Help promote human rights in the Middle East and North Africa

Donate Today
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube Envelope
Search
Close this search box.
  • English
  • العربية
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
    • FAQs
    • Support Dawn
    • Work With Us
    • For the Media
  • Founder Jamal Khashoggi
    • Who Was Jamal Khashoggi?
    • Chronology of a Murder
    • UN Recommendations
    • International Reaction
    • In His Own Words
    • DAWN and Jamal
  • Countries
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Egypt
    • UAE
    • Israel-Palestine
    • DAWN's Culprits Gallery
  • Democracy In Exile
    • About
    • Submission Guidelines for Democracy in Exile
  • Advocacy
    • DAWN's Advocacy
    • The Lobbyist Hall of Shame
    • DAWN's Culprits Gallery
    • Reforming Foreign Policy
      • Aid Conditionality
      • Human Rights Go to War
      • China
      • Yemen: Toward Sustainable Peace and Democracy
    • US Foreign Policy in MENA
    • Joint Advocacy
  • Experts
  • Latest
Menu
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
    • FAQs
    • Support Dawn
    • Work With Us
    • For the Media
  • Founder Jamal Khashoggi
    • Who Was Jamal Khashoggi?
    • Chronology of a Murder
    • UN Recommendations
    • International Reaction
    • In His Own Words
    • DAWN and Jamal
  • Countries
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Egypt
    • UAE
    • Israel-Palestine
    • DAWN's Culprits Gallery
  • Democracy In Exile
    • About
    • Submission Guidelines for Democracy in Exile
  • Advocacy
    • DAWN's Advocacy
    • The Lobbyist Hall of Shame
    • DAWN's Culprits Gallery
    • Reforming Foreign Policy
      • Aid Conditionality
      • Human Rights Go to War
      • China
      • Yemen: Toward Sustainable Peace and Democracy
    • US Foreign Policy in MENA
    • Joint Advocacy
  • Experts
  • Latest
Donate

U.S.: Reject Israeli "Terrorist" Designation of Palestinian Rights Groups

April 26, 2022
in Palestine, Press Release Israel-Palestine, Press Releases
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Designation is part orchestrated Israeli campaign to eviscerate Palestinian civil society

(Ramallah, Palestine, April 26, 2022) — Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) renewed its call on the United States to reject Israel's arbitrary designation of six Palestinian human rights organizations as "terrorist," following a meeting with the leaders of some of the six groups in Ramallah. In the meetings, the groups described Israel's ongoing persecution, illegal surveilance, and criminalization of Palestinian human rights activists and civil society.

DAWN also urged U.S. officials to meet with the six designated groups to learn more about these targeted Israeli attacks against Palestinian civil society.

"Six months since Israel's politicized designation of leading civil society groups as 'terrorist', Israel has not offered a shred of evidence to support its deliberate slander of these groups, and not one goverment in the world has supported Israel's findings," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of DAWN. "The Biden Administration's silence in this matter is not enough; it should categorically reject Israel's shameful designation of these brave and essential Palestinian human rights organizations and meet with the groups directly."

According to numerous reports, Israel has not provided any credible evidence of terrorist affiliations or terrorist activity relating to the six Palestinian groups, and its dossiers on the designations have not convinced any of the foreign governments it has briefed.

DAWN staff with leaders of Palestinian human rights organizations in Ramallah, March 30, 2022. (Left-to-right) DAWN Director of Research for Israel-Palestine Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Addameer General Director Sahar Francis, DAWN Executive Director Sarah Leah Whitson, Al Haq General Director Shawan Jabarin.

"The international community should refuse to allow Israel to abuse anti-terrorism legislation to stifle opposition to its apartheid regime," said Director of Research for Israel-Palestine, Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man. "Wringing our hands about the destruction of civil society around the world means nothing if our elected officials stand by and do nothing to support targeted groups."

Days before Israel announced its designations, Frontline Defenders revealed that members of the Palestinian organizations' smart phones had been infected by Pegasus spyware technology manufactured by NSO Group, an Israeli company. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently blacklisted NSO Group, adding the company to its Entity List, based on evidence that its spyware has "enabled foreign governments to conduct transnational repression, which is the practice of authoritarian governments targeting dissidents, journalists and activists outside of their sovereign borders to silence dissent," and concluding that "[s]uch practices threaten the rules-based international order." 

Israel's designation of these groups also came after many of them made submissions to the International Criminal Court regarding alleged Israeli crimes.

DAWN met with the leadership of Al Haq, Addameer, Al Bisan, and Defense for Children International-Palestine, and will continue to actively support the six designated groups and help to ensure their work continues.

DAWN also met with civil society groups, journalists, and think tanks in Israel and Palestine. During these meetings, DAWN sought input from local organizations regarding the accountability and pro-democracy work within its Israel-Palestine program. 

The program, launched in January 2022, aims to reform U.S. foreign policy that enables Israeli abuses through U.S. military aid and political support. The program also aims to expose Israeli culprits and American lobbyists who contribute to and enable Israeli abuses, and, together with local organizations and civil society leaders, formulate a new blueprint for democracy, equality, justice, and freedom for all peoples living under Israeli sovereignty and control.

DAWN also met with U.S. diplomats in Tel Aviv to discuss Israel's human rights record, U.S. human rights reporting and Leahy Law vetting processes, and rolling back Trump-era policies that have emboldened Israeli violations of international law.

Shawan Jabarin, director of the al-Haq human rights group, speaks as Israeli left wing and Palestinian activists gather at the group's office in the West Bank city of Ramallah to denounce Israel's decision to declare six Palestinian human rights groups as "terror organisations", on October 27, 2021. - Israel designated six leading Palestinian civil society groups as outlawed "terrorist organisations" in a move swiftly condemned by the Palestinian Authority and international human rights groups.

Photo by ABBAS MOMANI/AFP via Getty Image

Tags: IsraelNSO GroupPalestinePalestinian civil societyPalestinian NGOsPegasussurveillanceterrorist designationThe Six
Previous Post

The Egyptian TV Drama Taking Pro-Sisi Propaganda to New Heights

Next Post

Faith, Anti-war, and Progressive Organizations Urge Biden to Suspend Military Assistance to Tunisia

Related Posts

Los Angeles, CA - May 16:  Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park (District 11), speaks during a meeting where the Council deadlocked on a proposal, 7-7, to ask City Planning Director Vince Bertoni to consider rescinding a general plan amendment initiation for the Bulgari Resort Los Angeles, a planned 58-room hotel that would rise in Benedict Canyon, at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, CA, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Developer Gary Safady's proposal will continue in the process, with an environmental impact report being completed.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Advocacy

Los Angeles City Council Votes to Rename Street Outside Saudi Consulate as "Jamal Khashoggi Way"

(Washington, D.C., May 26, 2023) — The Los Angeles City Council has voted to pass Council Resolution 23-0349, a...

DAWN
May 26, 2023
Democracy In Exile

Reckoning With the Nakba That Never Ended

On May 18, DAWN hosted a panel discussion online on the denial of the history of the Nakba and...

Frederick Deknatel
May 25, 2023
NABLUS, WEST BANK, PALESTINE - 2023/04/11: An Israeli soldier aims his rifle from behind a wall during a military operation after the Israeli army forces killed Palestinian gunmen, near Elon Moreh, east of Nablus, in the West Bank. Two Palestinian gunmen were shot dead by Israeli soldiers. According to Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, the two gunmen opened fire at the Israeli soldiers near the Jewish settlement of Elon Moreh, which caused the clashes between them and resulted in the death of the two Palestinian gunmen. The gunmen are identified as Mohammed Abu Dhraa and Soud al-Titi. Both their bodies were taken under the custody of the Israeli military. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Democracy In Exile

The Technology of Occupation Has Become One of Israel's Main Exports

The Israel/Palestine conflict has been exported globally. The tools and technologies Israel uses to repress Palestinians are sold to...

Antony Loewenstein
May 23, 2023
Jordan Prince Hamzah bin al Hussein delivers his speech during the plenary session at the Bella Center in Copenhagen on December 17, 2009 on the 11th day of the COP15 UN Climate Change Conference.  AFP PHOTO / ATTILA KISBENEDEK (Photo credit should read ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images)
DAWN

Jordan: Release Prince Hamzah and his Family from Arbitrary Imprisonment

(Washington D.C., May 23, 2023): Jordanian authorities immediately should act to secure the release of Prince Hamzah bin Al...

DAWN
May 23, 2023
Next Post
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - JUNE 03: King Philippe of Belgium (not in picture) receives President of the Republic of Tunisia Kais Saied at the Royal Palace on June 03, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Olivier Matthys/Getty Images)

Faith, Anti-war, and Progressive Organizations Urge Biden to Suspend Military Assistance to Tunisia

Los Angeles, CA - May 16:  Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park (District 11), speaks during a meeting where the Council deadlocked on a proposal, 7-7, to ask City Planning Director Vince Bertoni to consider rescinding a general plan amendment initiation for the Bulgari Resort Los Angeles, a planned 58-room hotel that would rise in Benedict Canyon, at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, CA, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Developer Gary Safady's proposal will continue in the process, with an environmental impact report being completed.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Los Angeles City Council Votes to Rename Street Outside Saudi Consulate as "Jamal Khashoggi Way"

May 26, 2023

Reckoning With the Nakba That Never Ended

May 25, 2023
Attendees walk past the logo of US multinational technology company Microsoft. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP) (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP /AFP via Getty Images)

Microsoft Should Suspend Data Center Plans in Saudi Arabia, Groups Say

May 24, 2023

Categories

  • Advocacy
  • Aid Conditionality
  • Anonymous Interviews
  • Anonymous Interviews Egypt
  • Anonymous Interviews Saudi Arabia
  • Anonymous Interviews UAE
  • Cases
  • Cases Egypt
  • Cases Saudi Arabia
  • Cases UAE
  • China's Uyghur Repression
  • Countries
  • Culprits
  • Culprits Egypt
  • Culprits Israel
  • Culprits Saudi Arabia
  • Culprits UAE
  • DAWN
  • Dawn's Advocacy
  • Democracy In Exile
  • Editor's Pick
  • Egypt
  • Feature
  • Fellows
  • Foreign Policy
  • Human Rights
  • Human Rights Go to War
  • International Actors
  • Israel-Palestine
  • Joint Letters
  • Lobbyists
  • Lobbyists Israel Palestine
  • Palestine
  • Political prisoners
  • Press Release Egypt
  • Press Release Israel-Palestine
  • Press Release Saudi Arabia
  • Press Release UAE
  • Press Releases
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • Uncategorized
  • United Nations
  • US – Egypt
  • US – Saudi Arabia
  • US – UAE
  • USA
  • Yemen Conference

SUPPORT OUR MISSION

Donate Today

About Us

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) is a nonprofit organization that promotes democracy, the rule of law, and human rights for all of the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Support Us

Donate Now

Newsletter

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

© DAWN All rights reserved. | Website Design by KRS Creative.

DONATE TODAY