The left-wing organization "Ir Amim" hides from the law enforcement authorities what use it makes of the funds that come to it from a number of foreign governments and historical bodies, ostensibly in violation of the law, activists who deal with the issue claim. A police complaint was filed today (Thursday) by Ran Yishai, a senior diplomat and member of the Israeli delegation to the former European Union against the organization because he said it was a false report and a violation of the law.
Unlike other left-wing organizations, which maintain transparency as required, the complaint reads, "Ir Amim" maintains a disturbing ambiguity regarding the use of funds, and is satisfied with the line of purpose of the donation with the words "the association's activities."
These are millions of shekels that come from a number of countries and organizations, including the European Union, Norway, Sweden and more.
According to Yishai, according to the law, a person supported by a foreign political entity must submit to the Registrar of Companies a quarterly report stating the identity of the donors, the amount of the donation, the purposes or purpose of the donation, and the conditions for donation. Orally or in writing, directly or indirectly, if there are any. "
A significant number of left-wing organizations are careful about reporting how they use the sums.
Thus, the Center for the Protection of the Individual stated in the report they submitted that they received more than NIS 200,000 for the protection of prisoners' rights and that Yesh Din reported receiving NIS 307,000 from the Norwegian Embassy for a land project and law enforcement.
"A fine line is drawn between political subversion and innocent donations."
Ran Yishai, Photo: Jerusalem Office
In contrast, according to the complaint, the documentation from the quarterly report shows that Ir Amim is content with the words "the association's activities" in its reports, which is apparently not in accordance with the language of the law. According to the complaint, this may even be false reporting in corporation documents. " This is a misleading report that does not reveal the exact purposes of the transfer of the throne.
"Choosing this concealment is a violation of the law," the police said in a complaint.
Yishai is not satisfied with mere statements, and lists in the complaint cutting examples, he claims, of what has been done.
Thus, in 2020, Ir Amim received a sum of 2.6 million Norwegian kroner from the Norwegian Embassy for a project to protect human rights and find an agreed solution for Jerusalem.
The verbal report for that year stated only that the donation was intended for the association's activities. A year earlier, the association received about 300,000 euros from the European Union for a project to promote human rights in Jerusalem. The association issued a report entitled In Jerusalem "but in the quarterly report on a donation from a foreign political entity for this year she wrote that the purpose of the donation is the ongoing activities of the association and did not write the real purpose of the donation.
About 100,000 shekels from the Norwegian embassy for the association's activities.
City of Nations Report,
"Failure to report the purpose of the donation, its purpose and the conditions for its receipt prevents the Israeli public and government from knowing about foreign and illegitimate attempts by foreign governments in the internal political processes of the State of Israel and thus there is a serious and clear danger to Israeli democracy."
It should be noted that a violation of the law is punishable by three years in prison.
Ran Yishai, who filed the complaint, said: "There is a fine line between political subversion and innocent donations. Anyone who does not specify the purposes of the donation actually harms the existing political trust between Israel and the European Union. "The registrar of associations in the Ministry of Justice must exercise his authority to clarify things immediately in front of Ir Amim and anyone who does not specify where the money is going."
Ir Amim stated: "In accordance with the Ir Amim Law, it reports and devoutly on all donations as required to the Registrar of Associations. Every year, in accordance with Ir Amim, it has received and receives a proper management certificate as required."
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