Israel has banned six leading Palestinian civil society organisations by designating them as ‘terrorist organisations’; effectively criminalising their human rights work and putting staff at grave risk of arrest and detention. This is an unprecedented escalation of Israel’s systematic, targeted suppression of Palestinian civil society.
UN human rights experts, international and UK-based civil society groups – including War on Want – have condemned Israel’s decision, and are calling for the designations to be revoked. The Palestinian civil society organisations targeted include our partner organisation Addameer, along with Al-Haq, Bisan Centre for Research and Development, Defense for Children International – Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, and the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees.
All of these organisations work tirelessly to document and monitor human rights abuses, provide legal and social services to the Palestinian people, and bring Israel’s occupation and apartheid regime to an end. They have been targeted because of their vital human rights work.
Israel’s attacks on Palestinian human rights defenders aim to crush dissent to Israel’s military occupation and apartheid regime, evade accountability for Israel’s abuses of international law, and disrupt international support for the Palestinian people.
The international community, including the UK government, must act. Email your MP to demand that Israel revokes these designations. Show your solidarity with Palestinians in the face of this latest brazen attack.
