Over 200 Organizations Demand International Community Stand Against Raids and Closures of 7 Palestinian Organizations
Amid Israel’s escalating attacks targeting their work, a group of more than 200 Palestinian, regional, and international organizations express our full solidarity with the designated seven leading Palestinian civil society organizations, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al-Haq Law in the Service of Man (Al-Haq), Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P), Health Work Committees (HWC), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC).
On the morning of 18 August 2022, the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) raided and sealed the doorways into the offices of the seven Palestinian organizations. The IOF also confiscated documents and equipment and destroyed items in the offices. On the doors of the organizations, military orders were left behind ordering the closure of the offices under Article 319 of the Emergency Regulations of 1945. This development follows the 19 October 2021, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz designation of six leading Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist organizations under Israel’s Anti-Terrorism Law (2016), which was then extended to the West Bank on 3 November 2021 by a military order that outlawed the same organizations.
We urge the international community to unequivocally condemn Israel’s targeting of Palestinian civil society and tactics to further repress of freedom of expression. States must take all necessary action to support and protect Palestinian human rights defenders and ensure the continuation of their invaluable work.
These raids and closures represent the latest escalation in Israel’s widespread campaign aiming to silence and discredit any Palestinian individual or organization that dares to seek accountability for Israel’s grave human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The “persecution of organizations and persons, by depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms, because they oppose apartheid” is a method used by Israel, amounting to acts of apartheid prosecutable under the Rome Statute, to maintain its domination and oppression over the Palestinian people.
The organizations remain at an additional risk of closure of bank accounts, travel bans and movement restrictions, and the arrest and detention of staff members for their work. Israel’s attacks against these organizations pose an existential threat to independent Palestinian human rights organizations and civil society who work to monitor and document violations of human rights and provide basic services to the Palestinian people.
We call upon the international community to demand that Israel immediately revoke its designations of Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as “terrorist organizations,” reverse the military orders designating the organizations and closing their offices and repeal its Anti-Terrorism Law (2016) as it does not meet basic human rights standards.
Moreover, we call on the international community to take effective measures to end all other actions that deny Palestinians their inalienable human rights.
Lastly, we call on the members of the international community to continue their support and increase funding to the organizations and engage with financial institutions to ensure the transfer of funds to the organizations.
Signatories:
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
11.11.11
Abductees’ Mothers Association
Abs Development Organization for Woman& Child
Academic Program for Studies of Arab and Muslim Communities in Diaspora
ACAT-France
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
Advokatfirmaet Roli
Africa4Palestine
Ahel Organization
Ahel Organization
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
Al Tawasol Forum Society (TFS)
al-Ataa Benevolent Association
Albanian Human Rights Group
Aldameer association for human rights
Al-Haq
Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society
Andalus Institute for Tolerance and anti-Violence Studies
Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)
Arab Institute for Human Rights
Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development
Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)
ARTICLE 19
Artists for Palestine UK
Asha Parivar
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Asociacion Palestina Biladi
Association Belgo-Palestinienne
Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine (AURDIP)
Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression
Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS)
Aswat Nissa
Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children’
Australian Centre for International Justice
Basmeh & Zeitooneh for Relief and Development
Baytna
Bds Maroc
BDS Netherlands
BDS Vancouver Coast Salish Territories
Belgian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BACBI)
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Bytes For All, Pakistan
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR)
Center for Strategic Studies to Support Women and Children
Centre for Global Education
Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales
Charity & Security Network
Citizen News Service (CNS)
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
CNCD-11.11.11
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
Comhlamh Justice for Palestine
Committee for a Just Peace in the Middle East, Luxembourg
Committee for Justice
Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ)
Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ)
Conectas Human Rights
Cultura è Libertà, una campagna per la Palestina
Defence For Children International
DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)
Dibeen for Environmental Development
Een Andere Joodse Stem / Another Jewish Voice (Belgium)
Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)
Egyptian Human Rights Forum
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
El Nadim Center For Management & Rehabilitation of victims of violence
Endorois Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (EIWEN)
Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network
ESCR-Net, International Network for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
EuroMed Rights
European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine – ECCP
European Legal Support Center (ELSC)
European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine
FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Financial Justice Ireland
Foundation for Middle East Peace (Washington, DC)
Foundation for the Conservation of the Earth, FOCONE
France Palestine Mental Health Network
Front Line Defenders
Fundación Mundubat
Fundacion Promocion Humana
Gaza Action Ireland
Global Focus
Global NPO Coalition on FATF
Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
Grassroots International
Herbst Law PLLC
Het Actiefonds
Housing and Land Rights Network; Habibat International Coalition
Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”
Human Rights for All (HR4A) Saskatchewan
Human Rights in China
Human Rights Watch
Human Security Collective
ICAHD-USA
International Accountability Project
International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
International Commission to support Palestinian People’s Rights
International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
International Service for Human Rights
International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions – UK
JAHALIN SOLIDARITY
Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste
Just Words Limited
Justice for Palestinians Calgary
Justitia Center for legal protection of human rights in Algeria
Kairos Ireland
Kenya Human Rights Commission
L’aasociation ACDA (Agir pour le changement et la démocratie en Algérie)
l’association joussour de citoyenneté
Law for Palestine Organisation
League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI)
Libyan Organization for Legal Aid
Local Development and Small Projects Support (LDSPS)
Lok Shakti Abhiyan
Makan
MakeShiftPublishing
Manushya Foundation
MENA Rights Group
Muslim Peace Fellowship
Mwatana for human rights
National Lawyers Guild
Natural Resource Women Platform
Nederlands Palestina Komitee
New Weapons Research Groups
Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine Israel
North Bronx Racial Justice
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Norway)
Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees
NOVACT Institute for Nonviolent Action
Oakville Palestinian Rights Association
Palestina Solidariteit vzw Belgium
Palestine House
Palestine Solidarity Alliance
Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cape Town
Palestine Solidarity Campaign Gauteng
Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK
Palestine Solidarity Network – Edmonton
Palestine Solidarity, St. John’s, NL
Palestine Solidary Organisation at Nelson Mandela University
Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall)
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Pan African Palestine Solidarity Network
Paz con Dignidad
Peace and Building Foundation
PeaceWomen Across the Globe
PEN International
Physicians for Human Rights Israel
Platform of French NGOs for Palestine
Poetic Justice Foundation
Potchefstroom Free Palestine Committee
Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED)
Project South
Refugee Welfare Association Cameroon (REWAC)
Riposte Internationale
Sadaka-the Ireland Palestine Alliance
Sadaqa
Sagner Family Foundation
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Santa Feans for Justice in Palestine
Scottish Friends of Palestine
Sexual Rights Initiative
Socialist Party (India)
SOLIDAR
Solsoc
South African BDS Coalition
South African Jews For a Free Palestine
STEILAS
Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights
Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights
Teaching Palestine: Pedagogical Praxis and the Indivisibility of Justice
The African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)
The Association of Norwegian NGOs for Palestine
The Canadian BDS Coalition
The civic coalition for Palestinian rights in jerusalem
The Community Action Center / Al-Quds university
The Danish House in Palestine
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
The Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church USA
The Norwegian Initiative DEFEND INTERNATIONAL LAW
The Palestine Committee of Norway
The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy
The Palestinian Human Rights Organization “PHRO”
The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy – MIFTAH
The Rights Forum
The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA (Australia)
United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI)
Unites States Food Sovereignty Alliance
United Methodists for Kairos Response
University Network for Human Rights
University of KwaZulu-Natal Decoloniality Action Group
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
USA Palestine Mental Health Network
Visualizing Palestine
Viva Salud
Vrede vzw
West African Human Rights Defenders Network
Women in Black Vienna
Women Now for Development
Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC)
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
Photo: Israeli soldiers raiding Defence for Children International (DCI). Source: DCI|| security camera.
Watch video report of the raid
