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The Ministry of Defense, building off a ISA (Shabak) May 2021 press release, explained that these NGOs diverted humanitarian funds from European donors to the PFLP and recruited members into the terror group. Relatedly, a security official told Israel’s N12 news site on October 23, 2021 that these NGOs provided a funding “lifeline” for the PFLP, employed PFLP terrorists, and that PFLP terror operatives used NGO offices for meetings.
On August 17, 2022, Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz announced that the appeals of Addameer, Bisan, and UPWC were rejected, and he had finalized the designations. Head of the IDF’s Central Command Gen. Yehuda Fuchs also rejected appeals made by Al-Haq and DCI-P. That night, IDF forces raided at least seven PFLP-linked institutions, including the offices of Addameer, Al-Haq, Bisan, and UPWC. According to Al-Haq, IDF forces “shut down the main entrance with an iron plate leaving behind a military order declaring the organization unlawful.”
Since 2007, NGO Monitor has published numerous reports, based on open sources, documenting the close connections between these and other Palestinian NGOs and the PFLP. It is likely that Israeli authorities possess further materials on the NGO-PFLP ties, but it is unknown whether they will make this public.
See below for details – all previously published by NGO Monitor – regarding each of the designated organizations, including organizational ties between the NGOs and the PFLP, as well as individual links between NGO board members, officials, and employees and the terror group. A crucial aspect of these developments is the reaction from European funders. As detailed below, reaction in Europe have been varied, with some officials seeking to strengthen anti-terror funding mechanisms, while others have sought to discredit the designations. There is also data related to foreign governmental funding to these organizations.
Footnotes
- According to Francis’ LinkedIn profile, she has held the role of Director of Addameer since November 2005.
- According to Addameer’s official website, as of November 20, 2020, Habash was a member of Addameer’s board of directors.
- According to Addameer’s official website, as of November 19, 2020, Abu Aoun was employed as an attorney at Addameer.
- According to Addameer’s official website, as of November 20, 2020, Al-Safadi was a member of Addameer’s board of directors.
- According to Addameer’s official website, as of November 19, 2020, Ghazawneh held the position of research and documentation unit coordinator at Addameer.
- According to Addameer’s website, as of November 19, 2020, Sa’adat held the position of field researcher at Addameer.
- As of a May 15, 2019 video posted on Facebook by Ma’an News. Riyad Arar is referred to as DCI-P’s Child Protection Program Director from as early as April 2016.
- As of a May 13, 2017 article posted on DCI-P’s Arabic language website.
- As of a September 2019 article in Asdaa Press, November 2018 article posted by An-Najah National University, and a February 2018 article in Ma’an News.
- According to Palestinian media, Kayed Al-Ghoul and Miariam Abu Daqqa are members of the PFLP political bureau. As identified by the Palestinian academic organization PASSIA, Jamil Al-Majdalawi is noted to also be a “member of the politburo.” Al-Jarro is described as a “former leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine” in his bio for a 2017 conference commemorating the violent Palestinian uprising of 1987-1993. See below for details about Majdi Yaghi’s PFLP affiliation.
- According to Experts-Solidaires, a French NGO that partners with UAWC, Arbid was UAWC’s financial director at the time of his arrest. An Arabic-language media source identified him as UAWC’s accountant.,
- According to a document published by Amnesty International on August 16, 2018. His LinkedIn profile listed him as a member of UAWC at the time of his arrest. He is also seen in a March 21, 2019 photo at a UAWC event. According to an Addameer report updated on May 2012, Farraj has been the “finance and administration director at UAWC for the past 15 years.”
- George Habash is the founder of the PFLP.
- According to a July 2012 article published in Ma’an News Agency.
- According to a May 2019 UAWC article.
- According to a 2019 International Middle East Media Center article.
- The PFLP refers to Sami Madi as a “member of the leadership of the Front in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, and a leader of the PFLP media committee and the Front’s representative on the Refugees’ Committee.” Additionally, according to Electronic Intifada, Madi was a “PFLP activist” who on the day he was killed “had led a demonstration that day to mark the 48th anniversary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.”
- Note first source dates to 2014, and second to 2018.
- As of a September 2020 statement by FIDH
- According to Hadfnews, as of October 25, 2020 Suhair Khader serves as the vice president of UPWC.
- According to UPWC, as of April 8, 2020, Samira Abd Al-Alim serves as “a member of UPWC’s board of directors.”.
- According to UPWC, as of September 27, 2021, Iktimal Hamad serves as the head of UPWC.
- According to Maannews, as of February 9, 2021. Iktimal Hamad serves as a PFLP Central Committee member.
- In May 2017, WATC inaugurated a youth center for girls in the town of Burqa, near Nablus. As reported by Palestinian Media Watch, the center was named after Dalal Mughrabi, a terrorist who in 1978 murdered 38 civilians, including 13 children. Funding for this building was provided by Norway, UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women), and Palestinian Authority Ministry of Local Government. Upon learning that the center had been named after a terrorist, the Norwegian government and the United Nations issued strong condemnations. Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende stated that “We have asked for the logo of the Norwegian representation office to be removed from the building immediately, and for the funding that has been allocated to the centre to be repaid.”
- As of a November 2018 Mundubat article.
- According to a January 2019 interview published in “noticias de Gipuzkoa.”
- As of an October 2018 post on “Coordinadoro Extremena De Organizaciones No Gubernamentales Para El Desarrollo” website and a November 2017 UPWC Facebook post.
- According to an October 2019 article in Arabic language media.
