Bi-weekly News and Opinion Roundup - Aug. 18, 2022

President Biden: Stop Israeli Government’s Attacks on Palestinian Civil Society

Following Israel’s recent raids, closures, and threats against Palestinian civil society organizations, C&SN joined over 200 U.S. organizations and 70 international organizations in a letter to President Biden urging him to take seven steps to protect Palestinian civil society and hold Israel accountable for its systemic human rights violations. The letter asserts that “A threat against the Palestinian human rights movement is a threat against movements for social justice everywhere, and in order to protect human rights and human rights defenders, all states must be held accountable for taking such manifestly unjust actions.” Read the full letter here. (Aug. 29).

Israeli Raids on Palestinian Civil Society Organizations — The Costs of International Inaction

On Aug. 25, the Middle East Institute (MEI), the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP), the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), the International Crisis Group (ICG), Century International, and the U.S. / Middle East Project (USMEP) co-convened a discussion with representatives from leading Palestinian civil society organizations in the wake of Israel’s recent actions against them, entitled Israeli Raids on Palestinian Civil Society Organizations — The Costs of International Inaction. Read C&SN’s summary of the event here and watch the full event here. C&SN, (Aug. 25).

What Will Happen to Palestinian Communities if Civil Society Organizations Are Shut Down?

Addameer, a Palestinian NGO that works to support Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons, explores the impacts of Israel’s assault on Palestinian civil society, and the implications for Palestinian communities more broadly. Read its analysis on Mada. (Aug. 25).

UN Experts Condemn Israeli Suppression of Palestinian Human Rights Organisations

UN experts reiterated their admonition of the Israeli government’s actions against Palestinian civil society, characterizing them as a frontal assault on the human rights of the Palestinian people, and called on governments to do more than simply speak out. “Once again, it is clear that statements condemning and regretting Israel’s unlawful measures are not sufficient – it is time that words are followed by swift and determined action by the international community to put diplomatic pressure on Israel to restore the rule of law, justice and human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory," they said. Read their full statement here. (Aug. 24).

Israel/Palestine: Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell on the Israeli Raids on Six Palestinian Civil Society Organisations

Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, expressed that the European Union is “deeply concern” by Israel’s ongoing crackdown on Palestinian civil society, and reiterated that the EU has not found any of Israel’s evidence against the designated organizations compelling. Read his full statement here. (Aug. 22).

CIA Unable to Corroborate Israel’s ‘Terror’ Label for Palestinian Rights Groups

A highly classified CIA report effectively refuted Israel’s allegations against the designated Palestinian organizations, finding no evidence of wrongdoing, according to multiple sources. The Guardian reports. (Aug. 22).

Over 200 Organizations Demand International Community Stand Against Raids and Closures of 7 Palestinian Organizations

C&SN joined over 200 organizations in a letter calling on the international community “to demand that Israel immediately revoke its designations of Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as ‘terrorist organizations,’ reverse the military orders designating the organizations and closing their offices and repeal its Anti-Terrorism Law (2016) as it does not meet basic human rights standards.” It also called on the international community “to take effective measures to end all other actions that deny Palestinians their inalienable human rights.” Read the full letter here. (Aug. 22).

53 Civil Society Organizations in Solidarity With the Palestinian Organizations Designated by Israel as “Terrorist Groups”

53 Israel-based civil society organizations signed a statement expressing solidarity with the designated Palestinian organizations, repudiating Israel’s baseless allegations, and calling “on the international community to pressure Israel to revoke its decision.” Read the full statement here. (Aug. 21).

Access to Financial Services: The Challenge of Bank Derisking

The European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) Learning Center addresses the challenges of bank derisking, and offers tips, how to’s, and other resources on the topic. Explore the ECNL Learning Center’s page on bank derisking here.

Risk-Based Approach: The Need for Collaboration

The European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) Learning Center unpacks the key elements of risk-based approaches to countering the financing of terrorism (CFT), examines the difference between risk-based and rules-based approaches, offers tips for civil society organizations, and lists other resources related to risk-based approaches to CFT. Explore the ECNL Learning Center’s page on risk-based approaches to CFT here.

Africa Must Do Its Part to Break Ethiopia’s Abusive Tigray Siege

Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, urged the UN Security Council and the African Union to address the humanitarian access constraints in Etheopia’s Tigray region, including by publicly calling on the Ethiopian government “to completely lift its chokehold on desperately needed humanitarian aid and its shutdown of basic services,” and by insisting “that the warring parties, including Tigray’s forces, abide by international law and facilitate assistance to those in need without any preconditions or delay.” Read his analysis in Foreign Policy. (Aug. 31).

Yemen: Houthis Should Urgently Open Taizz Roads

Fifteen human rights groups called on the Houthis, also known as Ansar-Allah, to open roads in Taizz to ensure humanitarian access. “Opening the main roads would help immensely to alleviate the suffering of a population that has been in near-total isolation for seven years,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Read their full statement here. (Aug. 29).

Afghan Women Entrepreneurs Battle to Retain Economic Freedom

Manizha Wafeq, co-founder of the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI), assesses the past year of Taliban-rule in Afghanistan and its impact on women-led businesses, highlighting restrictions on women’s movement imposed by the Taliban as well as the country’s dire economic crisis. Read her analysis in Just Security. (Aug. 26).

Abusive “Counterterrorism” Crackdowns Choke Independent Civil Society in the Middle East

Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, the Executive Editor of Just Security and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism, highlights abusive crackdowns on civil society by Saudi Arabia and Israel carried out in the guise of counterterrorism, and calls on states to “reject counterterrorism abuses as fundamental breaches of international law, enact sanctions and other specific consequences against those who engage in such abuses, and reaffirm a global commitment to upholding human rights everywhere.” Read her analysis in Just Security. (Aug. 25).

Human Rights in the Crosshairs

James Goldston, Executive Director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, tackles some of the critiques of the human rights movement and argues that human rights advocates “should draw on their own increasingly diverse experiences to highlight and tackle inequality, address corporate as well as state violations, strengthen alliances with popular movements, and build on the numerous examples of creative activism that have produced positive, if limited, results.” Read his analysis in Just Security. (Aug. 23).

UN Expert Affirms the Rights of Child Victims of Terrorism, Urges Human Rights-Based Approach

Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism, issued a statement urging states to “move beyond mere expressions of solidary and comfort to victims, and view victims as autonomous rights-bearers with equal rights to justice, reparation and medical care - including mental health entitlements and other essential rights to live their lives fully in the aftermath of acts of terrorism.” Read her full statement here. (Aug. 23).

The US Must Help Fight the Criminalization of Activism in Central America, Not Make It Worse

Rachel Margolis, the Masiyiwa-Bernstein Fellow at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, argues that the Biden administration can do more to address the growing criminalization of activism and civil society in Central America “by integrating human rights protections into all of its policies and programs in Central America, especially those involving problematic industries,” and by adjusting “its approach to reflect the role of the private sector in criminalizing human rights advocacy.” Read her analysis in Just Security. (Aug. 22).

Republican Senators Challenge Immigration Rule Change on Terrorist Support

A group of ten Republican senators wrote to the Biden administration asking it to explain rule changes by the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department that allow for “people who have provided ‘insignificant’ or ‘limited’ material support to terrorist organizations in the past” to immigrant to the U.S. The rule change was likely part of an effort to allow for the immigration of people from conflict zones who may have had incidental contact with designated groups. The Hill reports. (Aug. 27).

Implementing the Locally-Led Agenda Will Require Paradigmatic Changes

Elizabeth Hume, Megan Corrado, and Nick Zuroski of the Alliance for Peacebuilding unpack progress and challenges surrounding efforts to advance locally-led approaches to peacebuilding. They argue that “the international community must undertake a major culture shift and tolerate more risk to reap increased rewards,” that “donors must improve access to funding streams by reducing burdensome proposal and reporting requirements,” and that “the U.S. and other donors must stop supporting governments that intentionally subvert the operations of local civil society,” among other recommendations. Read their analysis on InterAction’s website. (Aug. 23).

A Travel Ban on All Russians Will Only Play Into Putin’s Hands

Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argues that a travel ban on Russians would serve Putin’s interests by cutting off democratically-minded Russians from the international community, and by undermining Russian activists’ efforts to oppose the war in Ukraine. He contends that “the journalists, activists, and academics who have left Russia are the human capital that will rebuild the country after Putin,” and that “granting visas to those Russians, therefore, is Europe’s investment in its own future.” Read his analysis on the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s website. (Aug. 29).

Judge Recommends Rejecting Bid by Sept. 11 Families to Seize Frozen Afghan Funds

A federal judge has opposed making $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan assets available to compensate families of 9/11 victims, arguing that “The Constitution vests the president with the sole power to recognize foreign governments,” and that the courts would be effectively recognizing the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan were they to rule that the funds in question belong to the Taliban. The New York Times reports. (Aug. 27).

Exclusive: U.S. Commits to Afghan Asset Talks Despite Frustration with Taliban

After U.S. officials asserted that the Biden administration has no intention of releasing Afghanistan’s frozen reserves to the Central Bank of Afghanistan in the near-term, the administration has claimed that it remains committed to dialogue with the Taliban on the issue. Reuters reports. (Aug. 21).