Other Group

Breaking the Silence

Website:

www.breakingthesilence.org.il/

Type:

Israeli NGO

Founded:

2004

Chairman:

Miki Kratsman

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Breaking the Silence is an Israeli Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) comprised of veteran members from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) that advocates to “expose the public to the daily reality of the occupation and Israeli military rule over the Palestinian civilian population” through collecting testimonials of IDF soldiers that have served within the Palestinian territories. 1

Activities

In January 2022, Breaking the Silence signed a statement condemning the Israeli government’s decision to label six Palestinian NGOs as fronts for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization. 2 The PFLP has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S State Department as of April 2021. 3 In addition, the statement called for the donors to the designated NGOs to, “maintain and even increase their funding…Defunding the designated NGOs based on unsubstantiated allegations and designations will cause irreparable damage to Palestinian civil society at large…” 4

Following the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, Breaking the Silence signed a joint statement along with similar NGOs denouncing Hamas’ attack while also calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in addition to, “the immediate release of all hostages and an end to the bombardment of civilians in Israel and in Gaza.” 5 In addition, the joint statement called for, “…an end to all indiscriminate harming of civilian lives and infrastructure.” 6

Funding

Between 2018 and 2022, Break the Silence has received funding from a number of nonprofit groups, NGO’s and grantmaking organizations: these include Oxfam, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, the Open Society Institute, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Sigrid Rausing Trust, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In addition, the group received funding from several countries including Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the European Union. The group was also provided funding from charity and Aid organizations from countries including Spain, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands. 7

In 2022, the largest donors to Break the Silence included the UNDP ($1,768,714), the NGO Development Center (NDC) ($1,167,561) and aid from the country of Switzerland ($771,798). Open Society Foundations previously donated $705,030 in 2018 and an additional $690,000 in 2020 to Breaking the Silence. 8

References

  1. “About.” Breaking the Silence, Accessed December 21, 2022. https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/about/organization
  2. “Breaking the Silence (Shovrim Shtika).” NGO Monitor, July 20, 2023. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/breaking_the_silence_shovirm_shtika_/
  3. “Foreign Terrorist Organizations – United States Department of State.” U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, March 16, 2021. https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/.
  4. “Breaking the Silence (Shovrim Shtika).” NGO Monitor, July 20, 2023. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/breaking_the_silence_shovirm_shtika_/
  5. “A Joint Statement.” Breaking the Silence, Accessed December 20, 2023. https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/inside/a-joint-statement/
  6. “A Joint Statement.” Breaking the Silence, Accessed December 20, 2023. https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/inside/a-joint-statement/
  7. “Breaking the Silence (Shovrim Shtika).” NGO Monitor, July 20, 2023. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/breaking_the_silence_shovirm_shtika_/
  8. “Breaking the Silence (Shovrim Shtika).” NGO Monitor, July 20, 2023. https://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/breaking_the_silence_shovirm_shtika_/
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