[News] Organizations Collectively Call for Cancellation of Normalization Meetings with Ms. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in Solidarity with the Six Designated Organizations
Anti-Imperialist News
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Wed Nov 17 22:41:46 EST 2021
addameer.org <https://www.addameer.org/news/4582> Palestinian Civil Society
Organizations Collectively Call for Cancellation of Normalization Meetings
with Ms. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in Solidarity with the Six Designated
Organizations
November 17, 2021
------------------------------
In light of the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Ms. Linda
Thomas-Greenfield, (“U.S. Ambassador”), current visit to Israel, Palestine
and Jordan, and following statements reporting that the Ambassador will not
meet with representatives of the six targeted Palestinian Civil Society
organizations (“CSOs”), and the pledged normalization by the U.S.
Ambassador, the undersigned organizations issue the following statement.
London-based “Alquds Alarabi” newspaper, reported a State Department
official, whose name and title were kept anonymous, stated that: “Ms.
Thomas-Greenfield will not meet any of the representatives of the
Palestinian civil society and human rights organizations which Israel had
recently designated as ‘terrorist’ organizations.” The official resumed "we
will announce the other civil society organizations that the Ambassador
will meet with during her visit, but meeting civil society organizations in
general is important for us."
On 15 November 2021, the U.S. Ambassador provided her
<https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-by-ambassador-linda-thomas-greenfield-and-israeli-prime-minister-naftali-bennett-before-their-meeting-in-jerusalem/>
remarks
<https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-by-ambassador-linda-thomas-greenfield-and-israeli-prime-minister-naftali-bennett-before-their-meeting-in-jerusalem/>
to
the Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, before their meeting in
Jerusalem, confirming US support for the “Abraham Accords” and for Israel’s
normalization agreements with countries in the region. In the light of the
abovementioned, and the stated purpose of Ms. Greenfield’s visit, we, the
undersigned Palestinian civil society organizations, declare the following:
1- We highly value the position of all States, as well as international,
regional, national and multilateral organizations, who have condemned the
Israeli designation of the six Palestinian CSOs as “terrorist
organizations”. We refer in particular to the positions of Ireland in
rejecting these designations, and Norway in calling for a reversal of these
unlawful actions. The designations disregard the basic human rights to
freedom of expression, and are tantamount to inhumane acts of apartheid
intended to erase and silence Palestinian civil society.
2- In addition, our organizations stress and share the position declared
by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Michelle Bachelet:
"Claiming rights before a UN or other international body is not an act of
terrorism, advocating for the rights of women in the occupied Palestinian
territory is not terrorism, and providing legal aid to detained
Palestinians is not terrorism."
3- Further, we recall the joint position of the
<https://www.un.org/unispal/document/un-special-rapporteurs-condemn-israels-designation-of-palestinian-human-rights-defenders-as-terrorist-organisations-press-release/>UN
Special Rapporteurs
<https://www.un.org/unispal/document/un-special-rapporteurs-condemn-israels-designation-of-palestinian-human-rights-defenders-as-terrorist-organisations-press-release/>
who
condemned the designations stating: “This designation is a frontal attack
on the Palestinian human rights movement, and on human rights everywhere…
Silencing their voices is not what a democracy adhering to well-accepted
human rights and humanitarian standards would do. We call upon the
international community to defend the defenders.” Further the UN special
rapporteurs explained that “anti-terrorism legislation is designed for a
specific and restricted purpose, and must not be used to unjustifiably
undermine civil liberties or to curtail the legitimate work of human rights
organizations”.
4- Israel’s defamation of Palestinian CSOs is not new. Attacks against
Palestinians CSOs have been on the rise for more than 15 years, since the
Durban Conference against Racism, and intensified following increasing
demands to sanction Israel. Israeli attacks against Palestinian civil
society especially heightened following the accession of the State of
Palestine to the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court. They
further escalated with the Office of the Prosecutor's subsequent decision
to open an investigation into the Situation in Palestine, into war crimes
and crimes against humanity, committed by the Israeli authorities and
Israeli Occupying Forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
5- Critically, Israel’s settler colonial policies and practices alongside
it’s institutionalized and discriminatory apartheid regime continue to
threaten the Palestinian people’s enjoyment of their basic human rights,
including their inalienable right to self-determination, permanent
sovereignty over natural and national resources, and collective right of
return to their homes, which together form the primary obstacle to a viable
contiguous independent Palestinian State. Further, the prolonged nature of
the military occupation, now in its 54th year, has been maintained through
the orchestration of grave violations of international law including war
crimes and crimes against humanity, committed by Israeli individuals with
impunity.
6- The main task of our institutions and of Palestinian human rights
defenders is to work towards an end to the occupation, the dismantling of
the apartheid regime and towards the realization of our collective human
rights to self-determination and the right of return.
7- The purpose of the visit, has been to reportedly, "explore ways of
strengthening normalization agreements such as the “Abraham Accords. Our
organizations stress that economic benefit
<https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/17294.html> and “peace in the region” are
merely a fig leaf. “Peace” which does not include the realization of the
rights of all Palestinians will be one without justice, and so will be no
peace at all. Our organizations restate the words of Al-Haq General Director
<https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/18108.html>Shawan Jabarin
<https://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/18108.html> that, “It is now time, for the
international community and the Palestinian people to collectively rise up
and resist this egregious regional normalization, to ensure the realization
of our people to self-determination and permanent sovereignty, and to
prevent Israeli and regional measures towards the erasure of our people,
culture, lands and home.”
8- The undersigned organizations therefore declare that they will not meet
with the U.S. Ambassador. We further call upon all other Palestinian
organizations to adopt a similar position and demonstrate their clear and
principled refusal to refuse the normalization of the ethnic cleansing of
the Palestinian people.
9- Let this be a clear- the Israeli attack on the six Palestinian civil
society organizations is an attack on Palestinian civil society as a
whole. The U.S. Ambassador’s unwillingness to meet with the
representatives of the six CSOs on her visit only reinforces Israel’s
attack which aims to undermine and delegitimize the human rights work of
Palestinian civil society. We further call on diplomatic missions,
parliamentary representatives, and international organizations to reject
and condemn the unlawful designation of the six Palestinian CSOs, to
pressure the United States to condemn Israel’s designation and call for its
rescission.
END
*The undersigned:*
1. Al Haq Organization - Law in the Service of Mankind
2. ADDAMEER Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
3. DCI - Defense for Children International - Palestine
4. Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center
5. Aldameer Association for Human Rights
6. Hurryyat - Center for Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights
7. Treatment & Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (TRC)
8. The Civil Institute for Judicial Independence and the Rule of Law –
ISTIQLAL
9. Women's Studies Centre
10. Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society
11. MA'AN Development Center
12. The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD)
13. Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association
14. Rural Women's Development Society
15. Y.W.C.A
16. Arab Agronomists Association
17. Afkar for Educational and Cultural Development
18. Land Research Center
19. Palestinian Counseling Center
20. Arab Center for Agricultural Development
21. Marsad Arabi for Democracy and Elections (Al Marsad)
22. Sharek Youth Forum
23. Filastiniyat
24. Miftah - The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global
Dialogue and Democracy
25. Teacher Creativity Center
26. The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the
Legal Profession
27. Aman-Transparency Palestine
28. The Palestinian Association for Empowerment and local Development -
REFORM
29. Burj Al-Luqluq Social Center
30. Palestinian Medical Relief Society
31. The Community Action Center-Al Quds University
32. Mothers School Society
33. Union of Agriculture Work Committees
34. Al-Awda Childhood and Youth Rehabilitation Center
35. Sareyyet Ramallah
36. GENERAL UNION OF CULTURAL CENTERS
37. Abdel ـ Shafi Community Health Association ( ACHA)
38. Al Najda Social Association
39. Al Sattar Garbee Association for Developing Countryside and Farmer
40. Al Tawasol Forum Society (TFS)
41. Al-Dar Rural Association
42. ALFoukhary Association For Development and Culture
43. AL-Karmel Cultural and Social Development Association
44. Almanal Society for Developing the Rural Women
45. Basma Society for Culture and Arts
46. Deir El Balah Social & Cultural Center
47. Deir El-Balah Rehabilitation Society
48. El Wafaa Charitable Society
49. Gaza Culture & Development Group
50. Gaza Urban Agriculture Platform
51. General Union of Workers of Agriculture and Food Processing
52. Ghassan Kanafani Development
53. Jabalia Rehabilitation Society
54. Labor Resources Center
55. National Society for Rehabilitation
56. Palestinian Center of Organic Agriculture
57. Palestinian Farmers Union
58. Palestinian Woman’s Union
59. Rural Women’s Development Society
60. The Assembly Benevolent of Operation
61. The Eastern Association for Agriculture
62. The National Society for Democracy and Law
63. The Palestinian Hydrology Group /Gaza
64. The Palestinian Institute for Communication and Development
65. Union of Health Care Committees
66. Union of Health Work Committees
67. Union of Palestinians Women's Committees
68. Wefaq Society for Woman & Child Care
69. Women's Affairs Center /Gaza
70. Youth Development Foundation
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