We call on the international community, particularly the European Union and the United Nations, and democratic forces as well as all supporters of human rights in general and Palestinian rights in particular, to utilize all forms of pressure on the Israeli Government to withdraw this decision immediately, and to continue to support and cooperate with the six organizations targeted and not uphold this unjust decision.

Haifa, Ramallah - 23 October 2021, 7amleh — the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media deplores and strongly condemns the decision of the Israeli Minister of Defense, Benny Gantz, y Friday 22, October 2021,  to classify six long-standing and leading Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as terrorist organizations.

This decision cannot be understood in isolation from the systematic campaigns to shrink the space for Palestinians in general and on civil society organizations, in particular. Such censorship campaigns have increased in recent years, targeting organizations, coalitions, workers/staff in Palestinian civil society organizations and in particular human rights organizations. These campaigns aim to distract organizations from their work to protect and defend Palestinian rights in international forums, and prevent them from documenting and exposing daily human rights violations committed by the Israeli occupying authorities in the occupied Palestinian territory.

This unjust decision includes the following Palestinian organizations: Addameer Organization for Prisoners Support and Human Rights, Global Movement for Defence of Children - Palestine, Al-Haq Foundation, Union of Agricultural Action Committees, Union of Arab Women's Committees, and Besan Center for Research and Development, all of which are registered organizations with the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in accordance with the Law on Civil Organizations and Foundations, and fulfill a prominent role in both regional and international arenas. These organizations work in defending human rights, documenting daily violations and attacks against Palestinians by the Israeli authorities and providing services to impacted communities, in addition to their advocacy efforts locally and internationally, through legal advocacy campaigns to protect Palestinian rights. It is noteworthy that these institutions have provided and continue to provide services to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since the end of the 1970s till today..

It is unacceptable for any party to make decisions based on reports by NGO Monitor, an extremist right-wing group that has systematically and continuously targeted Palestinian civil society organizations and workers, by issuing suspicious reports and organizing smear campaigns against them. Such research and accountability efforts must instead focus on the practices of the occupying authorities, settlers and their organizations that commit systematic war crimes and repeated human rights violations against Palestinians.

We call on the international community, particularly the European Union and the United Nations, and democratic forces as well as all supporters of human rights in general and Palestinian rights in particular, to utilize all forms of pressure on the Israeli Government to withdraw this decision immediately, and to continue to support and cooperate with the six organizations targeted and not uphold this unjust decision.