October 29, 2021

As a group of regional and international organizations, we express our full solidarity with Palestinian civil society and human rights defenders as Israel continues to escalate its attacks to shut down critical human rights work and silence opposition to its occupation of Palestinian territory and apartheid over the Palestinian people as a whole. We urge the international community to take all necessary action to support and protect Palestinian civil society and human rights defenders and ensure the continuation of their invaluable work.

On 19 October 2021, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz designated six leading Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist organizations, including Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al-Haq Law in the Service of Man (Al-Haq), Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC).

The Israeli government has continued to intensify its attacks on independent Palestinian human rights organizations and their staff, who regularly face smear campaigns, spurious accusations of links to terrorism as well as threats and intimidation, travel bans and movement restrictions, and arrest for their work. Independent Israeli and international organizations have also been targeted by Israel for their work documenting and advocating against Israel’s human rights violations. Israel’s actions clearly follow the pattern set by authoritarian states in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and around the world.

This unprecedented designation is merely the latest escalation in Israel’s widespread and systematic institutionalized campaign that has aimed to silence and discredit any Palestinian individual or organization that dares seek accountability for Israel’s grave human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The “persecution of organizations and persons, by depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms, because they oppose apartheid” is one of the methods used by Israel to maintain its domination and oppression over the Palestinian people.

On 18 October 2021, the Israeli Interior Minister announced the official revocation of the Jerusalem residency status of Palestinian-French human rights defender and lawyer Salah Hammouri based on “breach of allegiance” to the State of Israel, opening the way for more widespread use of residency revocation on this basis, putting thousands of Palestinians in Jerusalem at risk of arbitrary and punitive measures leading to their forcible transfer.

UN experts condemned the designations of the six NGOs as terrorist organizations “a frontal attack on the Palestinian human rights movement, and on human rights everywhere” and called upon the international community to “defend the defenders.” The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Israel to revoke the designations, affirming that "claiming rights before a UN or other international body is not an act of terrorism, advocating for the rights of women in the occupied Palestinian territory is not terrorism, and providing legal aid to detained Palestinians is not terrorism". The designation has also been condemned by other international actors, including members of the US House of Representatives, European Parliamentarians as well as international civil society.

The designation presents a challenge to the international community, especially democratic states that speak out and support independent human rights organizations and defenders in other parts of the world. Remaining silent is insufficient given the urgent support and protection needs of the six organizations that are now at an additional risk of raids, confiscation of property and materials, closure of bank accounts, arrest of staff members, and closure of their offices. Israel’s attacks against these organizations pose an existential threat to independent Palestinian human rights organizations and civil society who work to monitor and document violations of human rights and provide basic services to the Palestinian people.

We call upon the international community to publicly condemn and reject Israel’s designation of Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as “terrorist organizations” as an internationally wrongful act, to call for Israel to immediately rescind the designation, and to demand Israel repeal its Anti-Terrorism Law (2016) as it does not meet basic human rights standards and to end all other actions that deny Palestinians their inalienable human rights. We also urge members of the international community to publicly show support for the six organizations and Palestinian civil society at large.

Further, the international community, especially the European Union and its member states who are key supporters of and donors to Palestinian civil society, should ensure that banks and financial institutions in their jurisdiction are notified Israel’s designation of Palestinian organizations is unfounded and inapplicable.

Signatories:

1. 11.11.11

2. Abna Al-Quds Club

3. Action for Change and Democracy in Algeria

4. AFKAR for Educational & Cultural Development

5. Agir pour le Changement et la Démocratie en Algérie (ACDA)

6. Al Ataa Charitable Society

7. Albanian Human Rights Group

8. Al Dameer Association for Human Rights

9. Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man

10. Al Karmel Culture and Social Development Association

11. Al-Marsad Arab Human Rights Center in Golan Heights

12. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

13. Altawasol Forum Society

14. Aman Organization Against Discrimination

15. ANSWER Coalition

16. Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem

17. Arab Canadian Lawyers Association

18. Arab Center for Agricultural Development

19. Artists for Palestine UK

20. Asha Parivar

21. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

22. Asociación Paz con Dignidad

23. Association Africaine de Défense droit de l’Homme (ASADHO)

24. Association Belgo-Palestinienne WB

25. Association des Magistrats Tunisiens

26. Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine (AURDIP)

27. Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS)

28. Association Internationale de Soutien aux Prisonniers Politiques

29. Association Nachaz

30. Association pour le Droit à la Différence (ADD)

31. Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates

32. Association Tunisienne de Soutien des Minorités

33. Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children

34. Australia Palestine Advocacy Network

35. Australian Centre for International Justice

36. Bait Lahia Youth Association Center

37. BankTrack - Netherlands

38. Basma Society for Culture and Arts

39. Basmeh & Zeitooneh

40. Baytna

41. Beity

42. Belady Foundation for Human Rights

43. BDS País Valencià

44. Broederlijk Delen

45. Business and Human Rights Resource Center (BHRRC)

46. Bytes For All

47. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

48. Canada Palestine Association

49. Canadian BDS Coalition

50. Canadians for Peace and Justice in Kashmir

51. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)

52. Canada Palestine Friendship Society

53. Carleton University Students for Justice in Palestine

54. Catholics for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land

55. Center for Civil Liberties

56. Center for Constitutional Rights

57. Center for Defense of Liberties & Civil Rights (Hurryyat)

58. Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR)

59. Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO)

60. Central Blood Bank Society

61. Coalition of African Lesbians

62.  Committee for the Respect of Freedoms and Human Rights in Tunisia

1. Committee on the Administration of Justice (Northern Ireland)

2. Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ)

3. Community Media Center

4. Conectas Direitos Humanos

5. Confederación Intersindical Galega (CIG)

6. Congregations of St. Joseph

7. Citizen News Service (CNS)

8. Citoyenneté, Développement, Cultures et migrations des deux Rives

9. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

10. CNCD-11.11.11

11. Collectif des Familles de Disparus en Algérie (CFDA)

12. Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud (CISS)

13. Cultura è libertà una campagna per la Palestina

14. De-Colonizer

15. Defence for Children International - Italy

16. DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)

17. Defender Center for Human Rights

18. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)

19. docP - BDS Netherlands

20. Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, NY

21. Dr. Haider Abdel Shafi Center for Culture & Development

22. Edmonton Run for Palestine

23. European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP)

24. European Legal Support Center (ELSC)

25. European Trade Union Network For Justice in Palestine (ETUN)

26. Fares Arab Foundation for Development

27. FIAN International

28. Finnish-Arab Friendship Society

29. Free Gaza Australia

30. Fundación Mundubat

31. Gaza Action Ireland

32. General and Autonomous Confederation of Workers in Algeria (CGATA)

33. General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers (CGTP-IN)

34. Gibanje za pravice Palestincev

35. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

36. Grassroots AlQuds

37. Groupe LOTUS

38. Grup de Suport a Juani Rishmawi

39. Gruppo Ibriq per la cultura e la causa Palestinese

40. Hassan El Saadawi Association for Democracy and Equality

41. Human Rights and Democracy Center (SHAMS)

42. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

43. International Accountability Project

44. International Association for the Support of Political Prisoners

45. International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)

46. International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights

47. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

48. International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP)

49. Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign

50. Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU)

51. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)

52. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) - Finland

53. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) - Germany

54. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions UK

55. Jabalia Rehabilitation Society

56. Joussour De Citoyenneté

57. Just Peace Advocates

58. Jurists without Chains

59. Justice for Iran

60. Justitia Center for Legal Protection of Human Rights in Algeria

61. Kairos Ireland

62. Kairos Sabeel Netherlands

63. Kenya Human Rights Commission

64. Land Research Center

65. Leadership Team of the Dominican Sisters and Associates of Racine, WI

66. League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI)

67. Lebanese Center for Human Rights

68. Libya Al-Mostakbal

69. Libyan Center for Freedom of the Press

70. Libyan Network for Legal Aid

71. Libyan Women's Platform for Peace

72. Ligue Algérienne de Défense des Droits de L'homme

73. Ligue des droits de l'Homme

74. Ligue Suisse des Droits de l'Homme - Genève

75. MA'AN Development Center

76. MADRE - USA

77. Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights

78. Makan

79. MakeShiftPublishing BV

80. Manushya Foundation

81. Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

82. MENA Rights Group

83. Mwatana for Human Rights

84. Nā Pua Kūʻē – Hawaiʻi Dissenters

85. National Autonomous Union of Public Administration Staff (SNAPAP)

86. National Fisheries Solidarity

87. National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT)

88. Netherlands Palestine Committee

89. Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine-Israel (NMJPI)

90. NOVACT

91. New Weapons Research Group onlus

92. Oakville Palestinian Rights Association

93. Odhikar

94. One Justice

95. Organisation 23_10 d'Appui au Processus de Transition Démocratique

96. Österreichische Liga für Menschenrechte

97. Our Revolution Northern Virginia (ORNOVA)

98. Palestina Solidariteit vzw

99. Palästina Spricht

100. Palestinakomiteen i Larvik-Sandefjord

101. Palestine Solidarity Alliance of South Africa

102. Palestine Solidarity Campaign - Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland)

103. Palestine Solidarity Campaign - Gauteng (Johannesburg)

104. Palestine Solidarity Campaign - Cape Town

105. Palestinian Solidarity Group at Mount Holyoke College

106. Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (PASSIA)

107. Palestinian Assembly for Liberation

108. Palestinian Children in Israeli Military Prisons (PIM)

109. Palestinian Counseling Center

110. Palestinian Youth Movement

111. Pax Christi Flanders

112. Pax Christi USA

113. PeaceWomen Across the Globe

114. Plan International - Jordan

115. Platform of French NGOs for Palestine

116. Portuguese League for Human Rights - Civitas

117. Princeton Committee on Palestine

118. Project48

119. Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice

120. Racial Literacy Groups

121. Réseau International des Droits Humains (RIDH)

122. Rumbo a Gaza

123. Salaam Ragazzi dell'Olivo, Comitato di Trieste

124. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

125. Sareyyet Ramallah

126. Sexual Rights Intiative

127. Sheffield Labour Friends of Palestine

128. Sinistra Italiana

129. Socialist Party (India)

130. SOLSOC

131. South African BDS Coalition

132. South African Jews for a Free Palestine (SAJFP)

133. SumOfUs

134. Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)

135. Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ)

136. Syrian Justice and Accountability Center (SJAC)

137. The Community Action Center at Al-Quds University

138. The Cultural Forum Center

139. The Culture and Free Thought Association

140. The National Society for Democracy and Law

141. The Palestine Committee of Norway

142. The Palestine Project

143. The Palestinian Developmental Women Studies Association (PDWSA)

144. The Palestinian Human Rights Organization (PHRO)

145. The Rights Forum

146. The Society of Women Graduates

147. Toronto Palestine Film Festival

148. Trade Union Friends of Palestine

149. Transnational Institute

150. Trócaire

151. Tunisian Association of Defending Individual Liberties (ADLI)

152. Tunisian Association of the Democratic Women (ATFD)

153. Tunisian Youth Movement in Germany

154. UK-Palestine Mental Health Network

155. Union Aid Abroad APHEDA

156. Union Juive Française pour la Paix (UJFP)

157. Union Syndicale Solidaires

158. United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine - Israel

159. Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights

160. USA Palestine Mental Health Network

161. Visualizing Palestine

162. Viva Salud

163. WESPAC Foundation, Inc.

164. Women Against Violence

165. Women in Black Vienna

166. Women Now For Development

167. Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC)

168. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

169. Women's Studies Centre

170. Youth Development Association (YDA)

171. Youth for Tawergha

172. Zochrot