‘Israel’ disputes US claim it wasn’t told of plan to label Palestinian NGOs as terror groups
An Israeli defense official on Saturday disputed American claims that the United States was not informed of Israel’s decision to label six Palestinian rights NGOs as terror groups, insisting Washington had been told in advance.
“Officials in the American administration were updated in advance of the intention to make this declaration and they received intelligence information about the matter,” the defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official remarks came in response to comments from US State Department spokesman Ned Price, who the day before said Washington planned to ask ‘Israel’ for more information about this decision.
“We believe respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and a strong civil society are critically important for responsible and responsive governance,” said Price during a telephone briefing with reporters on Friday.
He added that the US will “be engaging our Israeli partners for more information regarding the basis for these designations.”
Price also noted that the “Israeli government did not give us advance warning” that the organizations would be named.
On Friday, the Israeli occupation government declared six leading Palestinian NGOs to be affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP): Addameer, Al Haq, Bisan Center, DCI-P, Samidoun and UAWC.
Under Israeli law, membership in terror organizations is punishable by five to seven years in jail, while aiding them is punishable by five years, and praising or promoting them can result in a three-year-long jail sentence.
The Israeli law also permits authorities to confiscate any “terror organization’s” assets and limit its use of space.
The occupation state has targeted civil society dissenters for decades. In the early 2000s however, a series of right-wing organizations, funders and politicians sought to support the Israeli government’s brutal repression of Palestinians by accelerating the attack on civil society dissenters as Israel’s abuses mounted.
In the mid to late aughts, several Israeli human rights organizations came under organized attack, including groups like B’tselem, Yesh Din.
In 2019, Israeli authorities expelled Human Rights Watch’s director in Palestine, Omar Shakir, who is an American citizen after revoking his work visa, accusing him of supporting the BDS movement.
Israel’s decision on Friday sparked a swift backlash around the globe, with the EU, US Jewish NGOs, progressive Democrats, and international human rights organizations expressing criticism.
