Palestinian NGOs Reject EU Aid over Refusal to Renounce Tiesto Terrorism
135 Palestinian NGOs refuse to sign 2020 EU grant agreement over amendment calling fororganizations to refute ties to terrorism, claim terrorist groups are “political parties”. Jerusalem, Israel─ December 31, 2019─ Over 130 Palestinian organizations have refused tosign an EU grant request which stipulates among its criteria that beneficiaries must refuse totransfer any EU aid given to terrorist groups or entities.1 The organizations in questionsteadfastly decline to do so, claiming Palestinian terrorist groups are merely “politicalparties”.
Shawan Jabarin, the executive director of the Palestinian boycott organization Al-Haq toldthe media outlet The New Arab, "We demanded to include conditions stipulating that we donot have to recognize the criteria listed regarding terror groups".2 A letter of protest was latersent to a meeting between EU representatives in the Palestinian Authority and representativesof Palestinian civil society organizations, led by Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of thePalestinian National Initiative, and Jabarin.
In recent years, the Ministry of Strategic Affairs has been revealing the shared ties betweensupposed Palestinian human rights organizations and terrorist groups. In its report releasedearly this year, “The Money Trail”, along with additional findings from organizations such asNGO monitor, it was found that EU institutions have awarded millions of euros in financialaid to Palestinian civil society organizations which have ties to terrorist entities and promoteboycotts against Israel.
Additionally, in the ministry’s "Terrorists in Suits" report, over 100 ties shared between BDSorganizations and internationally designated terrorist groups were found, including the PFLPand Hamas. According to the report, so-called Palestinian civil society organizations act asmedium for funds for terrorist entities, enabling them to raise money for their activitiesthrough legitimate bodies including the EU. The opposition of these organizations to criteriapreventing the transfer of funds to terror related activities proves the report's claim.
An Israel Security Agency investigation into the August 2019 “Ein Bubin” bombing, whichresulted in the murder of 17-year-old Rina Shnerb and injury of her brother and father, some50 PFLP terrorists were arrested. The PFLP is designated as a terrorist group by the EU, US,Canada and Israel.
Those detained included senior ocials who served in Palestinian "civilsociety" organizations including one of the 135 Palestinian NGOs,Addameer. Addameer is an organizations which, alongside its ongoingcampaign to boycott and delegitimize the State of Israel, calls for therelease of PFLP terrorists while providing them legal representation.
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