Israeli Violence Against Local Palestinian Organizations Sparks Broad Solidarity and Global Reactions

"Israel" escalated the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories in August 2022 through moves and measures that angered the Palestinians, those in solidarity with their cause, and even those who stood on the sidelines expressed concern about these arrogant Israeli practices.

A day after stopping its war on Gaza, which claimed the lives of 49 Palestinians, within three days, the Occupation launched a military campaign in the occupied West Bank, specifically Nablus, killing a number of young people and arresting dozens of others in addition to encouraging extremist religious settlers to invade Al-Aqsa Mosque.

At the same time, the Israeli government tightened the screws on humanitarian organizations that help Palestinian civilians. On August 18, 2022, the Israeli Ministry of Defense closed the headquarters of seven Palestinian human rights NGOs.

The Israeli closure sparked renewed global criticism, especially since the government of "Israel" had classified, in October 2021, six Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorists, accusing them of being an arm of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which these organizations denied altogether.

Activists and prominent figures, who participated in a wide campaign of solidarity with Palestinian organizations that have been subjected to harsh Israeli practices through their participation in the hashtag #StandWithThe6, expressed serious concerns that the Israeli move aims to obstruct the work of these organizations because it poses a challenge to international donors who provide the main form of support for the work of these organizations.

 

Broad Solidarity

On August 18, 2022, the Israeli Occupation forces closed seven Palestinian organizations working in the field of civil society after storming their headquarters in the West Bank and closing them after looting their contents, which was condemned by several Western countries, the United Nations, human rights organizations, prominent figures and activists from around the world.

The seven Palestinian organizations are: (Al-Haq, Addameer Foundation, the Defense for Children International - Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Health Work Committees, the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees, and the Bisan Center for Research and Development).

It is noteworthy that the seven Palestinian organizations have their offices within Area A, which is completely under Palestinian security control, as classified by the Oslo 2 Agreement, signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and "Israel" in 1995, which indicates that Tel Aviv does not care about international conventions, nor settlement agreements, nor the Palestinian Authority, which deliberately neglects, humiliates and weakens it in front of its people.

In addition, these organizations had brought charges of war crimes before the International Criminal Court against senior military and civilian officials in the Israeli Occupation, which seems to be what most disturbed the Israeli authorities.

However, global reactions largely criticized the Israeli decision, considering it an attempt to further silence the Palestinians and provide a cover-up for Israeli human rights violations in the Palestinian territories.

In the same context, Dimiter Tzantchev, Ambassador of the EU to "Israel," tweeted that the EU will continue to work with these Palestinian organizations, pointing out that there is no real evidence of the Israeli accusation.

The same was confirmed by the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth, in a tweet on his account by sharing the statement of the EEAS, pointing out that allegations of misuse of EU funds by these Palestinian organizations have not been substantiated.

 

 

In a strong reaction, more than 47 Israeli/Jewish organizations, including B'Tselem, Peace Now, and J Street, announced their solidarity with Palestinian civil society organizations in the face of the brutal measures of the Israeli regime, noting that documentation, advocacy, and legal aid are at the heart of human rights work around the world.

 

 

While the Israeli human rights defender Michael Sfard indicated that the international community, and the EU in particular, have the ability to stop these Israeli practices against Palestinian human rights organizations, warning of the risk of leaving Palestine without human rights movements for several months.

 

 

On her part, Italian human rights defender Francesca Albanese stressed in a tweet that Israel's hubris knows no bounds, noting that the Israeli measures aim to eliminate what remains of civil life under Israeli rule.

 

 

In turn, American journalist Ayman Mohyeldin stressed, during his presentation of a news bulletin on MSNBC, that the Israeli raids against Palestinian human rights organizations show how the occupation of Palestinian lands is not just bombing and death, but rather it seeks to undermine the work of everyone who documents daily violations against Palestinians.

 

 

On her part, Lara Friedman, President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, explained the reasons why "Israel" attacks Palestinian human rights defenders, pointing out that "it is about isolating and erasing the Palestinians from public awareness, delegitimizing the Palestinians—as a people and a cause—and monopolizing the public narrative, and preventing the world from knowing what Israel is doing against the Palestinians."

She added in a tweet on her account that "Israel also aims to prevent any efforts to demand accountability and ensure her permanent immunity from punishment," noting that "all this is at the expense of the basic rights of millions of Palestinians whose crime is their existence as Palestinians and their demand for their rights as human beings."

 

 

 

American Position

Commenting on the latest Israeli violation, the US State Department indicated in a statement on August 18, 2022, that "Israel" promised to provide it with clarifications regarding closing the offices of Palestinian NGOs in the West Bank.

The American position sparked outrage from a number of members of Congress and human rights activists, stressing that the US has always considered that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the presence of a strong civil society are very important, but it has recently begun to identify itself to avoid condemning Israeli practices.

US Congressman Rashida Tlaib urged the administration of US President Joe Biden to hold "Israel" accountable after it closed the offices of Palestinian human rights organizations in the occupied West Bank.

Tlaib indicated that these actions directly result from the Biden administration's complete failure to defend Palestinian human rights against racism and ethnic cleansing.

 

 

US Representative Ayanna Pressley, Democrat from Massachusetts, joined Tlaib in condemning the raids and criminalization of Palestinian human rights organizations.

 

 

In turn, Chuy Garcia, a Congressman from Chicago, condemned the recent Israeli military attacks on Palestinian civil society organizations, calling on the US to condemn these violent Israeli efforts to undermine the work of these organizations.

 

 

On her part, Congresswoman Cori Bush described the recent Israeli attack on Palestinian human rights groups as horrifying and part of a prolonged attempt to silence organizations that document Israeli violence against Palestinians.

 

 

In turn, Jim McGovern, a member of the US House of Representatives, said: "I'm deeply disturbed by Israeli authorities' pre-dawn raid & shut down of 7 Palestinian NGOs. This Israeli persecution of human rights organizations in the West Bank must be condemned."

 

 

Omar Shakir, Director of Human Rights Watch in "Israel" and Palestine, also criticized, in a tweet on his account, the US green light for very serious Israeli government violations in some cases, calling on Washington to call on Tel Aviv to reverse these practices and allow these organizations to continue their work.

 

 

In turn, human rights activist Adam Shapiro stressed in a tweet that "Israel is not worried about the criticism of members of Congress, which prompted it to escalate its attacks on human rights defenders," calling on the US administration to stop the repression of Palestinian civil society by the Israeli Occupation.

 

 

While Sarit Michaeli of the Israeli organization B'Tselem said, "All that Israel has to do to prevent Washington from criticizing its dictatorial move on Palestinian civil society is to promise it additional information."

 

 

Sari Bashi, Program Director at Human Rights Watch, explained that "the US and EU are giving the Israeli government concessions, funding and arms based on the so-called shared values of democracy and freedom," calling on them to crack down on Israel's military campaign against peaceful human rights defenders.