Resisting Israel’s ‘Terrorist’ Designation of Palestinian Human Rights Orgs

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Israel is escalating efforts to isolate Palestinian civil society groups as it comes under increasing international scrutiny and condemnation for its continued illegal settlement expansion, expropriation of Palestinian land and property, and massive human rights and humanitarian law violations in the West Bank and Gaza and against Palestinian citizens of Israel.  

On October 19, Israel declared six prominent Palestinian human rights groups as "terrorist institutions," subjecting them to harsh sanctions under a draconian Israeli law.

The declaration targeted Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al-Haq, the 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.

Israel’s continued expansion of the so-called “terrorist” designation is based on unfounded accusations and racist propaganda, and is another escalation of Israel's efforts to cut Palestinians off from the international community. These organizations are being targeted because they are doing critical work to expose Israel’s constant violations of Palestinian rights.

This move is in line with Israel and its allies’ primary strategy: to criminalize and undermine any resistance to its continued violent colonial expansion by targeting outspoken groups and individuals around the world through smear and harassment campaigns, and through lawfare.

Baseless terrorism accusations are a scare tactic that cause enormous harm to Palestinians and their allies, and rely on guilt by association in the most attenuated forms. 

In the U.S., these kinds of accusations have led to FBI visits to activists, groups being kicked off of fundraising sites because of threats from Zionist organizations, and severe online harassment from a network of groups surveilling social media platforms.

We stand in full solidarity with the organizations that Israel is targeting, and call on governments and civil society internationally to do the same. It is Israel that needs to be isolated and held accountable in order to put an end to this hostile apartheid regime that our tax dollars enable.

TAKE ACTION: A number of movement organizations have launched campaigns to resist the criminalization of these organizations: