By Umamah Bakharia
26:10:2021

Israel labels six Palestinian NGOs advocating for human rights, primarily reinforced by the international community, as ‘terrorists’, hoping to create a shocking reaction from supporters. 

These six organisations include Al-Haq, a human rights group; the Addameer rights group; Defence for Children International-Palestine; the Bisan Centre for Research and Development; the Union of Palestinian Women’s Union of Agricultural Work Committees. All of which are active participants in the international community. 

Phyllis Bennis, Director of the New Internationalism Project at IPS, focusing on the Middle East, U.S. wars and U.N. issues, talked to Radio Islam on Israel’s decision to label the NGO’s as ‘terrorist’ groups and the U.S. involvement in Israel. 

“This is a significant escalation in the ongoing efforts to undermine all versions of Palestinian resistance to apartheid colonialism and occupation,” says Bennis.

She adds that Israel has deliberately chosen organisations with the most credibility as they are known internationally to discredit Palestinian rights. 

There have been responses from members of the U.S. Congress, U.N. agencies, critical human rights organisations that operate globally etc., stating that the allegations by Israel are “based on extremely vague and unsubstantiated reasons”. 

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet says: 

“Claiming rights before a U.N. or other international body is not an act of terrorism, advocating for the rights of women in the occupied Palestinian territory is not terrorism, and providing legal aid to detained Palestinians is not terrorism.”

Israeli Foreign Ministry official Joshua Zarka said that Israel would send an envoy to Washington, DC, to explain its decision to label six Palestinian non-governmental organisations as “terrorists”.

The envoy will be sent to give United States officials “all the details and present them all the intelligence” during the visit in the upcoming days.

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