Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz right this moment declared six distinguished Palestinian human rights teams terrorists organisations which funnel donor cash to outlawed teams.
Underneath the ruling, the work of Addameer, al-Haq, Protection for Youngsters Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, Busan Middle for Analysis and Improvement, and the Union of Palestinian Girls Committees has been banned. Gantz mentioned the teams have ties to the Fashionable Entrance for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a gaggle banned by the Israeli occupation.
The teams, which doc alleged human rights violations by Israeli occupation forces and authorities and the Palestinian Authority (PA) towards Palestinians. they embrace Addameer, which represents Palestinian safety prisoners in Israeli army courts, and Protection for Youngsters-Worldwide, a gaggle that advocates for Palestinian kids.
“[The] declared organisations acquired giant sums of cash from European international locations and worldwide organisations, utilizing a wide range of forgery and deceit,” Gantz mentioned, alleging the cash had supported PFLP’s actions.
Israel DM, Benny Gantz, Classifies 6 Palestinian Establishments as “Terrorist Establishments”: Addameer, AlHaq, the Protection for Youngsters -Palestine department, Union of Agricultural Work Committees, Bisan Middle for Analysis and Improvement and Union of Palestinian Girls Committees pic.twitter.com/8OO6EZZKfQ
— Alaa Daraghme (@AlaaDaraghme) October 22, 2021
Addameer and one other of the teams, Protection for Youngsters Worldwide – Palestine, rejected the accusations as an “try and eradicate Palestinian civil society.” “They are able to shut us down. They’ll seize our funding. They’ll arrest us. However they can not cease our agency and unshakeable perception that this occupation should be held accountable for its crimes,” Al-Haq Director Shawan Jabarin advised the Occasions of Israel.
The designations authorise Israeli authorities to shut the teams’ places of work, seize their belongings, arrest their workers within the occupied West Financial institution and ban supporting their actions.
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The United Nations Human Rights Workplace within the Palestinian territories mentioned it was “alarmed” on the announcement.
“Counter-terrorism laws should not be used to constrain reputable human rights and humanitarian work,” it mentioned, including that a number of the causes given appeared obscure or irrelevant.
“These designations are the most recent growth in an extended stigmatising marketing campaign towards these and different organisations, damaging their potential to ship on their essential work,” it mentioned.
An official with the PFLP mentioned they keep relations with civil society organisations throughout the West Financial institution and Gaza, with out particular point out of the six our bodies on this ruling, Reuters stories.
“It’s a part of the tough battle Israel is launching towards the Palestinian folks and towards civil society teams, with a purpose to exhaust them,” PFLP official Kayed Al-Ghoul mentioned.
In a joint statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty Worldwide mentioned the “resolution is an alarming escalation that threatens to close down the work of Palestine’s most distinguished civil society organisations.”
” Silencing, intimidating & criminalizing #Palestinian civil society org’s & human rights defenders are #Israel‘s approach of protecting up its abuses whereas sustaining its impunity. It is the occupation that should be held to account,” wrote Palestinian diplomat Hanan Ashrawi on Twitter.
Silencing, intimidating & criminalizing #Palestinian civil society org’s & human rights defenders are #Israel‘s approach of protecting up its abuses whereas sustaining its impunity. It is the occupation that should be held to account. https://t.co/yfIcQ1S0km
— Hanan Ashrawi (@DrHananAshrawi) October 22, 2021
The choice comes simply 4 days after Israel revoked the residency of Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri from his hometown of Jerusalem on the premise of “breach of allegiance” to the state, paving the best way for his compelled deportation from his homeland. Hamouri, the son of a Palestinian father and French mom, is a distinguished lawyer and human rights advocate for Addameer.
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