Naftali Balanson notes that instead of engaging critics, many members of the powerful NGO network demonize and censor them. The commitment of these same human rights NGOs to the principles of democracy and transparency in government disappears.
The phrase McCarthy-like, regarding demands for transparency in government funding, is entirely inappropriate. In the Israeli context, it is designed to intimidate, reflects a profound ignorance, and is itself a McCarthyite technique.
Prof. Gerald Steinberg argues that EU officials are reluctant to detail funding for Israeli and Palestinian NGOs because they fear public criticism of the EUs use of these NGOs to manipulate Israeli democracy.
Canadian human rights lawyer David Matas discusses the controversy at Rights & Democracy as an example of non-disclosure of NGO funding -- much like the EU's refusal to release information to NGO Monitor.
Douglas Murray on the NGO Monitor case against the EU, criticizing the EU for fighting "against transparency with every entity at its disposal" and spending "even more of our money trying to ensure we remain ignorant about how our money is spent."
The NGO Monitor petition noted that the EU was blocking independent evaluation of its NGO funding decisions, and preventing the public from knowing whether its practices are consistent with due process of law.
EU officials have attempted to justify the intense secrecy by using exaggerated claims of public security and commercial interest. The only reasonable conclusion is that the EU has something to hide.
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