Groups Linked to Anti-Netanyahu Camp Fund Election Campaigns Anonymously
Several non-profit organizations and groups identified with activists opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are running election campaigns, with their funding sources often undisclosed to the public. Among these groups is "Darcheinu," which is linked to the V15 campaign that preceded legislation aimed at regulating party funding.
The amendment to the Party Funding Law, known as the V15 Law, was intended to ensure electoral fairness by limiting contributions to political parties and candidates and preventing the influx of anonymous funds. However, the article claims this law is being circumvented through substantial funding of organizations that run overt and covert campaigns for specific political parties and agendas.
Darcheinu, the organization behind the original V15 campaign, is reportedly running campaigns against Netanyahu and the Likud party in the upcoming elections. The article notes that Avi Chai Ben-Aron, a senior figure from the Democratic Party, and other left-wing activists are involved with Darcheinu, but the organization has not disclosed its current funders.
Another organization, "Bo," which is also staffed by Democratic Party members, is running a campaign encouraging Israelis to return to the country. This campaign is reportedly created by director Roey Kuper, but "Bo" has also not revealed its funding sources. The article suggests a network of dozens of organizations, including "Chamal Elections" (formed by figures from the Kaplan protest movement and Brothers in Arms) and "Bo Nedaber Demokratiya," are working to support the opposition's electoral success with significant, often anonymous, funding.
The Likud party's legal counsel has filed complaints with the Central Elections Committee regarding some of these activities. However, the committee, headed by Justice Noam Sohlberg, has reportedly not deemed the issues substantial, referring questions to the Registrar of Non-Profit Organizations. The article concludes that these organizations effectively act as extensions of opposition parties, undermining the V15 Law's goal of electoral equality.
