On October 28, 2021 Rep. Betty McCollum introduced H.Res 751 in the House of Representatives opposing the designation of six Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist” organizations. On October 19, Benny Gantz, the Israeli Defense Minister, signed an executive order designating 6 prominent Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist” organizations. The named organizations include: Addameer, al-Haq, Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees. The executive order did not provide any public evidence to substantiate these claims. Rep. McCollum was joined by Reps. Andre Carson (IN), Marie Newman (IL), Ilhan Omar (MN), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Ayanna Pressley (MA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Cori Bush (MO), and Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (IL).

Many of these human rights organizations work closely with the international community to develop Palestinian civil society, document human rights violations, and defend Palestinians in Israeli courts. For many years several of these organizations, along with others working to document human rights violations against Palestinians, have contended with the Israeli military raiding their offices, contributing to the shrinking of civil society spaces in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). The labeling of these organizations as “terrorist” undermines the credibility of these groups within the international community and is a direct assault on the basic human rights of Palestinians.

Since the announcement last week, many prominent leaders, including Israeli human rights advocates and journalists, U.N. officials, and now Members of Congress, have spoken out in strong opposition. We need your voice, too! Make sure your House members knows you support Rep. McCollum’s Resolution and would like for them to co-sponsor it now.

 

Additional Background:

CMEP Statement

Joint Statement by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch

Joint Statement by Israeli Human Rights Groups

Statement by United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights

Letter from 15 Church Based Organizations to Secretary Blinken 

Rep. McCollum Press Release