Undeterred by the Facts

ON JUNE 15, 2016, Mohammed el-Halabi, manager of World Vision’s Gaza programs, was arrested by Israeli authorities, accused of funneling millions of donor dollars to Hamas, the Islamist political party that rules inside Gaza.

The case made international headlines—and had a dangerous chilling effect on Christian aid organizations working in the Middle East.

Well before el-Halabi had the opportunity to be tried—let alone convicted—of any crime, the Israeli foreign ministry prepared talking points, background materials, infographics, and videos, ordering the country’s diplomats to hype el-Halabi’s alleged confession to media and senior government officials around the world.

“Contacts, journalists, and relevant opinion makers should be briefed,” ordered senior foreign ministry officials, with particular focus on targeting “liberal and religious groups,” reported an Israeli newspaper.

But cracks in the Israeli government’s case appeared almost immediately. The most gaping: “World Vision’s cumulative operating budget in Gaza for the past 10 years was approximately $22.5 million, which makes the alleged amount of up to $50 million being diverted hard to reconcile,” said Kevin Jenkins, president and CEO of World Vision International.

According to World Vision, its programs in Gaza are subject to internal and independent audits and external evaluations to ensure that funds benefit those intended, precisely the nearly half of Gaza’s population living in poverty under a crippling blockade enforced by Israel. El-Halabi was accused of embezzling $50 million, yet World Vision’s accountability process caps signing authority at $15,000.

Undeterred by the facts, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson told Australian media: “It’s like when you catch a serial killer; the question of whether he killed 50 people or 25 people is not really relevant, is it?”

El-Halabi’s alleged confession was also suspect. El-Halabi was detained for three weeks without seeing a lawyer. He was not charged with a crime until more than seven weeks after his arrest. One of his lawyers said that el-Halabi was beaten repeatedly during his interrogations, making him fear for his life. El-Halabi has since renounced his “confession” and denied all charges.

Another inconvenient fact: Like many Gaza residents, el-Halabi has suffered at the hands of both Israel and Hamas. Agence France-Presse reported that el-Halabi’s sister, sister-in-law, and three other family members were killed by Hamas forces in 2009. And el-Halabi has written that seven of his family members were killed in one day in 2014 as the Israeli military pounded the Gaza Strip.

NPR and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz have both reported that a former World Vision employee had a grudge against el-Halabi after being fired for receiving a salary from the Palestinian Authority while on the World Vision payroll. After his termination, the disgruntled employee filed a complaint against el-Halabi that was investigated and found to be false.

But in today’s “post-truth” political climate, Israel’s accusations have been enough to score a propaganda victory while deepening human suffering. As Israeli authorities froze World Vision bank accounts, more than 100 employees in Gaza were laid off and thousands of beneficiaries deprived of crucial aid.

World Vision has embraced a “pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, pro-peace, and pro-justice” mission that includes “exchanges between international church groups and Palestinian churches.” As more international Christians hear the voices of Palestinians—often through aid organizations working to ease their suffering and advocate for their rights—the Israeli government appears increasingly desperate to discredit people like el-Halabi, who says he continues to pray for those suffering on both sides. We can only hope his prayers don’t go unanswered. But as an organization with a broad evangelical base of supporters, World Vision is a particularly strategic target in Israel’s struggle for controlling Christian hearts and minds.