A group of US lawmakers urged the administration of US President Joe Biden to publicly reject Israel´s designation of six Palestinian human rights organizations as "terrorist" groups, in the latest international pressure against the Israeli decision.
In a letter to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, 21 members of the House of Representatives - all Democrats - denounced the lack of available evidence to support Israeli allegations against Palestinian organizations.
"The United States must always speak frankly against the efforts of all nations that attempt to undermine civil society and the necessary work of humanitarian organizations," the letter says. The letter, led by Progressive Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), read:
Moreover, repressive methods such as criminalizing organizations should not be used to suppress or deny the right to freedom of association, suppress political opposition, or limit the peaceful activities of civil society.
"The United States must condemn any effort, anywhere, to undermine life-saving humanitarian action," the pro-Palestinian representative said in a tweet on Twitter. That´s why I, along with 21 colleagues, addressed this letter to the Secretary of State, protesting the criminalization of Israel´s six Palestinian human rights organizations support low-income people, women and girls, clean water and more."
The letter stresses that the Israeli accusations are baseless and the Israeli decision lacks evidence, and undermines the NGOs that support women and girls, low-income families, prisoners, and civil society activists The United States must always speak out and firmly against the efforts of all countries that attempts to undermine civil society and the necessary work of humanitarian organizations.”
The lawmakers wrote that “the lack of reported evidence to support this decision raises concerns that it may be an extremely repressive measure, designed to criminalize and silence prominent and key Palestinian human rights organizations.” Firm against the efforts of all countries that try to undermine civil society and the necessary work of humanitarian organizations .
”The Six Palestinian - Conscience, Al-Haq, Defense for Children International - Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Palestinian Women´s Committees - directly with Palestinians, especially women, girls, children, low-income families, prisoners and civil society activists to provide direct services and monitoring human rights violations by both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities.”
The legislators continued, “Counter-terrorism legislation should not apply to legitimate human rights and humanitarian activities.” Moreover, repressive methods such as criminalizing organizations should not be used to suppress or deny the right to freedom association, suppress political opposition, or limit the peaceful activities of civil society.”
In their letter, the lawmakers also requested an interagency briefing to discuss this designation and a report to Congress on their efforts within 30 days.
The letter was signed by Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (Washington, DC) and James B. Waters (California), Representative Betty McCollum (Minnesota), Representative Rashida Tlaib (Michigan), Representative Donald Payne Jr (NJ), Representative Hank Johnson (Georgia), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) Representative Cory Bush (Missouri), Representative Raul Grijalva (Arizona), Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas), Representative Mary Newman (Illinois), Representative Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) and Representative Andre Carson (R). Representatives from Indiana), Representative Jesus “Choi” Garcia (Illinois), Representative Bobby Rush (Illinois), Representative Mark Buchan (Wisconsin), and Representative Danny K. Davis (Illinois).
Israel blacklisted six leading Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations in October 2021 due to alleged links to the political faction of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
US lawmakers call on the administration to publicly refuse to designate Palestinian human rights organizations as "terrorists"
