The Dutch Foreign Ministry is apparently trying to conceal its problematic support for alleged illegal construction by Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, new documents show.
According to information obtained by the Israeli watchdog NGO Monitor, The Netherlands has redacted documents attesting to its funding of a controversial Palestinian group that has been actively trying to promote construction in areas that are supposed to be under Israeli control under the Oslo Accords.
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According to NGO Monitor, "The Netherlands provided €19.8 million to a number of Palestinian NGOs, primarily the terror-linked Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) – and in partnership with the Palestinian Authority – to utilize agriculture strategies for expanding their control in Area C."
In light of these ties, earlier this year the Dutch government announced it was severing contact with that group, but these redactions suggest the ties may still exist.
"In an October 30, 2020 statement accompanying the release of documents regarding these efforts, Dutch ministers announced that 'information has been concealed if it is information the disclosure of which creates the risk of possible destruction or confiscation by Israeli authorities and settlement residents,'" NGO Monitor said on Wednesday.
"Consistent with this approach, Dutch government officials redacted significant information from UAWC's financial reports, audits, and annual reports for the years 2017-2020 – released pursuant to an information request from Dutch parliamentarians. This includes the names of NGO employees, the locations of project implementation, future recommendations, risk responses, subcontractors' information, and activities carried out by the implementing partners (see Appendix I and II)."
