An Amuta may not undertake any activity that is not part of its official objectives even if they are important actions that are of assistance to the public or to the needy.Let us look at the stated goals of Zazim:
Zazim is a campaigning community for social and political change. We are a local organization whose activists work together to impact the public agenda in Israel. We are political, but not partisan. What brings us together is shared values of human rights, social justice, combatting racism and the occupation, environmental protection, government transparency and independent media. Our primary vehicle is online tools that enable us to initiate campaigns and actions both online and offline. [emphasis added]In an email that I received in which Zazim is asking for funds for hiring buses, they wrote:
In English, this is:בכפרים הבדואים הלא מוכרים בנגב מתגוררים כ-50,000 בעלי זכות הצבעה ללא קלפי קרובה, ללא תשתית של תחבורה ציבורית ובלי רכב פרטי. רבים מהתושבים רוצים להצביע, אבל אין להם איך. אם מספיק פעילים ופעילות כמוך יתגייסו, נצליח לממן הסעות לקלפי לבדואים בנגב ולבנות גוש חוסם נגד ההסתה.
In the unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev live about 50,000 registered voters with no polling station close by [ed: because these are unrecognized/illegal villages], lacking in public transportation infrastructure [ed: because these are unrecognized/illegal villages] and without a car. Many of these residents want to vote [ed: even though a call has gone out to the Arab population to boycott this election and the large Arab parties who stand to lose most by this boycott are trying to fight it], but have no way to do so. If sufficient activists like you come forward, we will be able to fund transportation to the polling stations for the Negev Bedouin and build an obstructive block against incitement. [emphasis in the original]Now, "obstructive block against incitement" is a barely concealed euphemism for right-wing parties. If Zazim was operating buses for voters from all sectors of the population who cannot make it to the polls on their own, then their campaign could be classified as political but not partisan. But when they are setting out for the precise purpose of building an obstructive block against right-wing parties, it is hard to claim non-partisanship. Im Tirtzu, a right-wing Zionist NGO, filed a complaint with the Central Elections Committee. It was rejected because Im Tirtzu is not a political party and therefore has no standing with the Elections Committee. https://twitter.com/almogbenzikri/status/1114119398023888898 Just a few moments ago, Betzalmo, a right-wing human rights organization submitted a document to the State Comptroller and Ombudsman Office asking that the Office began an immediate investigation into what they suggest is illegal in Israel. Why illegal? Because the funds to set up the organization, and 60% of the funds to maintain their contemporary activities, come from the New Israel Fund (NIF). The NIF is an American organization, not Israeli, and therefore they cannot operate in Israel in connection with Israeli elections.
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