RAMALLAH, January 28, 2019 (WAFA) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine reiterated its resolute condemnation of Israel’s, the occupying power, ongoing attempt to silence, delegitimize, and de-fund Palestinian Civil Society Organizations and Human Rights Defenders through its recent so-called “Money Trail” report published in January 2019, said the ministry in a press statement.

“The report is an attempt by Israel, the occupying power, to silence peaceful protest against the occupation and to exclude human rights organizations from European funding whilst smearing local activists who work to monitor, act against violations of human rights, and provide information and analysis concerning the humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the international community,” said the statement.

The ministry stressed that reprehensible behavior, as such, aims to cripple democracy, diversity and accountability of crimes and grave violations of human rights. It would threaten the advancement of human rights in the State of Palestine and beyond by further enabling violators of human rights to continue their violations with impunity.

Palestinian and international civil society organizations play a major role in paving the road for justice, respect for human rights and the rule of law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It is a duty of States to support Palestinian civil societies in line with state responsibility to ensure respect for international law, particularly when it comes to promoting fundamental freedoms and human rights, it said.  

“The State of Palestine calls on the international community, especially Member States of the European Union (EU), to support the human rights of Palestinian people, including in regards to the escalation of systematic and widespread Israeli-led attacks against Palestinian human rights and international human rights defenders and civil societies,” the statement concluded.

T.R.