Condemning Israel's Aggression Against Palestinian Human Rights Groups |
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October 25th, 2021
On October 19, 2021, Israel falsely designated 6 eminent Palestinian human rights and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as “terror organizations”, under its ”Anti-Terrorism Law”.
The targeted organizations include:
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)
Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)
Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC)
It’s worth noting that in a statement dated March 3, 2021, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda confirmed that the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) initiated an investigation of Israel’s crimes against Palestinians, within the Court’s jurisdiction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip since June 2014.
The decision to wrongfully designate these Palestinian human rights groups following the ICC’s investigation into Israel’s crimes in the occupied territories is a desperate measure by Israel to discredit the evidences documented by these human rights groups over the past few decades.
16 UN human rights experts released a statement condemning the decision by Israel to designate the abovementioned Palestinian civil society groups as “terrorist” organizations. An excerpt from the statement reads:
“This designation is a frontal attack on the Palestinian human rights movement, and on human rights everywhere.
The misuse of counter-terrorism measures in this way by the government of Israel undermines the security of all.
The freedoms of association and expression must be fully respected in order to enable civil society to perform its indispensable work, and cannot be undermined by the manifestly egregious misuse of counterterrorism and security legislation.”
Anti-terrorism legislation is designed for a specific and restricted purpose, and must not be used to unjustifiably undermine civil liberties or to curtail the legitimate work of human rights organizations.”
Executive Director of Justice For All Canada, Taha Ghayyur, said: “The silencing of human rights defenders by Israel is a typical settler-colonial tactic. As a democratic nation and a founding member of the UN, Canada must defend freedom of association and expression by Palestinian communities, something already severely undermined by the misuse of counterterrorism and security legislation, which further strengthen Israel’s settler-colonial and apartheid regime.”
Global Calls to Action
Immediate Calls to Action by the Canadian government
On October 19, 2021, Israel falsely designated 6 eminent Palestinian human rights and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as “terror organizations”, under its ”Anti-Terrorism Law”.
The targeted organizations include:
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)
Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)
Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC)
It’s worth noting that in a statement dated March 3, 2021, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda confirmed that the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) initiated an investigation of Israel’s crimes against Palestinians, within the Court’s jurisdiction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip since June 2014.
The decision to wrongfully designate these Palestinian human rights groups following the ICC’s investigation into Israel’s crimes in the occupied territories is a desperate measure by Israel to discredit the evidences documented by these human rights groups over the past few decades.
16 UN human rights experts released a statement condemning the decision by Israel to designate the abovementioned Palestinian civil society groups as “terrorist” organizations. An excerpt from the statement reads:
“This designation is a frontal attack on the Palestinian human rights movement, and on human rights everywhere.
The misuse of counter-terrorism measures in this way by the government of Israel undermines the security of all.
The freedoms of association and expression must be fully respected in order to enable civil society to perform its indispensable work, and cannot be undermined by the manifestly egregious misuse of counterterrorism and security legislation.”
Anti-terrorism legislation is designed for a specific and restricted purpose, and must not be used to unjustifiably undermine civil liberties or to curtail the legitimate work of human rights organizations.”
Executive Director of Justice For All Canada, Taha Ghayyur, said: “The silencing of human rights defenders by Israel is a typical settler-colonial tactic. As a democratic nation and a founding member of the UN, Canada must defend freedom of association and expression by Palestinian communities, something already severely undermined by the misuse of counterterrorism and security legislation, which further strengthen Israel’s settler-colonial and apartheid regime.”
Global Calls to Action
- Global democratic countries must unequivocally condemn Israel’s systematic smear campaign against these Palestinian human rights organizations.
- International Human rights organizations must extend solidarity and allyship towards the Palestinian human rights organizations targeted by Israel.
Immediate Calls to Action by the Canadian government
- Canadian government should officially condemn Israel’s wrongful designation of six eminent Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations.
- Canadian government should call on Israel to formally and immediately rescind the wrongful designation of Palestinian human rights organizations.