Ameinu is extremely distressed by the recent classification by Israel’s government of six Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist organizations.” This move essentially shuts down these organizations and threatens their staff with arrest. “This seemingly inexplicable decision only serves to weaken Palestinian civil society and further pushes Palestinians away from non-violent resistence to Israel’s occupation,” said Ameinu President Kenneth Bob. “It damages Israel diplomatically and is a real blow to the possibility of a shared future between Israelis and Palestinians,” Bob continued.
Benny Gantz, Israel’s Minister of Defense, claims to have evidence linking the six groups — Al Haq; Addameer; Defense For Children International-Palestine; Bisan; the Union of Agricultural Work Committees; and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees — to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Ameinu calls on Gantz to make this evidence public, to the greatest extent possible given any appropriate security considerations.
“It is particularly galling that when Minister of Transportation Merav Michaeli, who is a member of the security cabinet, questioned this decision, she was told by another party in Israel’s government coalition that she ‘doesn’t know the details,’ and should ‘not interfere with the war on terror.’ This sexist condescension is beneath contempt and has no place in public discourse in Israel or anywhere else,” Bob added.
