A recent attack of credability on the New Israel Fund (NIF) by elements of Israel's right-wing is undercutting an important institution of Israel's democracy, namely those who monitor human rights and expose instances of abuse. Antony Lerman, the former director of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research observes how this distubing trend could spell disaster for the foundations of liberty by eroding democratic culture.

The vicious, McCarthyite attack on the New Israel Fund (Nif), which uses philanthropic funds to foster and support Israeli non-profit, civil society organisations, did not come out of the blue. The ultra-nationalist group, Im Tirzu, which blamed Nif for the Goldstone report, falsely claiming, as Jonathan Freedland showed, that more than 90% of the report's information came from groups funded by the Nif, was exploiting a climate of vilification of such groups created by the Netanyahu government since it came to power a year ago...

Read the full article at the Guardian.com