Most of these funds come from European states.

Knesset member Ariel Kallner said at the time, “This is a very serious phenomenon. Would it be conceivable for the State of Israel to fund protection for lawbreakers protesting against the German government?”

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In 2016, Israel passed an NGO transparency law to combat the phenomenon. However, reports indicate that the issue has not been resolved.

The Black Flags movement wants to remove Netanyahu, arguing that the prime minister is guilty of corruption. Netanyahu faces indictment in three separate corruption trials. His supporters say they are cooked-up charges by the State Prosecutor’s Office to topple a right-wing government.

The Black Flags’ leaders also argue that Netanyahu is a threat to democracy and he is attempting to shut down protests under the cover of the pandemic.

“We are working to curb and prevent the rapid deterioration and frequent violations of the fundamental principles of democracy that have been gaining momentum in recent months under the auspices of the Corona Crisis,” the protest’s fundraising page said.

The group has until now ignored the restrictions on gatherings voted in by the government to curb the pandemic.