Parliamentary question - E-004982/2021Parliamentary question
E-004982/2021
European Parliament

Israel’s decision to designate six Palestinian human rights NGOs as terrorist organisations

4.11.2021

Answer in writing

Question for written answer  E-004982/2021
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 138
Giuliano Pisapia (S&D), Alex Agius Saliba (S&D), François Alfonsi (Verts/ALE), Maria Arena (S&D), Margrete Auken (Verts/ALE), Robert Biedroń (S&D), Izaskun Bilbao Barandica (Renew), Milan Brglez (S&D), Fabio Massimo Castaldo (NI), Ciarán Cuffe (Verts/ALE), Rosa D'Amato (Verts/ALE), Clare Daly (The Left), Tanja Fajon (S&D), Dino Giarrusso (NI), Francisco Guerreiro (Verts/ALE), Evin Incir (S&D), Aurore Lalucq (S&D), César Luena (S&D), Billy Kelleher (Renew), Chris MacManus (The Left), Martina Michels (The Left), Alessandra Moretti (S&D), Javier Nart (Renew), Grace O'Sullivan (Verts/ALE), Sabrina Pignedoli (NI), Manu Pineda (The Left), Sira Rego (The Left), Nacho Sánchez Amor (S&D), Alfred Sant (S&D), Isabel Santos (S&D), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Ivan Vilibor Sinčić (NI), Jordi Solé (Verts/ALE), Patrizia Toia (S&D), Hilde Vautmans (Renew), Idoia Villanueva Ruiz (The Left)

On 22 October, the Israeli Defence Ministry issued a military order accusing six Palestinian NGOs (Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al-Haq, Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees) of being affiliates of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, thus designating them as ‘terrorist organisations’.

The decision was made using the controversial 2016 anti-Palestinian terror legislation, which authorises Israeli security forces to close these organisations’ offices, seize their assets, and arrest their staff members. Funding or even publicly expressing support for their activities is also prohibited.

Even if the Israeli Government has yet to provide evidence to support its claims, this decision will effectively outlaw the activities of these organisations, which are known internationally for their strenuous defence of the human rights of Palestinians and have through the years provided both the EU and UN with documentation on human rights violations and abuses committed by Israel.

The decision has already been condemned by the OHCHR[1] and other UN representatives[2][3], as well as by well-known international human rights organisations[4], which consider it an attempt to criminalise and delegitimise human rights work.

Last updated: 15 November 2021
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