The Israeli government decision to declare six leading Palestinian civil society and human rights organisations as ‘terrorist” organisations is another attempt to criminalise human rights and humanitarian work. Human rights defenders are not terrorists!

Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al Haq, Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defence for Children International – Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees are all doing invaluable work to defend human rights in the context of the occupation, settler-colonialism and the crime of apartheid. This designation by the Israeli government may ban the work of these human rights defenders, confiscate their assets and prohibit their activities.

European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine, a coalition of 35 European trade union organisations, stands in full solidarity with the six organisations and their workers. We demand the immediate reversal of the Israeli government’s unacceptable decision and call on the European Union and European countries to support Palestinian civil society fighting for dignity, liberation and equal rights and take action to demand that the Israeli government comply with international humanitarian and human rights law.