Israeli Raids on Palestinian Civil Society Organizations: The Costs of International Inaction

Resource

On August 25, 2022, the Foundation for Middle East, the Middle East Institute, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, DAWN, the International Crisis Group, Century International and U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP) co-convened a webinar to examine how  Israel’s measures to terminate the work of six prominent Palestinian civil society organizations — including groups engaged in documenting violations of international law and supporting the International Criminal Court investigation of Israeli officials — is harming defense of Palestinian rights. The even also examined what international inaction will mean for both Palestinians and Israelis, and international human rights advocacy efforts more broadly.

Featured speakers

  • Ubai al-Aboudi (Bisan Center for Research and Development)
  • Moayyad Bsharat (Union of Agricultural Work Committees)
  • Sahar Francis (Addameer)
  • Shawan Jabarin (Al Haq – Law in the Service of Man)
  • Tahreer Jaber (Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees)
  • Khaled Quzmar (Defense for Children International)

Expert moderators

  • Khaled Elgindy (Middle East Institute)
  • Lara Friedman (Foundation for Middle East Peace)
  • Zaha Hassan (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
  • Raed Jarrar (DAWN)

Background

In the early morning hours of August 18, 2022 , the Israeli military raided the offices of six prominent Palestinian civil society organizations, destroying property, seizing files and office equipment, and welding the entrances to the offices shut. Since then, the Israeli Security Agency, the Shin Bet, has interrogated or called in for questioning representatives of the organizations who have refused to abide the closure of their offices.

These actions by Israel represents an escalation of its ongoing targeting of these 6 organizations, which kicked off back in October 2021 Israel’s designation of the 6 groups as “terrorist” organizations (under Israeli domestic anti-terror) and as “unlawful associations” (according to an Israeli military order)..

Since then, European donor countries have stated that Israel has failed to substantiate the terrorism charges. The CIA, after reviewing evidence provided by Israel, reportedly came to the same conclusion. Yet the U.S. administration has neither rejected or challenged Israel’s actions, and worse still, has taken some actions that appear to acquiesce to them.

For further background on the 6 organizations and this assault on them by Israel, see the webinar convened October 29, 2021 (immediately following the original designations): On Israel’s Declaration of Palestinian Human Rights Groups as “Terrorist Organizations”