Q1: What is NIF Fundraising for, exactly?

NIF is raising money for aid organisations, the World Central Kitchen (WCK) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC). These aid organisations are equipped to feed and otherwise nourish innocent civilians in Gaza. Every dollar raised in this campaign goes directly to them.

Q2: NIF does not normally fund humanitarian aid, nor fund groups outside of Israel. Why make this exception?

It is the right thing to do. 1.1 million people in Gaza are on the brink of famine. We believe we have a moral obligation to help feed them. As José Andrés, the celebrity chef who founded the World Central Kitchen, wrote in the New York Times, “food is a universal human right. It is not conditional on being good or bad, rich or poor, left or right.” 

When people do not have food, feeding them is a Jewish (and an NIF) value. NIF is a community of people committed to defending human rights. We cannot sit idly by at this time. This value is deeply embedded in Judaism, as it is in Muslim, Christian, and many other secular and religious teachings.

Feeding people living in Gaza is the right thing to do for Israel’s sake too. Israelis and Palestinians are destined to always live together side-by-side. For Israelis–and NIF supporters who stand with Israel–to sit on the sidelines while Gazans starve, poisons the already bitter well for any future neighborly relationship. 

When something extraordinary happens, NIF responds in extraordinary ways. When democracy was under attack by an extremist government in Israel in early 2023, NIF responded by supporting the democratic pushback. When Israelis were brutally attacked on October 7, NIF responded by providing humanitarian aid for Israelis. We bought hotel rooms for the evacuees, we supported (and continue to support) the Hostage Families’ Headquarters, we helped purchase ambulances for unrecognised villages in the Negev, and funded emergency relief centers for Jews and Arabs in the south.

Finally, our effort to feed the people in Gaza does not come at the expense of our ongoing support for Israelis. Rather, this campaign compliments our funding for work that supports equality and democracy in Israel. 

Q3: Who is NIF working with in this?

World Central Kitchen (WCK) has a global track record feeding communities in crisis. This includes mobilising to feed Israelis in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. Until April 1st when seven of its staff were killed by the IDF (an act for which IDF leaders have apologised), it was providing more than 60% of all NGO food aid reaching Gazans.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people affected by humanitarian crises to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. They deliver lasting impact by providing health care, helping children learn, and empowering individuals and communities to become self-reliant, always with a focus on the unique needs of women and girls. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein to help refugees escape the Nazi regime, IRC now works in over 50 countries as well as communities throughout Europe and the Americas. IRC plans to significantly scale up aid to Gaza once a ceasefire is in place.

Q4: Do they really need NIF's help?

Yes. The entire population of Gaza is experiencing hunger; there is a mounting humanitarian crisis. You might have thought that money would have been pouring into these aid organisations over the last six months, but it is shocking how little money has gone to humanitarian aid organisations from donors. 

Moreover, NIF’s campaign, specifically, makes a powerful statement: Australian Jews and supporters will not stand on the sidelines and let people in Gaza starve. 

Q5: Didn't the WCK suspend its activities in Gaza after seven of its aid workers were killed in Israeli airstrikes on April 1? 

Yes. WCK is pausing its activities until they can assess how to safely continue to operate in Gaza. While they do not yet know when precisely they will resume the rest of their activities, we want to help offset existing expenses they have already incurred and build their future capacity.

Q6: How can we be sure that this food will get to innocent civilians? 

These organisations bring deep experience providing humanitarian aid in extremely challenging situations politically. Risk assessment and robust due diligence is central to both of their response planning. Both IRC and WCK utilise U.S. government systems to screen participants for involvement in terror organisations. They also communicate closely with the IDF when it comes to aid distribution and comply with all Israeli military requirements.

Nevertheless, we recognise that aid distribution in Gaza is chaotic, and we as NIF will not be able to exert control on the ground. This is a risk that we have weighed against the importance of getting people help.