New Israel Fund

The New Israel Fund (NIF; Hebrew: הקרן החדשה לישראל, romanized: HaKeren HaKhadashah L'Yisra'el; Arabic: الصندوق الجديد لإسرائيل, romanized: aṣ-Ṣundūq al-Jadīd li-ʾIsrāʾīl) is a United States–based NGO established in 1979. It describes its objective as social justice and equality for all Israelis. The New Israel Fund says it has provided $300 million to over 900 Israeli civil society organizations. It describes itself as active on the issues of civil and human rights, women's rights, religious status, human rights for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories, the rights of Israel's Arab minority, and freedom of speech. The New Israel Fund is the largest foreign donor to progressive causes in Israel.

Its financial support for Breaking the Silence, Adalah, B'Tselem, Yesh Din, and other groups allegedly hostile to Zionist values has drawn criticism from Israel’s political right.

NIF describes itself as "the leading organization committed to democratic change within Israel". Its stated objective is "to actualize the vision of Israel's Founders, that of a Jewish and democratic state that, in the words of the Declaration of Independence, 'ensures complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.'" It views Israel as "the sovereign expression of the right of self-determination of the Jewish people and as a democracy dedicated to the full equality of all its citizens and communities". It advocates for civil and human rights, religious tolerance and pluralism, and closing the social and economic gaps in Israeli society, especially those among Jews and Arabs.

The New York Times wrote that NIF "advocates for equality and democracy" in Israel. The New York Times has also reported that the organization funds "Arab-run, non-Zionist groups" without necessarily agreeing with all the positions of those groups, but rather out of support for their right to be heard.

Daniel Sokatch, CEO, says that in line with their "core values of democracy and equality, we support two states for two peoples and we oppose the occupation and the settlement enterprise".

In June 2012, NIF marched with a "progressive cluster" in the New York Celebrate Israel parade; the cluster included Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, B'Tselem USA, Partners for Progressive Israel, and Rabbis for Human Rights-North America.

NIF is opposed to the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. It has stated that it does not support global BDS and will not support organizations with BDS programs but that its policy allows NIF the discretion to "engage in dialogue with an important organization that signs one letter supporting divestment rather than summarily dismissing them". Naomi Paiss, Director of Communications, described the campaign as "a tactic that embodies the message that Israel cannot and will not change itself, and for that reason, we think it is inflammatory and counter-productive".

However, the NIF states that it will "not exclude support for organizations that lawfully discourage the purchase of goods or use of services from settlements."