Ahead of the publication of a report by the organization that fights money laundering and terrorist financing, Israel provided information on right-wing activists to get on the money route. The report’s findings show that in most cases these are “lone wolves,” but the large organizations receive donations legally.
Israel recently passed intelligence information regarding extreme-right and anti-Semitic organizations around the world to the FATF, an intergovernmental body set up by the G7 countries, ahead of a report published on the financing of terrorist organizations.
The organization has begun to address the issue following the rise of extreme-right attacks in recent years, including by neo-Nazi groups, and the need to raise awareness of the phenomenon and its funding. In addition, far-right terrorism is not easily defined and takes place in a changing environment. It is made up of individuals and groups who advocate different ideologies, which are mainly driven by hatred and racism towards minorities, foreigners, Islamophobia or anti-Semitism.
About 30 countries contributed to the report, according to which most of the attacks were carried out in recent years were funded by “lone wolves”, some by small and medium-sized organizations and international movements of the extreme right. Because in every country the law defines responsibility differently.
The report highlighted the challenges of thwarting funding for extreme-right groups, which can raise money from criminal activity, but most of their income comes from legal activities, including donations, membership fees and commercial activity. According to the organization, those groups subtly transfer money to activists.
In recent years, with the rise of terrorism by extreme-right elements, the FATF has been working with countries around the world to encourage them to better understand terrorist or ethnic racism in their work on national risk assessment, and working with the public and private sectors, as well as international organizations on identifying threats and combating terrorist financing.
Dr. Shlomit Wegman-Ratner, head of the Israeli Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Authority, which also headed the Israeli delegation to the FATF, said:
“I welcome the publication of the report on the financing of ethnic or racist motives by the FATF, in an effort to raise global awareness of the rise of antisemitic and racist attacks around the world, and to thwart the attacks themselves.”
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By Itamar Eichner (Hebrew), August 28, 2021, published on Ynet
