Tsunami Charities

If anyone is like I am - I want to donate money to help those affected by the Tsunami, but also want to choose from a list of charities that don't have an anti-Israel agenda - then you may find this website very useful:

http://www.ngo-monitor.org/editions/v3n05/NGOMonitorTsunamiGuide.htm

In addition to profiling some of the larger charities, and their level of politicisation against Israel, at the bottom of the page is a link to a list of some of the Jewish charities providing help.

I have had a personal meeting in Israel with the director of this NGO Monitor, and am very comfortable with the professionalism and integrity in the way they monitor the NGOs.

Background: unfortunately, the level of anti-Israeli politicisation among some charities have reached a level where it is of concern to many, particularly when this is extraneous to the central aims of these mainstream organisations (I therefore exclude those "front" charities who are on Western government lists as financiers of terrorism). Some charities like other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have been cool on Israel, and in some cases outwardly hostile. This was exemplified by the 2001 UN Conference in Durban when NGOs went on a "political rampage" and turned it into an Israel hate-fest (with some Jewish representatives physically threatened), which resulted in Australian and US government representatives distancing themselves from the conference. The conference - and the rising politicisation of NGOs - has resulted in the need to monitor these groups, to differentiate between those that are apolitical and focus on doing good, from those that are not; and to encourage the latter group of "bad apples" to change.