Vision to Reality: The Reut Blog

An article in the Forward suggests that board members within the New Israel Fund (NIF) are discussing bringing in policy guidelines as to which organizations receive funding. This would be an important step in driving a wedge between critics of Israeli policy and delegitimizers of its existence.

According to the article, there isn’t yet agreement as to what specific positions organizations need to take; “Board members and major donors are grappling with whether to require that grantees accept the idea of a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, thus agreeing to the principle of Israel as a Jewish state…According to individuals who are involved in the process, one formulation being discussed is recognizing Israel as the “homeland” of the Jewish people — a description that falls short of the definition of Israel as a “Jewish state” but would avoid alienating Israeli-Arab not-for-profits that are on NIF’s grant list.”

However,  regardless of the exact positions ultimately taken by the NIF, the process itself is essential in the fight against delegitimization. It would go far in weakening the strength of delegitimization by un-blurring the lines between critics of specific Israeli policies (which is completely legitimate), and those who undermine the legitimacy of the Jewish people’s right to self determination (which is not).

Indeed, this has already taken place in the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation.