Abbas: Israeli shutting down of NGOs totally unacceptable, rejected
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The President of the Palestinian Authority affirms his refusal to "Israel's" shutting down of seven Palestinian NGOs.
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The President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas
The President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas considered on Saturday that the Israeli occupation's decision to shut down seven Palestinian civil society and human rights organizations in the occupied West Bank is "totally unacceptable and rejected."
In a meeting with representatives of the NGOs in Ramallah, Abbas affirmed that these organizations will continue to expose the Israeli occupation and its crimes against the Palestinian people irrespective of the Israeli shutdown order.
He stressed that "We must all stand together and confront this Israeli policy, which persists on implementing unilateral measures in disregard of all agreements signed between the two sides and in violation of the international law."
The Palestinian leader underlined that "We will not accept the continuation of such a policy. We will protect the rights of our people in light of the international inaction towards the ongoing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian nation, their sanctities, and their land."
Abbas indicated that the Palestinian Authority is reaching out to relevant international institutions "to stop Israeli provocations against Palestinian organizations that operate in accordance with international law and human rights."
"We thank the international condemnation of these [Israeli] attacks, but practical measures are required to stop aggressive Israeli practices," he pointed out.
On their part, the members of the delegation stressed that the Israeli decision will not discourage them from documenting the crimes of the occupation against Palestinians to the whole world.
"Israel" cracks down on Palestinian NGOs in Ramallah, Al-Bireh
The Palestinian WAFA news agency reported Thursday, citing local security officials, that the Israeli occupation forces stormed Ramallah and Al-Bireh, raiding the ADDAMEER (Arabic for conscience) Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Defense for Children International – Palestine, Al-Haq, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees, the Bisan Center for Research and Development as well as the Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC).
The organizations in question are renowned for documenting the Israeli occupation’s crimes of apartheid and persecution.
After damaging and stealing their belongings, the occupation forces closed the seven human rights institutions and installed iron plates on their gates, with the United Nations and several EU countries condemning the Israeli decision.
The Israeli occupation had labeled six of the organizations as "terrorist" in October, claiming they had ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
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9 EU states voice concern over Israeli raids of Palestinian NGOs
In response, nine European Union member states said Friday they were "deeply concerned" by the Israeli occupation government forcibly shutting down several Palestinian NGOs in the occupied West Bank.
"These actions are not acceptable," Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden saw as sufficient to say.
"No substantial information was received from Israel that would justify reviewing our policy towards the six Palestinian NGOs on the basis of the Israeli decision to designate these NGOs as 'terrorist organizations'," the countries acknowledged.
"Should convincing evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly," the foreign ministries noted.
Despite underlining the Israeli occupation's injustice, these European Union states, individually and via the 27-nation bloc, still provide financial and military assistance to the Israeli occupation in various means.
In the same context, the US, the main backer of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, also voiced "concern" over the raids.
BREAKING 🚨 The Israeli occupation forces raided UAWC’s office early this morning 18th of August, as well as the offices of the other #6organizations. They destroyed office equipment, confiscated materials and left a closing order behind. pic.twitter.com/hVaHrRIaKS
— Union of Agricultural Work Committees (@UAWC1986) August 18, 2022
UN slams Israeli move of closing Palestinian NGOs as 'arbitrary'
Similarly, the United Nations condemned "Israel's" closure of seven Palestinian organizations, which the occupation claimed were sending aid to what it called "terrorist groups", calling the restrictions "totally arbitrary".
"Despite offers to do so, Israeli authorities have not presented to the United Nations any credible evidence to justify these declarations," the UN Human Rights Office said in a statement. "As such, the closures appear arbitrary."
The "terrorist" designation itself has been criticized by the United Nations and human rights organizations.
Last month, the same nine EU states said they would continue to work with the six Palestinian civil society organizations due to a lack of evidence of them being "terrorist organizations".
"In the absence of such evidence, we will continue our cooperation and strong support for the civil society in the OPT (occupied Palestinian territories)," the EU states said.
