Many UK charities have a tradition of hypocrisy, distortion and bias when it comes to Israel – to such an extent that some barely deserve the description ‘charity’ any more. Christian Aid and War On Want have been particularly extreme examples in recent times.
So has Oxfam whose shameful record of dishonest anti-Israel bias has been widely-documented including here and here. Oxfam has been at it again this week, suspending Sex & The City actress Kristin Davis because – wait for it – she endorses Israeli cosmetics!
Hopefully one day Oxfam will put an end to its hateful bias against Israel and return to its admirable traditions. Until then, remember all this next time they wave a rattling tin or standing order form in your face – and tell them what you think.
Oxfam says plenty about the Palestinians, but nothing about Israelis blown to bits by suicide bombers, or the people of Sderot living under siege from Hamas rockets, or even about poor Gilad Shalit. Oxfam is dominated by Jew-hating cowards.
Oh God, this is just so bloody idiotic.
BTW, I’ve always brought Ahava cosmetics back from Israel, since they’re known to be very good.
I agree Sten. I particularly love my Ahava facepack, bought for me by a regular commenter on this blog!
You were right to tag this post antisemitism Chaz. Both Oxfam and Christian Aid have run antisemitic campaigns. http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/ngos_and_antisemitism_oxfam_s_blood_oranges_christian_aid_s_bethlehem_s_child_and_hrw_s_indiscriminate_killings_ War On Want are little better.
I know someone who worked for Oxfam. He is a typical modern lefty anti-semite.
I’ve been telling Oxfam what I think for some time now, together with WoW, Christian Aid, Save the Children, Red Cross and all the other charities who were part of the DEC appeal. Heck, I even boycott the Oxfam charity shop in my town! Unfortunately though, the tin-rattlers are not the policy-makers, but I always ask them to report my comments to their superiors when they ask me for money. My usual line is ‘Sorry, I don’t donate to racist charities’, which certainly gets their attention.
Was just emailed this:
As Andrew Roberts wrote in The Times (26 January), on 6 March 2008, CARE International, Cafod, Amnesty, Christian Aid and Oxfam (among others) published a report “The Gaza Strip: A Humanitarian Implosion”. The authors did not bother to hide their political bias against Israel, repeating standard Palestinian political rhetoric and including claims that Israeli policy “constitutes a collective punishment against ordinary men, women and children” and is “illegal under international humanitarian law”. The report was wrong on many counts, including allegations over the availability of food and basic necessities, which were later contradicted by both the World Bank and World Health Organisation. The fact that Hamas chose to pursue war with Israel rather than the welfare of its people was omitted. There was no reference to the fact that any of these claims might be disputed by the other side or by genuinely neutral observers.
In an Oxfam Press Release (29 December 2008) John Prideaux-Brune, Oxfam’s country programme manager in Jerusalem, said “The international community must not stand aside and allow Israeli leaders to commit massive and disproportionate violence against Gazan civilians in violation of international law.”
The Charity Commission has become completely politicised. The Chairman is a Labour Party activist. Memo to David Cameron: On your first day, sack her.
According to Christian Aid, you don’t need to speak Hebrew to work as the Programme Manager of their Israel & OPT dept., only Arabic & English are deemed relevant:
http://seismicshock.wordpress.com/2009/08/02/more-than-words/
Seismic -I’m not aware that any of these charities work with Israeli citizens. They may call the dept. ‘Israel & OPT’, but as far as I know they don’t do any work within the ‘green line’. I’ve certainly never come across them in all my years of work with victims of terror, civilians affected and displaced by war, Ethiopian and Russian immigrants or South Lebanese Army refugees etc. Their compassion seems to be very selective.
Let’s also not forget that for years the International Red Cross refused to recognise its Israeli equivalent, Magen David Adom, whist apparantly having no problem with the Red Crescent. MDA survives entirely on donations, mostly from Jewish communities in the diaspora, and yet regularly sends rescue teams to disaster areas in other parts of the world. A large delegation was sent to help in Rwanda at the time of the terrible genocide there.
Every charity has to pass a ‘public benefit’ test. War On Want sponsored the launch of the book ‘Israeli Apartheid’ which has an antisemitic title and which encourages hatred of Jews. I have asked the Charity Commission how promotion of antisemitism can be viewed as consistent with this charity meeting the ‘public benefit test’.
And Oxfam’s books are in any case way too expensive…
Seriously, thanks for the tip. Had no idea of this bias.
I am seeking examples of charities that are not bad to Israel. I want to put together a list of the ‘good guys’, as opposed to the horrific War On Want, Oxfam etc. Please contact me with any positive examples. Thanks!
CAFOD has deliberately eschewed the nonsense that the guilty ones have indulged in