EU finances campaign to end Israeli occupation

JERUSALEM Ñ The European Union has given millions of Euros to Israeli groups that lobby to fight the Israeli military presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as in Lebanon.

An Israeli report said the EU has allocated funds to a variety of groups that campaigned against Israeli policy in Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Some of the funds were never delivered because of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000.

The Israeli Maariv daily, in a report by investigative journalist Yoav Yitzhak, said Peace Now obtained much of the funding. The group, which opposes Jewish settlements and Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, received 400,000 Euros for what the EU termed peace education.

Two groups that oppose Israel's presence in eastern Jerusalem obtained a total of 500,000 Euros. A Russian group headed by Israeli parliamentarian Roman Bronfman received 400,000 Euros.

The newspaper said the "Four Mothers," a group which lobbied for the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, was allocated 250,000 Euros. But the money never arrived because Israel left Lebanon in May 2000.

An Israeli parliamentarian, Michael Kleiner, called the EU funding interference in Israeli affairs. Kleiner, a right-wing deputy, called for the closure of the EU office in Jerusalem as well as for legislation that bans a member of Knesset from receiving foreign funding.

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