Over 150 Organizations Demand International Community Stands Against Raids and Closures of 7 Palestinian Organizations

August 23, 2022 - Amid Israel’s escalating attacks targeting their work, a group of more than 150 Palestinian, regional, and international organizations express our full solidarity with the designated seven leading Palestinian civil society organizations, 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), Health Work Committees (HWC), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC).

On the morning of 18 August 2022, the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) raided and sealed the doorways into the offices of the seven Palestinian organizations. The IOF also confiscated documents and equipment and destroyed items in the offices. On the doors of the organizations, military orders were left behind ordering the closure of the offices under Article 319 of the Emergency Regulations of 1945. This development follows the 19 October 2021, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz designation of six leading Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist organizations under Israel’s Anti-Terrorism Law (2016), which was then extended to the West Bank on 3 November 2021 by a military order that outlawed the same organizations.

We urge the international community to unequivocally condemn Israel’s targeting of Palestinian civil society and tactics to further repress of freedom of expression. States must take all necessary action to support and protect Palestinian human rights defenders and ensure the continuation of their invaluable work.

These raids and closures represent the latest escalation in Israel’s widespread campaign aiming to silence and discredit any Palestinian individual or organization that dares to 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 a method used by Israel, amounting to acts of apartheid prosecutable under the Rome Statute, to maintain its domination and oppression over the Palestinian people.

The organizations remain at an additional risk of closure of bank accounts, travel bans and movement restrictions, and the arrest and detention of staff members for their work. 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 demand that Israel immediately revoke its designations of Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as “terrorist organizations,” reverse the military orders designating the organizations and closing their offices and repeal its Anti-Terrorism Law (2016) as it does not meet basic human rights standards.

Moreover, we call on the international community to take effective measures to end all other actions that deny Palestinians their inalienable human rights.

Lastly, we call on the members of the international community to continue their support and increase funding to the organizations and engage with financial institutions to ensure the transfer of funds to the organizations.

Signatories:

1. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

2. 11.11.11

3. Abductees' Mothers Association

4. Academic Program for Studies of Arab and Muslim Communities in Diaspora

5. ACAT-France

6. Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association

7. Advokatfirmaet Roli

8. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

9. Al-ataa Benevolent Association

10. Aldameer association for human rights

11. Al-Haq

12. Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society

13. Andalus Institute for Tolerance and anti-Violence Studies

14. Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ)

15. ARTICLE 19

16. Artists for Palestine UK

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

18. Asociacion Palestina Biladi

19. Association Belgo-Palestinienne

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

21. Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression

22. Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS)

23. Aswat Nissa

24. Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children'

25. Australian Centre for International Justice

26. Basmeh & Zeitooneh for Relief and Development

27. Baytna

28. Bds Maroc

29. BDS Netherlands

30. BDS Vancouver Coast Salish Territories

31. Belgian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BACBI)

32. Bytes For All, Pakistan

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

34. Center for Constitutional Rights

35. Center for Strategic Studies to Support Women and Children

36. Centre for Global Education

37. Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales

38. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation

39. CNCD-11.11.11

40. Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid

41. Comhlamh Justice for Palestine

42. Committee for a Just Peace in the Middle East, Luxembourg

43. Committee for Justice

44. Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ)

45. Conectas Human Rights

46. Cultura è Libertà, una campagna per la Palestina

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

48. Een Andere Joodse Stem / Another Jewish Voice (Belgium)

49. Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms

50. Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)

51. Egyptian Human Rights Forum

52. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights

53. El Nadim Center For Management & Rehabilitation of victims of violence

54. ESCR-Net, International Network for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights

55. EuroMed Rights

56. European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine - ECCP

57. European Legal Support Center (ELSC)

58. European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine

59. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

60. Financial Justice Ireland

61. Foundation for Middle East Peace (Washington, DC)

62. Front Line Defenders

63. Fundación Mundubat

64. Gaza Action Ireland

65. Global NPO Coalition on FATF

66. Herbst Law PLLC

67. Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”

68. Human Rights for All (HR4A) Saskatchewan

69. Human Rights in China

70. Human Rights Watch

71. Human Security Collective

72. ICAHD-USA

73. International Accountability Project

74. International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group

75. International Commission to support Palestinian People’s Rights

76. International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)

77. International Service for Human Rights

78. International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific

79. Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign

80. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions - UK

81. Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste

82. Just Words Limited

83. Justice for Palestinians Calgary

84. Justitia Center for legal protection of human rights in Algeria

85. Kairos Ireland

86. Kenya Human Rights Commission

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

88. Local Development and Small Projects Support (LDSPS)

89. Makan

90. MakeShiftPublishing

91. MENA Rights Group

92. Muslim Peace Fellowship

93. Mwatana for human rights

94. Nederlands Palestina Komitee

95. New Weapons Research Groups

96. Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine Israel

97. North Bronx Racial Justice

98. Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Norway)

99. Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees

100. NOVACT Institute for Nonviolent Action

101. Oakville Palestinian Rights Association

102. Palestina Solidariteit vzw Belgium

103. Palestine Solidarity Alliance

104. Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK

105. Palestine Solidarity Network - Edmonton

106. Palestine Solidarity, St. John's, NL

107. Palestine Solidary Organisation at Nelson Mandela University

108. Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)

109. Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall)

110. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

111. Pan African Palestine Solidarity Network

112. Paz con Dignidad

113. Peace and Building Foundation

114. Physicians for Human Rights Israel

115. Platform of French NGOs for Palestine

116. Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED)

117. Project South

118. Riposte Internationale

119. Sadaka-the Ireland Palestine Alliance

120. Sadaqa

121. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

122. Scottish Friends of Palestine

123. Sexual Rights Initiative

124. SOLIDAR

125. Solsoc

126. South African BDS Coalition

127. South African Jews For a Free Palestine

128. STEILAS

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

130. Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights

131. Teaching Palestine: Pedagogical Praxis and the Indivisibility of Justice

132. The African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies

133. The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)

134. The Association of Norwegian NGOs for Palestine

135. The Canadian BDS Coalition

136. The civic coalition for Palestinian rights in jerusalem

137. The Danish House in Palestine

138. The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)

139. The Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church USA

140. The Norwegian Initiative DEFEND INTERNATIONAL LAW

141. The Palestine Committee of Norway

142. The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy

143. The Palestinian Human Rights Organization "PHRO"

144. The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy - MIFTAH

145. The Rights Forum

146. The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)

147. Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA (Australia)

148. United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI)

149. University Network for Human Rights

150. University of KwaZulu-Natal Decoloniality Action Group

151. US Campaign for Palestinian Rights

152. Visualizing Palestine

153. Viva Salud

154. Vrede vzw

155. West African Human Rights Defenders Network

156. Women in Black Vienna

157. Women Now for Development

158. Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC)

159. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders