Palestinian Rights Committee’s Bureau Expresses Deep Concern at Israel’s Designation of Civil Society Bodies as ‘Terrorist Organizations’
The Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People expresses its deep concern at Israel’s decision of 22 October to designate as “terrorist organizations” six Palestinian human rights and humanitarian civil society organizations: Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association; Al Haq; Defense for Children International – Palestine; Union of Agricultural Work Committees; Bisan Center for Research and Development; and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees.
Some of the organizations are long-standing, reputable and reliable partners of the Committee and of the United Nations, in advocating for the protection and promotion of the human rights of Palestinian men, women and children, assisting prisoners and upholding the rule of law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in the face of violations perpetrated for decades by Israel, the occupying Power.
The work of those organizations, and that of many other Palestinian and Israeli civil society organizations, is essential to advancing human rights and respect for international law in collective efforts to achieve a just solution to the Palestine question and lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace and security. For that reason, the Bureau calls upon Israel to respect the rights to freedom of association and expression, and to swiftly reverse its arbitrary designation of those groups as “terrorist organizations”.
The Committee is determined to continue its regular engagement with civil society partners in the implementation of its mandate towards ending the occupation of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, advancing the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including to self-determination, and realizing a two-State solution along the 1967 lines, based on international law, the relevant United Nations resolutions and past agreements.
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