Shawan Jabarin, director of the Palestinian "Al Haq" organization, one of the six institutions declared by the Israeli security establishment as terrorist organizations and closed last week in an IDF raid, broadcasts business as usual.
In a conversation with "Israel Today" from the organization's offices in Ramallah today (Thursday), Jabarin said that he firmly rejects the Israeli decision, and that he intends to continue with normal activities even if this will take a personal toll on him.
"I am talking to you now from my office. We are all here. We will not accept the Israeli step. Israel will not be able to silence us and stop our actions. I continue to work. I know that they can come to arrest me, but I am ready to pay the price. This is for my values and honor." .
The Al-Haq organization demands clarifications on the IDF's decision: "We are not affiliated with the Popular Front, this is a lie", Photo: Reuters
In Israel they claim that the organization "Alhak", "A-Damir" and other organizations operate under the cover of the Popular Front organization.
In a statement published by Defense Minister Benny Gantz's office last week, it was stated that "the organizations operate under the guise of carrying out humanitarian activities to advance the goals of the terrorist organization the Popular Front, to strengthen it and recruit operatives, and also assist in raising funds for the terrorist organization using a variety of methods of forgery and deception."
Meanwhile, the Europeans and also the Americans were not completely convinced by the claims and materials that Israel presented to them, and as far as the Palestinians are concerned, these are civil society organizations that deal with human rights issues.
Jabarin denies the claims and says that this is a political decision.
Jabarin to Gantz: "Show us the secret materials you are talking about",
"I say to Gantz, come stand in front of us, show us the secret materials you are talking about. We are not connected to the Popular Front, that is a lie. Israel wants to silence us in an intimidation campaign of gagging and thwart our work because we have an influence on the international discourse and we are working for the Palestinian issue at the International Court of Justice, and contacts are held with heads of state, ministers, and members of parliament around the world," says Jabarin.
"We don't hide anything and we don't operate in the shadows, all our activities are visible. For your security establishment we are enemies. Why? Because we submit reports to international institutions, call for a ban on the sale of products from the settlements, and document what you are doing against the Palestinian people. What we are doing is not Contrary to the international law. We do not do anything that is forbidden. We have existed for 43 years since 1979. They have not succeeded in any way to this day in stopping our activities, so now they claim that we are a terrorist organization because they have nothing else against us."
War on terror or a tribute to Abu Mazen?
The director of an institution dealing with legal and human rights issues in Ramallah told "Israel Today": "The Israeli decision is puzzling. The issue is political, not military. These institutions do not produce missiles against Israel. They have an important role in matters related to the protection of human rights and the Palestinian issue. Some of the institutions Nor do they spare any criticism of the Palestinian Authority itself, and attack it for the lack of democracy or, for example, for the torture of political detainees in Palestinian interrogation facilities."
Al-Haq on the decision to ban the organization's activities: "Ganz's tribute to Abu Mazen", photo: Yehuda Peretz, Oren Ben Hakon, IPA
The Popular Front organization and its activists are considered to be in opposition to the PA's chairman, and frequently call for an end to security coordination between the PA and Israel. In the past, there have been claims that Abu Mazen cut the monthly allowances to the Popular Front in order to "silence" the organization's members and prevent them from voicing criticism of the PA. Against this background, Voices are rising in the Palestinian street claiming that "the closing of the institutions by Israel is another tribute from Gantz to Abu Mazen".
"In a certain sense, Israel did a service to Abu Mazen because the PA itself is a regular target of attack by these organizations, and therefore the PA wants to reduce their influence," said an official in Ramallah.
However, according to other Palestinian sources, "Israel has created an embarrassment for Abu Mazen and exposed him to public criticism as someone who is unable to prevent the closure of institutions and stop the raid of the Israeli army inside Ramallah. This is something that does not look good at all in our public opinion."
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us