Montreal, August 23, 2022 — CJPME joins over 190 organizations in demanding the international community to stand against Israel's militarized raids and forced closures of 7 Palestinian organizations. Read the joint statement below.

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