JERUSALEM, ISRAEL / AGILITYPR.NEWS / June 09, 2021 / A new report by Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor documents how sub-grantees of USAID-funded programs introduced Palestinian children to convicted terrorists, presented convicted terrorists as role models, and publicly demonstrated support for terrorists and US-designated terrorist organizations.

The report assesses public information that was available to USAID and primary grantee personnel at the time that they were ostensibly vetting secondary-grantees and implementing these projects in Gaza and the West Bank.

Between the years 2015-2019 USAID allocated approximately $500 million on programs in the West Bank and Gaza. As detailed in this report, the agency awarded $7.2 million to 6 Palestinian NGOs whose activities are inconsistent with American values and policies.

Activities include introducing Palestinian youths to released terrorists, holding events with the umbrella organization of Palestinian terror groups, and organizing children to lobby on behalf of Palestinian prisoners from Islamic Jihad and other groups. Additionally, members of one USAID-funded youth organization chanted “we are with the prisoners until death… we are behind you until liberation…Resist until death…Intifada until death” at a protest event.

Many of these incidents occurred before grants were issued, indicating a failure to properly vet grantees. Several of them took place during the grant period, reflecting the need to continue to monitor grantees after funds are approved.

This research follows a Government Accounting Office (GAO) audit of USAID's West Bank and Gaza 2015-2019 funding, published in March 2021. That publication highlighted numerous failings in implementing the agency's anti-terror vetting procedures.

Yona Schiffmiller, Director of Research in NGO Monitor, said that "To guarantee the integrity of US funding, USAID and primary grantees must conduct thorough vetting of potential partners. This must include publicly available information such as the websites and social media accounts of potential grantees and their key officials, as well as media reports, court documents, and other public records."

Schiffmiller added, "At this critical juncture, when the US intends to direct tens-of-millions of dollars for Gaza aid, ensuring a robust and effective vetting process is an absolute necessity to prevent aid diversion by terrorist organizations and extremist actors."

Click here to read the full report