(Washington, D.C., October 22, 2021) The Israeli government's October 19 designation of several Palestinian civil society organizations as "terrorist institutions" is a deliberate attack on peaceful, non-violent, human rights advocacy by Palestinians designed to undermine Palestinian civil society, said Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) today.
The organizations include al-Haq, Addameer, Defense for Children International – Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees.
"Israel has overreached in this latest attempt to 'shrink the conflict' by labeling Palestinian civil society groups demanding human rights as 'terrorists,' instead exposing its abuse of counter-terrorism laws to crush dissent, just like the worst tyrants in the region," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of DAWN. "The Biden administration has emboldened the Israeli government to launch this callous assault on Palestinian civil society by coddling it with increased military assistance despite its advancing authoritarianism."
