Terror victim files police complaint against German foundations operating in Israel

German foundations are accused of transferring 150 million shekels to left-wing Israeli groups without submitting required reports on their funding sources.

By TPS

A terror victim has filed a complaint with the police against German foundations operating in Israel, following a report on the issue by the Im Tirtzu Zionist organization.

Last Thursday, Merav Hajaj of the “Choosing Life” forum, whose daughter Shir was killed together with another three IDF soldiers in a terror attack in Jerusalem, filed a complaint against four German foundations registered in Israel, alleging illegal conduct.

The complaint was based on investigations by the Im Tirzu research division, which exposed the conduct of these foundations that operate in Israel and allegedly violate several laws.

Some of the foundation’s 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, Germany — directly and through party funds and other channels — has transferred at least 150 million shekels to left-wing organizations in Israel. One of the most prominent of funding is party funds, linked to political parties in the Bundestag.

These include the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Hans Seidel Foundation, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

An investigation found that these foundations do not submit quarterly reports on donations from foreign political entities, thereby violating the Non-Profits Law and the Mandatory Disclosure Law for organizations supported by a foreign political entity.

In addition, they do not prominently mention in the organizations’ publications that they are supported and that most of their funding is from foreign political entities – another violation of the law.

In some of the filings, it was discovered that members of the audit committee and the board of directors received remuneration in violation of the Companies Law.

Some of the grantee organizations did not submit financial or verbal reports as required by the Non-Profits Law.

Merav Hajaj said that “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 anti-Semitism be addressed in their territory instead of fueling Palestinian anti-Semitism.”

Matan Peleg, CEO of Im Tirtzu, added that “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,” he demanded.