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November 7, 2003/Cheshvan 12 5764, Vol. 56, No. 7
Pressure builds on Ford
JOE BERKOFSKY
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW YORK - From the halls of Congress to the State Department, pressure is building on the Ford Foundation to stop supporting groups that engage in anti-Israel agitation and anti-Semitic activities.
The pressure comes in the wake of a recent JTA series, "Funding Hate," which revealed that one of the country's most prestigious foundations has spent millions of dollars on Palestinian and other non-governmental or-ganizations, or NGOs, that agitate against Israel.
On Nov. 3, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler ( D-N.Y.), met with the Ford Foundation's president, Susan Berresford, to deliver a letter that he and 19 other lawmakers signed urging Ford to stop funding anti-Israel extremists.
Also on Nov. 3, the State Department said it is talking to the Justice Department, whose job it is to determine if any laws have been broken.
The congressional letter said, "We are extremely concerned with the Ford Foundation's funding of organizations that have openly and purposefully instigated anti-Semitism, called for the destruction of the State of Israel, and/or engaged in the promotion of violence."
The letter also said it was "equally disturbing" that some of the grantees have refused to sign a U.S. government document, the Certification Regarding Terrorist Fi-nancing, that requires U.S.-funded organizations to pledge they do not support any group that advocates or engages in terrorist activities.
In addition to the letter's call for increased "transparency and de-funding grantees engaging in objectionable behavior," Nadler gave Berresford recommendations to prevent support of anti-Israel groups.
The letter to Ford had cited the JTA series that found that Ford funded NGOs attend- ing the 2001 U.N. World Conference Against Rac- ism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa. The conference "was a virtual field day for anti-Semitic and anti-Israel activities," the letter said.
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