Defend Palestinian human rights defenders
Israel has escalated its targeted, systematic attacks on Palestinian civil society, including our partner Addameer.
In the early hours of 18 August 2022, Israeli armed forces raided the offices of Addameer, and six other prominent Palestinian human rights organisations*. Soldiers ransacked offices, confiscated crucial equipment and files, and welded doors shut – leaving military orders declaring the organisations illegal, and ordering their closure.
Israel’s raids are a part of a sustained campaign of persecution against these Palestinian human rights organisations, and Palestinian civil society as a whole.
In October 2021, Israel banned six of the targeted Palestinian human rights organisations by designating them as ‘terrorist organisations’ — in an act condemned by UN human rights experts, international and UK-based civil society groups – including War on Want – and lawmakers around the world.
Israel has not provided any credible evidence for its designations, which have effectively criminalised the Palestinian organisations’ human rights work, and put their staff at grave risk of arrest and detention.
By criminalising Palestinian civil society organisations, Israel is aiming to crush dissent to its military occupation and apartheid regime, evade accountability for its abuses of international law, and disrupt international support for the Palestinian people.
This renewed attack on Palestinian civil society requires an urgent and immediate response. The inaction of governments such as the UK has allowed Israel to escalate its brazen attacks on Palestinian human rights defenders.
Email the UK Foreign Office to demand the UK government takes urgent action to hold Israel to account; and provides the necessary support for Palestinian human rights defenders under attack.
*Addameer, Al-Haq, Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P), Health Work Committees (HWC), Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and Union of Palestinian Women's Committees (UPWC).
