On September 16, 2009, New Israel Fund (NIF) announced that Daniel Sokatch, formerly of the Progressive Jewish Alliance and the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation, is replacing Larry Garber as CEO of the organization. In 2008, NIF allocated $28 million to Israeli NGOs and NGO-support projects.

In his role as head of NIF, Sokatch appeared at the opening session of the J Street conference. He also authored an op-ed on “support[ing] Israel in ways consistent with [] progressive values,” stating that “attempts to discredit and delegitimize the country’s human rights groups (of which we are a leading funder) — seem designed to erode civil society and further marginalize Israel’s Arab citizens.”

Click here for NGO Monitor research on NIF

For some of Larry Garber’s responses to criticism from NGO Monitor see: