From by UUs for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME)
UUs for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) shares this update on current human rights abuses in Israel and Palestine. Please find action steps you can take at the bottom of this update.
On October 19, 2021 Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed an executive order designating 6 prominent Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist” organizations. The designations allow Israel to silence these organizations by imprisoning their leaders, destroying their offices, and blocking all funding. The organizations are Addamer (prisoners’ rights), al Haq (human rights), Defense for Children International – Palestine (children’s rights), Bisan Center (human rights), Union of Agricuiltural Work Committees (farmers’ rights) and Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (women’s rights). No evidence is given for the designation.
These organizations are now informing the world about Israeli human rights abuses and the apartheid character of the state. The scrutiny they provide protects Palestinians and brings international pressure to bear on Israel to change its behavior. All six organizations are also providing evidence to the International Criminal Court for its current case against the Israelis responsible for international crimes. Essential resources about all this can be found at the Churches for Middle East Peace website.
If Israel can silence its critics by labeling them as terrorists, it gives a green light to authoritarian regimes around the world to do the same. Thus, the Israeli designation is condemned by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, 20 Israeli human rights organizations, faith groups including the UUA, the European Union, and 288 US organizations including UUJME and the Unitarian Universalists Service Committee. In addition, Representative McCollum has introduced a resolution, H. Res. 751, condemning the Israeli silencing of its critics and calling for its reversal. Her resolution has already been signed by 9 other US Representatives. Here is what you can do to help secure human rights in the Middle East:
- Tell your US Representative to support Representative McCollum’s resolution H. Res 751.
- Call (1-202-456-1111) or email (https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ ) the White House and tell President Biden to demand that Israel withdraw the designation or US aid to Israel would be cut off.