Raids on offices: Israel takes action against Palestinian NGOs

Israel has raided several Palestinian NGOs in the West Bank. Last year, Israel classified the NGOs as terrorist organizations. The groups concerned deny this.

Israeli soldiers have raided and shut down the offices of seven Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) classified by Israel as terrorist organizations in the occupied West Bank.

Property was also confiscated during the raids in the city of Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, the Israeli army said.

Israel accuses the organizations of being connected to the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The left-wing, secular movement includes a party and an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks on Israelis. Israel classifies the PLFP as a terrorist organization. The groups affected by the raids deny any such links.

Germany and eight other EU countries said last month that they would continue to work with the organizations concerned as long as the classification as a terrorist organization was not justified by evidence.

The day before, the office of Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz had underlined the action against the NGOs: According to them, they pretend to be humanitarian actions, but wanted to advance the “goals of the PFLP terrorist organization in order to strengthen the organization and recruit agents.”

Shahan Jabarin, director of the Palestinian human rights organization Al Hak, confirmed the raid on Al Hak’s offices and said: “These allegations are not new and Israel has not even managed to convince its friends.”

Most of the NGOs concerned document human rights abuses by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, both of which regularly arrest Palestinian activists. The employees had resumed work, said Dschabarin.

Raid also on church grounds

Al Hak’s leased offices are located on the grounds of the Anglican Church of St. Andrew in Ramallah. The Israeli army broke down the front door of the church complex and the door to the offices early in the morning, confirmed the church’s rector, Fadi Diab.

He condemned the action as a violation of international law and human rights. Houses of worship must be respected, according to Diab. “The Israeli authorities could have asked us to open the door instead of frightening the entire community, including the children living here,” said the church rector.

A total of seven organizations affected

In addition to the material damage, there is psychological damage, he complained. Israel wants to “send the message that there is no safe place – not in the streets and not in the churches.”

In addition to Al-Hak, the Palestinian groups affected include the human rights organization Addameer, the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, the farmers’ organization Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the human rights organization Defense for Children International Palestine and the Bisan Center for Research and Development.