Israel has designated six Palestinian organizations as terrorist organizations. This will allow Israel to search their offices, confiscate assets, arrest employees and prohibit statements of support for the groups, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said.
According to Israel, the organizations have ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a movement that is on the terror list in many Western countries. The groups are in fact under the control of PFLP leaders, according to Israel.
The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are said to fund terrorism and have received “large sums of money” from European countries and international organizations, according to Israel.
Subsidy
Among the organizations put on the terrorism list by Israel are Addameer, Defense for Children International-Palestine and Al-Haq. The latter group received a subsidy from the Netherlands in the past.
The UAWC (Union of Agricultural Work Committees) is also on the list. The Netherlands temporarily stopped last summer with granting of subsidy to this organization, because it employed two terror suspects. It is not clear whether the UAWC will receive a subsidy again.
Conviction
The organizations deny Israel’s accusations, seeing it as “an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian civil movement.” The UN human rights organization in the Palestinian territories says it is “alarmed” by the announcement.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned the move. “This terrible and incorrect decision is an attack by the Israeli government on the international human rights movement,” said both organizations.
The director of Al-Haq speaks of a dangerous development, Palestinian media report. He says it is Israel’s tactic to shut down the organizations and dry up their financial resources.
The United States says it was not notified in advance by Israel. Secretary of State Price says the US will engage “its Israeli partners” for more information.
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