Nine EU states voice concern over Israeli raids of Palestinian NGOs

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.

The Israeli occupation forces said Thursday that they had finished up raiding seven non-governmental organizations in Ramallah overnight, prompting the EU states to voice their "concern" as they continue backing "Tel Aviv" in various means.

"We are deeply concerned by the raids which took place in the morning of 18 August, as part of a worrying reduction of space for civil society", the foreign ministries of the nine countries said.

The organizations in question are renowned for documenting the Israeli occupation’s crimes of apartheid and persecution.

Palestinian WAFA news agency reported Thursday, citing local security officials, that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) 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).

After damaging and stealing their belongings, the occupation forces closed the six human rights institutions and installed iron plates on their gates.

"These actions are not acceptable," Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden saw as sufficient to say.

The Israeli occupation had labeled six of the organization as "terrorist" in October, claiming they had ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The NGOs have all denied the Israeli occupation's claims, and no evidence of the links has been shared by the Israeli occupation since.

 

 

 

 

 

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"A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values and for a two-state solution," the European countries said. 

"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.

Despite underlining the "Tel Aviv" regime'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.

"Should convincing evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly," the foreign ministries noted.

The United States, the main backer of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, seeing as "Tel Aviv" serves as a game-changing ally in the region, too, voiced "concern" over the raids.

Earlier today, the United Nations condemned "Israel's" closure of seven Palestinian organizations, which the entity claimed were sending aid to what it called "terrorist groups", calling the restrictions "totally arbitrary."

The "terrorist" designation itself has been criticized by the United Nations and human rights organizations. It was ratified for three of the organizations on Wednesday, prompting the United Nations to that the designations be lifted.

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).

When Israeli PM Benny Gantz announced on October 22, 2021, that his government was listing six Palestinian NGOs as "terrorist organizations", accusing them of having links with the PFLP, condemnations followed through from all around the world.

Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations Commissioner of Human Rights, said the decision was an attack on human rights defenders, on freedoms of association, opinion and expression, and the right to public participation, calling for the move to be immediately revoked.

In April, UN human rights experts called on the international community to re-fund Palestinian civil society organizations.

Meanwhile, Germany revealed that it is very concerned by the Israeli decision, with the German foreign ministry spokeswoman stressing the "broad political, legal, and financial implications" of the groups' placement on a terror list.

The most intriguing response though must have come from Israeli media, as the Jerusalem Post criticized the decision by writing that the announcement "was done without providing any evidence. Just a statement to the media. No briefing or release of documents was made to prove the charges being leveled against the groups."

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney had expressed concern about the listing of the organizations, noting that similar accusations made previously against Palestinian civil society organizations backed by the EU and Ireland "have not been substantiated."

The Israeli decision is a clear attempt to protect the occupation from criticisms and human rights violations accusations in world bodies akin to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which began investigating Israeli war crimes last March. The ICC's investigation is vehemently opposed by "Israel", given that it might reveal to the public opinion the savagery of its crimes against Palestinians.