The Israeli government has classified six Palestinian civil society groups as terrorist organizations. In a statement, the country’s Defense Ministry claimed that these organizations pretend to be civil entities, but in fact they would be controlled by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (FPLP), a Marxist group accused of terrorism by the European Union and the United States.
“These groups constitute a network of secret organizations active on the international front on behalf of the FPLP, to support its activities and promote its objectives,” Israel’s statement said. The Israeli government added that the six groups would raise funds for the FPLP primarily through donations from Europe and international organizations.
Shawan Jabarin, director general of Al Haq, one of the organizations cited by the Israeli Ministry of Defense and which advocates for human rights in the West Bank, told CNN that Israel’s accusations were “absurd”. “This is a political movement, not a security one. The occupation has no limits to its injustice and insanity. But it will never stop us from defending our people and exposing the crimes of occupation,” he said.
The United Nations mission in the Palestinian territories released a letter in which it classified Israel’s declaration as “a clear attempt to intimidate and silence the denunciations and exposure that these organizations make of Israel’s violations of the Palestinian people.”
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