Nine EU states reject “terrorist” designation of Palestinian NGOs by Israeli regime

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the foreign ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden said they had not received "substantial information" from Israel that would justify reviewing their policy.

"Should evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly," they said. "In the absence of such evidence, we will continue our cooperation and strong support for the civil society in the OPT (occupied Palestinian territories)."

On October 25, the Israeli regime issued a military order declaring the six Palestinian groups as “terrorist organizations.”

The groups include Addameer, al-Haq, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International in Palestine, Union of Agricultural Work Committees, and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees.

The occupying regime accuses the Palestinian groups of funneling donor aid to Palestinian resistance fighters.

Among the targeted groups, Addameer and al-Haq’s work focuses on documenting the Israeli regime and the Palestinian Authority’s human rights violations in the occupied territories.

UN human rights experts, including Michael Lynk, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in occupied Palestinian territories, said in April that several funders had delayed their contributions to these NGOs while they investigated the Israeli claims, undermining their work.

"A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values…,” the nine EU states, however, said.