UN: "Israel's" Classification of Palestinian NGOs As Terrorist "Arbitrary"
The United Nations says "Israel" is putting human rights defenders at risk with their decision to designate several Palestinian NGOs as terrorists based on no evidence.
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UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet speaks during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 9, 2020 (AP)
"Israel's" designation of 6 prominent Palestinian civil society groups as outlawed "terrorist organizations" is an unjustified attack, Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations Commissioner of Human Rights, said Tuesday.
The Israeli occupation had classified last week 6 Palestinian NGOs as "terrorist," attributing their baseless decision to said organizations "financing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine."
Bachelet 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.
"Anti-terrorism legislation" should be applied to legitimate human rights and humanitarian aid activities, she asserted.
"The organizations... face far-reaching consequences as a result of this arbitrary decision, as do the people who fund them and work with them," she said.
The NGOs "Israel" designated terrorist have been delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians harmed by the Israeli occupation and who've had their human rights abused in the occupied territories.
The commissioner argued the decision would have "a chilling effect" on human rights defenders.
"The crucial work they perform for thousands of Palestinians risks being halted or severely restricted," she added.
The Commissioner also argued that claiming rights before the United Nations or other international bodies does not constitute an act of terrorism, citing advocating for women's rights in the occupied Palestinian territories and providing legal aid to detained Palestinians.
She stressed that those actions are not acts of terrorism while pointing to the obvious: The Israeli occupation did not present any evidence to support its allegations against the NGOs, nor did it conduct a public process to establish the accusations.
