ACT Alliance EU

Activities

• Effective January 1, 2015, APRODEV merged with ACT Alliance to become ACT Alliance Advocacy to the European Union, or ACT Alliance EU. According to its website, its “purpose will remain unchanged… The integration of the two organisations makes sense. APRODEV’s 14 member agencies are all members of ACT Alliance. More importantly, the integration… allows APRODEV and ACT Alliance to join efforts to influence global processes, combining APRODEV’s EU advocacy and policy expertise with ACT Alliance’s advocacy work in the global South and with the United Nations to help create positive and sustainable change in the lives of the poor and marginalised, the communities we seek to serve, and to safeguard their human rights.”
• Founded in order “to strengthen the cooperation between the European development organisations which work closely together with the World Council of Churches (WCC).”
  • The WCC plays a key role in mobilizing churches worldwide to support the international boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
• According to its website, “Our work is informed and reinforced by the contributions of over 100 local partners and from cooperation with other advocacy organisations in Europe.”

Political Advocacy

• Lobbies international frameworks, mainly the EU, to apply “pressure” on Israel; promotes BDS campaigns; and utilizes highly biased and politicized language demonizing Israel.
• Act Alliance EU acts as a platform to promote the publications of a number of highly biased and politicized NGOs active in the Arab-Israeli conflict including: Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, Breaking the Silence, Gisha, and Diakonia.
• Agnes Bertrand, advocacy officer at APRODEV, served as a “witness” for the Russell Tribunal on Palestine’s (RToP) “Extraordinary session” on “Israel’s Crimes in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.”  The RToP has no judicial basis and exploits a legal facade in order to create an appearance of neutrality and credibility. RToP sessions regularly demonize Israel, making false allegations of “apartheid,” “collective punishment,” and “war crimes.”
• In April 2024, ACT Alliance EU published a statement calling on the EU to “suspend all arms transfers to Israel while there is a plausible risk that weapons, parts, and ammunitions may be used for the commission of violations of international law.”
• In October 2023, in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, ACT Alliance EU published a statement claiming that “As we mourn the devastating impact of escalating violence, we must not forget the root causes that are sustaining this endless cycle of violence and human tragedy…Sixteen years of blockade in Gaza has created a man-made humanitarian, social, and economic disaster, condemning generations of Gazans to a life that has been described as an open-air prison, devoid of hope and human dignity…The only path to sustainable peace with freedom, security and dignity for all people in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory is to address these root causes urgently and immediately.”
• In October 2022, ACT Alliance EU was a signatory on a joint statement against the renewal of the EU-Israel Association Council. The statement called for the EU to “revise its approach from simple statements of concern to the adoption of substantive steps to address the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the oPt” and “Make clear that all upgrades in EU-Israel relations will take place only in case of upholding of respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.”
• In May 2022, ACT Alliance was a signatory on a statement referring to the “Nakba” as a “continuous international crime…The continuation of the Nakba reflects the extent of international complicity with the Israeli-Zionist colonial and apartheid regime in Palestine.”
• In October 2021, ACT Alliance EU published a statement condemning the decision by the Israeli Ministry to designate six Palestinian NGOs, including ACT Alliance EU’s partners Al-Haq and Defense for Children International – Palestine, as terrorist organizations. According to the statement, “For years these organizations have been attacked with smear campaigns and accusations of links to terror organizations to delegitimize their work without substantive evidence to back the claims. This latest, unprecedented move comes as a culmination of these preceding efforts to undermine, silence and erase Palestinian rights defenders and civil society at large.”
• Promotes the 2012 report, “Trading Away Peace: How Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements,” which repeats the BDS agenda, calling on the EU and national governments to wage political warfare through various forms of economic sanctions on Israel.
• Together with the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), published a 2012 position paper, “EU-Israel Relations: Promoting and Ensuring Respect for International Law” (funded by the Church of Sweden and Open Society Foundations), which “focuses on the pressure that the EU can apply on Israel so that both parties can comply with their obligations under international law.” The paper directs the EU to: “Condition its relations with Israel on respect for IHRL and IHL”; “Adopt a coherent and comprehensive reporting mechanism, on IHRL and IHL violations”; “Address Israeli human rights violations in all aspects of its dialogue with Israel” and “Protect Israeli and Palestinian civil society organizations and consult with them at all stages of development in EU-Israel relations.”
• Calls for the suspension of the Israel-EU Association Agreement due to Israel’s “material breaches…and [violations of] provisions of human rights, democratic principles, on respect for Charter of the United Nations and provisions on trade.” APRODEV alleges that “Israel has carried out systematic violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories” and “imposes collective punishment on Palestinian civilians”; “indiscriminately shells residential areas”; “extensively destroys and confiscates Palestinian property”; “prevents freedom of movement to people and goods through internal and external closures”; “prevents the movement of food and medical supplies”; “gravely undermines public health”; “attacks medical and hospital establishments and services, schools, mosques and churches”; “undermines the right to education and freedom of religion”; “illegally detains and tortures Palestinian citizens, including children”; and “ systematically practices extra-judicial killings targeting Palestinian civilians, including high representatives of the National Palestinian Authority.”

Members

• Bread for the World-EED (Germany)
  • In June 2017, BfW-EED issued a press release in which it stressed “For Bread for the World any promotion ends with the denial of Israel’s right to exist, calling for the boycott of goods from Israel, or promotion of antisemitism” (NGO Monitor translation). Contrary to this claim, BfW funds radical and politicized NGOs that promote Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) and “lawfare” campaigns against Israel.
  • In March 2020, Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD), of which Bread for the World is the official aid framework, published an official position on BDS. EKD stated that, while it “rejects boycott measures against Israel and does not participate in corresponding projects within the BDS campaign” and “criticism of Israel has an anti-Jewish resonance area,” it acknowledges that it is “connected to ecumenical partners who see themselves as part of the BDS movement.”
• Christian Aid (UK)
  • Assumes a highly biased and politicized approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Its publications systematically ignore Palestinian responsibility in the conflict and minimize Israel’s right to self-defense.
  • In May 2016, released a video entitled “Christian Aid’s work in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.” The video provides a Palestinian narrative, and presents misleading and false information about the security barrier and water usage in the West Bank.
• Church of Sweden
  • Focuses on international advocacy, stating that “advocacy work targets those with economic and political power in Sweden, the EU and the UN.”
  • In November 2021, the Church of Sweden’s decision-making body passed a resolution urging the church’s central board to “investigate Israel as an apartheid state” and “raise the issue of scrutinizing the implementation of international law in Israel and Palestine, also from the perspective of the United Nations convention on apartheid and the definitions of apartheid in the Rome Statute.”
• DanChurchAid (Denmark)
  • Funds DanWatch, which promotes BDS under the guide of “business ethics.” DanChurchAid specifically funds DanWatch’s project “Business on Forbidden Land,” focusing on Danish companies allegedly conducting business in Israeli settlements and opposing the marketing of Israeli goods produced in the West Bank.
  • In June 2022, DanChurchAid funded an investigation by Forensic Architecture on “Sheikh Jarrah: Ethnic Cleansing in Jerusalem.”
• Diakonia (Sweden)
  • Diakonia’s “International Humanitarian Law” (IHL) program promotes anti-Israel lawfare campaigns and a narrative based on Palestinian victimization.
    • For years, Diakonia did not conduct similar types of programs in terms of content or resources in any other conflict region in the world.
  • In January 2025, Diakonia IHL Resource Centre published a statement claiming, “Further to fact-finding and documentation, alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide must be investigated and the suspects prosecuted in court….Third States too have an elaborate set of duties in this regard, including to arrest and prosecute suspects located within their territory, or to extradite them for prosecution elsewhere.” Diakonia also called for states to “cooperate with the ICC Prosecutor and his Office in respect of the ongoing investigation into the Situation in the State of Palestine. This entails handing over the three suspects for whom arrest warrants have been issued: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and the Commander-in-Chief of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif.” Deif was killed by Israeli forces in July 2024.
  • In December 2024, Diakonia IHL Resource Centre called on states to “suspend the transfer of weapons and military equipment to Israel whenever there remains a risk that they will be used to commit violations of international law. They should also attempt to influence Israel’s conduct so as to bring it in line with its international obligations, for example by means of denouncing violations, withdrawing diplomats, or suspending economic relations.”
  • In addition to its own activities, Diakonia funds and partners with some of the most highly biased and politicized NGOs active in the Arab-Israeli conflict including: Al Mezan, Al- Haq, Gaza Community Mental Health Program, Palestinian Working Woman’s Society for Development (PWWSD), Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), PalVision, Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (WATC),  Sabeel, and Physicians for Human Rights – Israel. Several of these NGOs promote extreme antisemitic content, advocate for BDS, and reject a two-state framework.
• FinnChurch Aid (Finland)
  • Finn Church Aid is the “Finnish participant” of the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) volunteer program, which claims to “provide protective presence to vulnerable communities, monitor, and report human rights abuses.” Both WCC and EAPPI play key roles in mobilizing church BDS efforts globally.
  • Listed as a sponsor of the September 29-30, 2013 conference, “From Truth to Redress: Realizing the Return of Palestinian Refugees,” organized by Zochrot. This event advocated a “one state” framework and included lecture topics on the logistics of materializing a Palestinian “right of return,” which would effectually mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state. (See NGO Monitor’s factsheet on Zochrot’s Support for “One State,” May 1, 2014.)
• HEKS/EPER (Switzerland)
  • HEKS claims to have been “among the first” to sign a petition calling on Israel to allow building materials into Gaza. HEKS and the others petitioners purposefully ignore the dangers of Hamas acquiring dual-use materials, claiming that “the blockade, including restrictions on building materials, cannot be justified on security grounds.”
  • HEKS co-sponsored Breaking the Silence’s 2015 exhibition in Zurich. Breaking the Silence promotes “war crimes” charges against Israel, based on anonymous and unverifiable hearsay “testimonies.”
• World Council of Churches
  • Plays a key role in mobilizing churches worldwide to support international BDS campaigns against Israel, including through the  Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) and  Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF) programs.
  • The WCC calls on member churches to be “more active agents” by “promoting and supporting all non-violent efforts to end the occupation (including considering appropriate economic and other measures).”
  • In February 2021, Rev. Frank Chikane, moderator of the WCC’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (WCC-CCIA), participated in a zoom conference and portrayed Israel as “demons” and stating that “those who support Israel to brutalize Palestinians, [] the blood of the people of Palestine will be sought from them because they collaborate by allowing this system to continue.”
• Lutheran World Federation
  • Utilizes highly biased and politicized rhetoric, placing primary blame for the continuation of the conflict on the “Israeli occupation…Restrictions on movement [that] continue[s] to hamper [Palestinian] growth prospects…” The statement omits Palestinian terror attacks against Israeli civilians, the legitimate right of the state of Israel to self-defense, and the complexities of the conflict.
  • In June 2016, the Lutheran World Federation held a meeting in Germany calling for “urgent international efforts to resolve the region’s conflicts through negotiation rather than further violence” as well as for “the cessation of all Israeli settlement activities in the occupied territories.”