Benny Gantz Declares Six Palestinian Human Rights and Civil Society Organizations as Terrorist Group

22 October 2021

Grotius – Center for International Law and Human Rights condemns Israel’s Minister of Defense Benny Gantz’s declaration from 19 October 2021 that six Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations are terrorist organizations. The declaration was made pursuant to the recommendation of the Israeli Security Agency (Shabak), without providing any information to the six organizations. It is a breach of the organizations’ right for association enumerated in article 22 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights.

The declared human rights and civil society organizations are: Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC); Addamir – Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association; Bisan - Center for Research and Development; Al-Haq; Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P); and Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC).

Gantz’s conduct constitutes also a violation of the right for due process (article 15), the right for privacy and dignity (article 17), the right for freedom of thought (article 18), and the right for freedom of expression (article 19).

Operating mainly from the West Bank, the organizations are subject to Israel’s overall control as an occupying power. Israel has exercised its total military control over East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza since 1967. The country’s status under international law has not changed even after signing the 1993 Oslo Accords and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights applies also in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.[1] Israel’s regime has been described as one of Apartheid.[2]

The pretext for the declaration is the Organization’s purported and unspecified links to the Palestinian political group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which Israel considers as a terrorist organization.

The Israeli Security Agency (Shabak) has maintained a reprehensible record of human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories that included political assassinations, torture, illegal recruitment of collaborators, arbitrary administrative and other detentions, and lying in court as well as obstruction of justice. Some of these practices have been documented by Israel’s Supreme Court and Israeli Commissions of Inquiry. However, no sanctions have been taken against this organization as indicated by its former legal adviser.

Executive Director Marwan Dalal stated that “the Israeli measure is not new for Palestinians who have endured this country’s apartheid and arbitrariness for so long. Israel’s conduct should generate opposition in Palestine and abroad.”

Benny Gantz

[1] Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in Occupied Palestinian Territory, Advisory Opinion, 2004 I.C.J. 136, paras.77-78; 108-111 (July 9).

[2] John Dugard, “Ex. U.N. Official John Dugard: ‘Israel’s Crimes are Infinitely Worse than Apartheid in South Africa”, Democracy Now, 6 May 2015; John Dugard, “Why aren’t Europeans calling Israel an apartheid state?”, Al-Jazeera, 17 April 2019; Human Rights Watch, “A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Prosecution”, April 2021.