Condemning the repressive designation by the Government of Israel of six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as terrorist organizations, and for other purposes.

Whereas the Government of Israel designated six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as terrorist organizations Whereas the six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations are Addameer, Al-Haq, Defense for Children International–Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees, which work directly with Palestinian women and girls, children, small holder farmers, prisoners, and civil society activists, providing direct services and monitoring and exposing human rights abuses, including ongoing expansion of settlements in violation of international law; Whereas Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, in a joint statement, called the move appalling and unjust an alarming escalation that threatens to shut down the work of Palestine’s most prominent civil society organizations Whereas 21 of the leading Israeli human rights groups issued a joint statement calling this a draconian measure that criminalizes critical human rights work Whereas United Nations human rights experts unequivocally condemned the decision declaring that the designation is a frontal attack on the Palestinian human rights movement, and on human rights everywhere not what a democracy adhering to well-accepted human rights and humanitarian standards would do Whereas the Israeli newspaper Haaretz called the decision A stain upon Israel The outlawing of human rights groups and persecution of humanitarian activists are quintessential characteristics of military regimes, in which democracy in its deepest sense is a dead letter Whereas, over the past several years, Israeli, Palestinian, and international human rights and humanitarian organizations have faced an increasingly difficult operating environment and shrinking civic space in Israel and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, that negatively impacts their ability to deliver assistance and advocate on behalf of Palestinian human rights; Whereas delegitimization and disinformation campaigns have been advanced by a network of rising nationalist Israeli civil society organizations and associated organizations outside of Israel, with the support of Israeli government ministries and aim to silence and eliminate lawful human rights work that exposes widespread human rights violations inherent in Israel’s military occupation of Palestinians; Whereas antiterrorism legislation must not be used to unjustifiably undermine civil liberties or to curtail the legitimate work of human rights organizations and must be applied in a manner that is consistent with international law and does not violate obligations under international law; and Whereas the United States provides $3.8 billion in military funding to the Israeli government each fiscal year and therefore holds a unique obligation to speak out against and condemn actions by the Israeli government that intentionally undermine democratic values and internationally recognized human rights: Now, therefore, be it That— (1) the House of Representatives— (A) recognizes the value and importance of the courageous work being done by the six Palestinian civil society organizations defending the human rights of a vulnerable and at-risk Palestinian population living under Israeli military occupation; and (B) condemns as a repressive act designed to criminalize and persecute important Palestinian human rights organizations the decision by the Government of Israel to designate six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as terrorist organizations; and (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that President Biden and the Secretary of State should— (A) publicly condemn this authoritarian and antidemocratic act of repression by the Government of Israel against prominent Palestinian civil society organizations; (B) publicly call on Israeli authorities to immediately end efforts aimed at persecuting, delegitimizing, and criminalizing Palestinian human rights defenders and civil society organizations; and (C) publicly state the ongoing United States commitment to recognize the valuable work of Palestinian civil society organizations, including Addameer, Al-Haq, Defense for Children International–Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees, and all other peaceful, legitimate efforts to protect the internationally recognized human rights of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation.

Summary: This resolution recognizes the value and importance of the work being done by the six Palestinian civil society organizations defending the human rights of a vulnerable and at-risk Palestinian population living under Israeli military occupation. The resolution also condemns as a repressive act designed to criminalize and persecute important Palestinian human rights organizations the decision by the Israeli government to designate six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as terrorist organizations. Finally, the resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that President Biden and the Department of State should publicly condemn this authoritarian and antidemocratic act of repression by the Israeli government against prominent Palestinian civil society organizations; call on Israeli authorities to immediately end efforts aimed at persecuting, delegitimizing, and criminalizing Palestinian human rights defenders and civil society organizations; and state the ongoing U. S. commitment to recognize the valuable work of Palestinian civil society organizations.