Over the last month, the EU has conducted an intensive investigation of suspicions that Arab Non Government Organisations (NGOs) registered with the Israeli Registrar of Charities, which operate in Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) passed money, received from the EU, to terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Fatah.

EU investigators reviewed the documents of 3 NGOs registered in Israel. The NGOs also operate in the PA. The NGOs involved are “Kanon”, a citizen’s rights organization, and two other NPOs whose names have not yet been released.

The suspicions are that the organizations received in excess of euro 12 million, transferred the money through straw NGOs to terrorist organizations, disguised as financial support and assistance.

The information available to the European investigators increasingly points to that money finding its way to Hamas and Fatah terrorists.

The investigated only started after the investigators presented a formal request to conduct a sensitive investigation, including review of relating to several NGOs. Six EU investigators, who left Israel a few days ago, received co-operation from senior legal advisors, including Rami Goldstein, the legal counsel of the Israeli Registrar of Charities, and Irit Kahan, the head of the international relations department of the State Prosecutor’s office.

The investigators are to deliver an interim report to the EU within the coming days, and should also update the Israeli authorities of their findings.

The spokesperson for the Attorney General’s department said on behalf of the Registrar of Charities: “We confirm receiving a request by the EU. The matter is under investigation by the relevant authorities.”