The six Palestinian civil society groups declared as “terrorist organisations” include some of the most well-established Palestinians human rights organisations working in the occupied Palestinian territory. Al-Haq is a human rights organisation that received the 2018 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic for its work.
Head of Middle East Policy and Advocacy, William Bell, said:
"This act is nothing short of an attack on human rights.
"It follows years of restrictions on civil society and a relentless delegitimisation of those seeking to end human rights violations.
"Instead of demonising such organisations, Israel should welcome the democratic scrutiny and end its occupation and control of the Palestinian people.
"The UK Government must urgently work with international partners to challenge this act and protect human rights."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Christain Aid recently launched a report that highlighted the deep inequalities which divide Palestinians and Israelis across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. It can be found here.
The joint statement reads below.
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On 19 October 2021, the Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz declared six Palestinian civil society groups as ‘terrorist organisations’. The six include some of the most well-established Palestinian human rights organisations working in the occupied Palestinian territory including Addameer, which provides legal services to Palestinian detainees and prisoners held within Israel’s military detention system; Al-Haq, a human rights organisation that has been internationally recognised for its work – including receiving the 2018 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic; and Defence for Children International – Palestine, a child rights organisation that protects and promotes the rights of Palestinian children living in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
These organisations have long and well-established partnerships between international humanitarian and human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, Oxfam, War on Want and Save the Children. The risk of operations ending for some of those organisations, is an attack on human rights and will leave Palestinian children and others unable to access adequate and essential services. The organisations targeted fulfil crucial roles in civil society, such as:
- Providing health care to the most vulnerable communities and sections of Palestinian society;
- Organising legal support to people arrested and detained in the occupied Palestinian territory, including children;
- Conducting crucial research and local programming to promote gender justice, right to health, and other broader civil society and human rights issues;
- Monitoring, collecting evidence of, and reporting human rights violations committed by Israeli and Palestinian authorities in the occupied Palestinian territory.
We are concerned about the impact this decision will have on children and Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territory. The UK Government has committed to supporting human rights defenders around the world, and has called for the government of Israel to “fully respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of human rights defenders and organisations and to allow them to freely operate in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories”. Alongside other governments, it must now take urgent practical steps to reiterate its public support to Palestinian human rights defenders and humanitarian and development organisations.
Signatories:
ABCD Bethlehem
Amos Trust
Amnesty International UK
CAABU (Council for Arab-British Understanding)
Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)
Christian Aid
Embrace the Middle East
Friends of Nablus and Surrounding Areas (FONSA)
Interpal Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR)
Medical Aid for Palestinians
Oxfam GB
Quakers in Britain
Sabeel-Kairos UK
Save the Children UK
War on Want
