EU states dismiss Israeli 'terrorist' designation for Palestinian NGOs
3 Min Read
Nine European countries refuse to stop financing designated Palestinian NGOs, with many officials revealing their skepticism towards the Israeli allegations.
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Activists gather at Al-Haq Foundation in Ramallah to denounce Israel's decision. (Archive)
Nine states in the European Union stated that they would continue to work with the six Palestinian civil society organizations that “Israel” labeled as "terrorist" last year due to a lack of evidence.
The groups included in the joint statement are prominent advocacy organizations Addameer, which supports Palestinian political prisoners, and Al-Haq, a human rights organization that collaborates with the United Nations.
The Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Bisan Centre for Research and Development, the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees, and Defense for Children International - Palestine are also on the list.
Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden said they had not received "substantial information" from “Israel” to justify changing their policy.
"Should evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly," they said.
"In the absence of such evidence, we will continue our cooperation and strong support for the civil society in the OPT (occupied Palestinian territories).
"A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values and for the two-state solution,” they added.
A look back
In October 2021, Israeli Security Minister Benny Gantz designated six Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist organizations.
At the time, the move has been widely condemned by human rights activists.
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Both the United Nations and human rights organizations denounced the declaration.
In April, UN human rights experts called on the international community to re-fund Palestinian civil society organizations.
In an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen English, Lobby and Advocacy Director at the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) Moayyad Bsharat commented on "Israel's" decision to designate UAWC among five other Palestinian organizations as "terrorist", saying, "as a Palestinian agricultural institution, we have been subjected to persecution and incitement campaigns by Israeli organizations for more than ten years.
"The occupation and its settlers have a racist colonial project in the region, which is not restricted to plundering, confiscating, and occupying the land, but extends to uprooting the Palestinians entirely from it."
"For us, the Israeli occupation's decision is an intense expression of the size and importance of the work we are doing, and this is a renewed affirmation that we will pursue our mission and will not leave the Palestinian farmers who are facing the occupation on their own," Bsharat concluded.
Read more: Israeli Claims Against Palestinian NGOs Are Unsubstantiated
