Nine Euro states condemn raids on Palestinian NGOs; ‘Australia concerned’

Australian representative: ‘it is important that the promotion of human rights be respected’, US voices concern; NGO heads say Shin Bet threatened them.

Nine European Union states have released a joint statement condemning Israeli raids of the offices of six Palestinian civil society organisations in the West Bank.

"We are deeply concerned by the raids…as part of a worrying reduction of space for civil society in the occupied Palestinian territories," the statement issued by the foreign ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden said. 

Over the weekend the Australian representative to the Palestinian territories voiced Australia’s concern in a Tweet. A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she would not be making any comment.

Australian representative to Palestinian territories: ‘Australia concerned about raids on Palestinian NGOs’

Australia is concerned about raids on Palestinian NGOs. It is important that the promotion of human rights be respected. Australia supports strong civil society in the Palestinian Territories.

Directors of Palestinian NGOs say Shin Bet threatened them (Haaretz)
Directors of two Palestinian organisations that were raided by Israel this week say they were told by the Israeli security service to stop working for these groups: 'I asked him if this is a threat, and he said yes'

Head of targeted Palestinian rights group says IDF summoned him for questioning (Times of Israel)
Al-Haq’s Shawan Jabarin says he refused to report to a military prison days after soldiers raided the Ramallah offices of his and other NGOs, drawing harsh European response

Nine European States slam Israeli raids of Palestinian NGOs (Haaretz)
'We are deeply concerned by the raids…as part of a worrying reduction of space for civil society in the occupied Palestinian territories,' say the countries, which fund the Palestinian organisations raided by Israel

Biden administration: Israel has yet to justify shuttering of Palestinian human rights groups (JTA)

Israel to justify its closure of seven Palestinian NGO offices to US (Jerusalem Post)
Washington contacted Israeli officials for more information after security forces raided the offices of seven groups in the West Bank, the State Department said.

Photo: Palestinian activists protest against the Israeli raid of the Al-Haq offices in Ramallah, on Thursday (Abbas Momani/AFP)