Law for Palestine, at the initiative of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, participated in a joint statement signed so far by more than 200 Palestinian, Arab and international human rights organizations. The statement condemns the Israel’s raids and closure of seven leading Palestinian organizations and urges the international community to support and protect Palestinian human rights defenders and ensure the continuation of their invaluable work. Below is the text of the joint statement and the list of signatory organizations:

Amid Israel’s escalating attacks targeting their work, a group of more than 200 Palestinian, regional, and international organizations express our full solidarity with the designated seven leading Palestinian civil society organizations, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al-Haq Law in the Service of Man (Al-Haq), Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P), Health Work Committees (HWC), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC).

On the morning of 18 August 2022, the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) raided and sealed the doorways into the offices of the seven Palestinian organizations. The IOF also confiscated documents and equipment and destroyed items in the offices. On the doors of the organizations, military orders were left behind ordering the closure of the offices under Article 319 of the Emergency Regulations of 1945. This development follows the 19 October 2021, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz designation of six leading Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist organizations under Israel’s Anti-Terrorism Law (2016), which was then extended to the West Bank on 3 November 2021 by a military order that outlawed the same organizations.

We urge the international community to unequivocally condemn Israel’s targeting of Palestinian civil society and tactics to further repress of freedom of expression. States must take all necessary action to support and protect Palestinian human rights defenders and ensure the continuation of their invaluable work.

These raids and closures represent the latest escalation in Israel’s widespread campaign aiming to silence and discredit any Palestinian individual or organization that dares to seek accountability for Israel’s grave human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The “persecution of organizations and persons, by depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms, because they oppose apartheid” is a method used by Israel, amounting to acts of apartheid prosecutable under the Rome Statute, to maintain its domination and oppression over the Palestinian people.

The organizations remain at an additional risk of closure of bank accounts, travel bans and movement restrictions, and the arrest and detention of staff members for their work. Israel’s attacks against these organizations pose an existential threat to independent Palestinian human rights organizations and civil society who work to monitor and document violations of human rights and provide basic services to the Palestinian people.

We call upon the international community to demand that Israel immediately revoke its designations of Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as “terrorist organizations,” reverse the military orders designating the organizations and closing their offices and repeal its Anti-Terrorism Law (2016) as it does not meet basic human rights standards.

Moreover, we call on the international community to take effective measures to end all other actions that deny Palestinians their inalienable human rights.

Lastly, we call on the members of the international community to continue their support and increase funding to the organizations and engage with financial institutions to ensure the transfer of funds to the organizations.

Signatories:

1. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
2. 11.11.11
3. Abductees’ Mothers Association
4. Abs Development Organization for Woman& Child
5. Academic Program for Studies of Arab and Muslim Communities in Diaspora
6. ACAT-France
7. Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
8. Advokatfirmaet Roli
9. Africa4Palestine
10. Ahel Organization
11. Ahel Organization
12. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
13. Al Tawasol Forum Society (TFS)
14. Al-ataa Benevolent Association
15. Albanian Human Rights Group
16. Aldameer association for human rights
17. Al-Haq
18. Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society
19. Andalus Institute for Tolerance and anti-Violence Studies
20. Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)
21. Arab Institute for Human Rights
22. Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development
23. Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)
24. ARTICLE 19
25. Artists for Palestine UK
26. Asha Parivar
27. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
28. Asociacion Palestina Biladi
29. Association Belgo-Palestinienne
30. Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine (AURDIP)
31. Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression
32. Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS)
33. Aswat Nissa
34. Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children’
35. Australian Centre for International Justice
36. Basmeh & Zeitooneh for Relief and Development
37. Baytna
38. Bds Maroc
39. BDS Netherlands
40. BDS Vancouver Coast Salish Territories
41. Belgian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BACBI)
42. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
43. Bytes For All, Pakistan
44. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)
45. Center for Constitutional Rights
46. Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR)
47. Center for Strategic Studies to Support Women and Children
48. Centre for Global Education
49. Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales
50. Charity & Security Network
51. Citizen News Service (CNS)
52. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
53. CNCD-11.11.11
54. Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
55. Comhlamh Justice for Palestine
56. Committee for a Just Peace in the Middle East, Luxembourg
57. Committee for Justice
58. Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ)
59. Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ)
60. Conectas Human Rights
61. Cultura è Libertà, una campagna per la Palestina
62. Defence For Children International
63. DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
64. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)
65. Dibeen for Environmental Development
66. Een Andere Joodse Stem / Another Jewish Voice (Belgium)
67. Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
68. Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)
69. Egyptian Human Rights Forum
70. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
71. El Nadim Center For Management & Rehabilitation of victims of violence
72. Endorois Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (EIWEN)
73. Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network
74. ESCR-Net, International Network for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
75. EuroMed Rights
76. European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine – ECCP
77. European Legal Support Center (ELSC)
78. European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine
79. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
80. Financial Justice Ireland
81. Foundation for Middle East Peace (Washington, DC)
82. Foundation for the Conservation of the Earth, FOCONE
83. France Palestine Mental Health Network
84. Front Line Defenders
85. Fundación Mundubat
86. Fundacion Promocion Humana
87. Gaza Action Ireland
88. Global Focus
89. Global NPO Coalition on FATF
90. Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
91. Grassroots International
92. Herbst Law PLLC
93. Het Actiefonds
94. Housing and Land Rights Network; Habibat International Coalition
95. Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”
96. Human Rights for All (HR4A) Saskatchewan
97. Human Rights in China
98. Human Rights Watch
99. Human Security Collective
100. ICAHD-USA
101. International Accountability Project
102. International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
103. International Commission to support Palestinian People’s Rights
104. International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
105. International Service for Human Rights
106. International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
107. Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
108. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
109. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions – UK
110. JAHALIN SOLIDARITY
111. Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste
112. Just Words Limited
113. Justice for Palestinians Calgary
114. Justitia Center for legal protection of human rights in Algeria
115. Kairos Ireland
116. Kenya Human Rights Commission
117. L’aasociation ACDA (Agir pour le changement et la démocratie en Algérie)
118. l’association joussour de citoyenneté
119. Law for Palestine Organisation
120. League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI)
121. Libyan Organization for Legal Aid
122. Local Development and Small Projects Support (LDSPS)
123. Lok Shakti Abhiyan
124. Makan
125. MakeShiftPublishing
126. Manushya Foundation
127. MENA Rights Group
128. Muslim Peace Fellowship
129. Mwatana for human rights
130. National Lawyers Guild
131. Natural Resource Women Platform
132. Nederlands Palestina Komitee
133. New Weapons Research Groups
134. Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine Israel
135. North Bronx Racial Justice
136. Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Norway)
137. Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees
138. NOVACT Institute for Nonviolent Action
139. Oakville Palestinian Rights Association
140. Palestina Solidariteit vzw Belgium
141. Palestine House
142. Palestine Solidarity Alliance
143. Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cape Town
144. Palestine Solidarity Campaign Gauteng
145. Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK
146. Palestine Solidarity Network – Edmonton
147. Palestine Solidarity, St. John’s, NL
148. Palestine Solidary Organisation at Nelson Mandela University
149. Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
150. Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall)
151. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
152. Pan African Palestine Solidarity Network
153. Paz con Dignidad
154. Peace and Building Foundation
155. PeaceWomen Across the Globe
156. PEN International
157. Physicians for Human Rights Israel
158. Platform of French NGOs for Palestine
159. Poetic Justice Foundation
160. Potchefstroom Free Palestine Committee
161. Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED)
162. Project South
163. Refugee Welfare Association Cameroon (REWAC)
164. Riposte Internationale
165. Sadaka-the Ireland Palestine Alliance
166. Sadaqa
167. Sagner Family Foundation
168. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
169. Santa Feans for Justice in Palestine
170. Scottish Friends of Palestine
171. Sexual Rights Initiative
172. Socialist Party (India)
173. SOLIDAR
174. Solsoc
175. South African BDS Coalition
176. South African Jews For a Free Palestine
177. STEILAS
178. Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
179. Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights
180. Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights
181. Teaching Palestine: Pedagogical Praxis and the Indivisibility of Justice
182. The African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies
183. The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)
184. The Association of Norwegian NGOs for Palestine
185. The Canadian BDS Coalition
186. The civic coalition for Palestinian rights in jerusalem
187. The Community Action Center / Al-Quds university
188. The Danish House in Palestine
189. The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
190. The Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church USA
191. The Norwegian Initiative DEFEND INTERNATIONAL LAW
192. The Palestine Committee of Norway
193. The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy
194. The Palestinian Human Rights Organization “PHRO”
195. The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy – MIFTAH
196. The Rights Forum
197. The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
198. Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA (Australia)
199. United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI)
200. Unites States Food Sovereignty Alliance
201. United Methodists for Kairos Response
202. University Network for Human Rights
203. University of KwaZulu-Natal Decoloniality Action Group
204. US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
205. USA Palestine Mental Health Network
206. Visualizing Palestine
207. Viva Salud
208. Vrede vzw
209. West African Human Rights Defenders Network
210. Women in Black Vienna
211. Women Now for Development
212. Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC)
213. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
214. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders