Press Release 06.01.2025Support for Israeli NGOs: appeal for donations and petition launchedWustrow in Germany, 06.01.2025 – The two Israeli organisations Zochrot and New Profile have had their foreign policy clearance and eligibility for funding withdrawn by the German government – even though both work nonviolently for peace and human rights. It happened during the period of implementation of the current project. Zochrot has been our partner for five years as part of the Civil Peace Service, and New Profile since 2023. This withdrawal reflects a larger trend: fifteen Palestinian and Israeli peace and human rights organisations working with German civil society organisations have had their funding withdrawn by the German government in recent years. In light of this, we are launching an appeal for donations and a petition to support the important work of these NGOs.Who are Zochrot and New Profile?Zochrot is dedicated to coming to terms with the history of the expulsion of Palestinians and works towards a fair approach to the rights of refugees. The organisation promotes public awareness and dialogue on one of the most sensitive issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.New Profile advocates for the rights of conscientious objectors and advocates for a society based on civil engagement and nonviolent solutions. The organisation supports young people in finding their way beyond militarised norms. New Profile promotes the human right to conscientious objection to military service – and is therefore no longer eligible for funding in the eyes of the German government. This is outrageous! Conscientious objection is a legitimate nonviolent action. It contributes to peaceful conflict resolution. It is inexplicable why New Profile can no longer receive federal funding for this reason.Call for donations: Financial help neededDue to the revocation of their German funding licence, Zochrot and New Profile are in existential danger and can only continue their work to a very limited extent. With our call for donations, we would like to raise the necessary financial means to continue our current projects. Every contribution counts!Petition: Politischer Druck für eine gerechte LösungIn addition, we are launching a petition to exert political pressure and critically question the decision to withdraw funding. This measure not only endangers the existence of these NGOs, but also civil society in Palestine and Israel as a whole. We demand that the German government continues to support important work of these organisations in finding nonviolent solutions to the conflict.How you can help:Donate: Support the work of Zochrot and New Profile directly. You can find details on how to donate on our website.Sign the petition: Join us in calling for fair treatment and protection for these organisations. The petition is available online.Share the campaign: Help us to raise awareness by sharing the information through your networks.Write about the withdrawal of civil society funding in Palestine and Israel: We and our partners are available for talks.‘Zochrot and New Profile do irreplaceable work for peace and justice. Securing their existence is a task that concerns us all. Together we can set an example,’ says John Preuss, executive director of KURVE Wustrow.Read more about the withdrawal of German funding in the detailed article by Deutsche Welle here.For further information and contact:John Preuss+49 58 43 - 98 71 39medien [at] kurvewustrow [dot] org (medien(at)kurvewustrow.org) HintergrundOur cooperation with Zochrot and New Profile is part of the Civil Peace Service (CPS). Nine German peace and development organisations implement the CPS together with around 580 local partner organisations. The CPS is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Since its foundation in 1999, the Civil Peace Service has deployed around 1,800 international CPS experts in more than 60 countries. There are currently around 380 international CPS experts working in around 45 countries. Description, see picture above:In June 2022, New Profile organised a concluding event for educators as part of a ten-part workshop series called ‘Challenging Militarism’: an anti-militarist tour in Jerusalem called ‘Militourism’. The tour explored various sites in the city, highlighting both visible and hidden aspects of militarism in Israeli society and its presence in public spaces.