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Palestine Rights Committee express concern on Israel’s human rights crackdown

Palestinian Rights Committee’s Bureau Expresses Deep Concern at Israel’s Designation of Civil Society Bodies as “Terrorist Organizations” ADC in Washington DC joins in protest

Following is a statement by the Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People:

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 six human rights and humanitarian Palestinian civil society organizations, ie, 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, as “terrorist organizations”.

Among the organizations, some are long-standing, reputable and reliable partners of the Committee, as well as of the United Nations, in advocacy 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 being perpetrated for decades by Israel, the occupying Power.

United Nations bUilding, New York. Photo courtesy Ray Hanania

The work of these organizations, along with many other Palestinian and Israeli civil society organizations, is essential to the advancement of human rights and the respect of international law in our collective efforts to achieve a just solution for the Palestine question and lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace and security. For this reason, the Bureau of the Committee calls for Israel to respect the rights to freedom of association and expression, and to swiftly reverse its decision to arbitrarily designate these groups as “terrorist organizations”.

The Committee is determined to continue its regular engagement with civil society partners in the implementation of its mandate toward 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 to realizing the two-State solution on the 1967 lines, based on international law, the relevant UN resolutions and past agreements.

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Read Ray Hanania’s column on this topic by clicking here.

The following is a statement issued by
the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC):

ADC Demands Action from the State Department on Designation of Palestinian Civil Society Organizations

ADC calls for Secretary Blinken to press the Israeli government for a reversal of these designations

These designations are “part of a pattern and practice by the Israeli government to silence the voices that challenge their apartheid regime”

“The Palestinian people deserve freedom and the right to have organizations that will support and protect them”

Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | October 28, 2021 -Today, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding the Biden Administration to take action regarding the designation of six Palestinian civil society organizations as “terrorist organizations”. The letter highlighted that this action is part of a pattern of actions taken by the Israeli government “to silence the voices that challenge their apartheid regime”. The full letter can be read here.

For context, on October 19, 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense designated six Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist organizations, claiming that they were arms of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They are: Addameer, al-Haq, Defense for Children Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees. Due to a 2016 law, Israel is now allowed to close down the offices, arrest the staff, and seize all assets associated with the organizations. All support provided to, and work by and for these organizations will now be deemed unlawful.

In the US, there has been a record number of Members of Congress sign onto pro-Palestinian legislation, as well as advocate for Palestinian rights on the House and Senate floors. However, the Biden Administration, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, has continuously refused to center the basic human dignity of Palestinians. An Israeli envoy will be coming to Washington DC in the coming days to discuss the designation of these groups with the Biden Administration, in order to gain their support. In its letter, ADC called on Secretary Blinken to use this meeting to press for the designation to be reversed.

ADC categorically opposes this action by the Israeli government, and calls on the Administration to reinforce the importance of Palestinian civil society organizations. The Administration has repeatedly voiced their support for human rights around the world, this support must include the humanity of the Palestinian people.

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rayhanania

Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News

RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.

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