The European Union denies Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim it has froze funding to an association of left-wing NGOs.
The EU says while it is looking into possible breaches of its aid contract for the Freedom Protection Council, it does not say a decision has been made to end its financial support.
“Decisions by the EU to fund or to terminate funding for specific projects implemented by civil society organizations legally operating in a third country are decisions for the EU to take, and for the EU alone,” it says in a statement.
“We will continue to support civil society organizations which play an essential role in any democratic society, in fostering pluralism and in promoting international law, human rights, and democratic values, in Israel, in the EU and across the world,” the bloc adds.
Netanyahu said yesterday the EU agreed to stop funding the Freedom Protection Council, crediting his diplomatic efforts for the decision.
He said the organization, which includes NGOs such as B’Tselem and Adalah, “undermines Israel’s right to exist and tries to blacken the state’s image around the world.”
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