DAWN's 2024 Annual Report

We are pleased to share this message from Executive Director Sarah Leah Whitson introducing DAWN's Annual Report for 2024.

The past year has been a trying one for the Middle East, with Israel's catastrophic war in Gaza that has spread as far as Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, aided and abetted by the United States, causing unprecedented suffering and harm to the Palestinian people. DAWN has sought to meet this challenge, tirelessly, fearlessly and aggressively confronting the abusers and challenging disastrous U.S. policies that have contributed to the gravest crimes known to man: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. 

Our team helped shape U.S. civil society responses to the war, accurately predicting the catastrophic horrors it would produce, demanding a ceasefire on October 9, one day after Israel commenced its war in response to the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, and warning U.S. officials that support for the war could make them individually liable for international prosecution. In December 2023, we challenged the impunity of Israeli abusers, submitting the first-ever dossiers on 40 Israeli officers involved in the Gaza war to the International Criminal Court. We were the first organization to conclude, based on the investigations of a broad panel of experts, that Israel's conduct in Gaza amounted to genocide, ahead of determinations by the International Court of Justice and leading global human rights organizations. 

We have also sought accountability in U.S. courts and institutions. We filed a historic lawsuit against the State Department on behalf of Palestinian plaintiffs for failing to enforce U.S. laws prohibiting aid to abusive security forces in the case of Israel. We helped persuade the Biden administration to impose financial sanctions on five violent Israeli settlers and settlement organizations based on detailed evidence about how they have terrorized Palestinians in the West Bank. We have prioritized our public advocacy for Palestinian rights as an expression of our own resistance to increasing attacks against civil society in the U.S. designed to silence criticism of Israel. 

Throughout the year, DAWN also continued to fight against the increasingly nefarious influence of Middle East regimes in the United States, exposing their role in corruption, bribery, repression, and abuse in our country. We exposed the Egyptian government officials who bribed now-convicted Senator Menendez to hide their atrocious human rights record, lobbied for Senate investigations into the national security risks of expanded Saudi investments in the U.S. economy, and challenged Israel Bonds for illegally acting as a foreign agent to solicit U.S. taxpayer money for Israel's abusive security forces. Those were just a few examples of our campaigns throughout the year. We exposed transnational repression by Middle East regimes against people in the U.S., highlighting in particular their efforts to sanction free speech in the U.S.. Throughout our efforts, we sought to highlight and center the voices of activists and experts from the region in our publication, Democracy in Exile, to provide a sophisticated and meaningful understanding of the impact of U.S. policies.

With the election of Donald Trump, and in particular his startling plans to invade foreign states, including Palestine, the United States and the international community are entering into uncharted territory. We are cognizant of the unprecedented risks and challenges that lay ahead; we remain resolutely committed to serving as a bulwark to fight for human rights and aggressively pursue justice and accountability against even the most powerful actors. We are fortified by the support of our remarkable community and stand ready to confront all  obstacles to democracy and freedom, at home and in the Middle East region. We are especially grateful to our steadfast donors, whose generosity makes our crucial work possible.

DAWN is poised to expand its impact in the year ahead. As we face mounting challenges, we will continue to fearlessly confront impunity, push for accountability, and amplify the voices of those fighting for justice. Together, we will shape a future where human rights and democracy prevail.