Commenter "Rabbi Burns" wrote to UK Aid concerning a story I covered last month about a TV show on the Ma'an network that celebrates murderers of Jews. UK-Aid is one of the funders listed by Ma'an.
Their reply:
Dear Sir/Madam,"Rabbi Burns" responded:
Thank you for your email of 28 January 2014 about funding for Ma'an Network TV. I have been asked to reply as I work in the Department for International Development (DFID).
The UK Government deplores any anti-Semitic discourse – whether in speech or writing – along with any other form of racist expression. DFID does not currently provide funding to the Ma’an network.
We deplore incitement on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including any comments that could stir up hatred and prejudice in a region that needs a culture of peace and mutual respect.
Yours sincerely
[Name]
Department for International Development
Many thanks for your very helpful reply.So is Ma'an lying?
Might I also suggest that it would be in the interests of everyone who seeks a peaceful solution to the Israeli/Arab conflict if you were to request of Ma'an Network TV that it remove the UK Aid logo from its list of "Partners and Donors" (see link below). I fear that the continued presence of the logo may reflect badly on the UK government's involvement in the region.
http://www.maannet.org/modules/publisher/item.php?itemid=7
Yours sincerely,
R. Burns
Has anyone contacted any of the other funders listed?
UPDATE: Yenta Press found the UK government site that dealt with the funding of Ma'an. It was a three year project:
Ma’an Network
GTF Number 095
Empowering transparency through effective secular media
Key facts:
Start date: 1 September 2008
End date: 31 August 2011
Amount of DFID funding £2,110,233
In this 3-year project, Ma’an Network aims to strengthen independent secular media as a catalyst for governmental accountability and responsiveness in Palestine.
Using media to amplify public demands for accountability and facilitate citizen input in governance processes in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, we hope to contribute to building a culture of demand for good governance.
The project will focus on investigative and participatory journalism, utilising television, radio, and online reporting to increase access to information, institutionalise dialogue between Palestinian citizens and decision-makers, and give voice to marginalised groups.
The project will also establish a research unit at Ma’an to survey public needs and attitudes on media and governance, monitor public reaction to our media productions, and evaluate our programming quality and impact.
Key outputs include providing Palestinians with more independent information and detailed reporting on governance issues, and increasing the possibility for citizens to hold government officials accountable.