Links between Union of Agricultural Work Committees
(UAWC) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine (PFLP)
Updated 4 August 2020
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) - A Terrorist Organisation
1. The PFLP has been recognised as an active terrorist organisation by various governments.
a. The US Department of State Bureau of Counter Terrorism lists the PFLP as a
Foreign Terrorist Organisations, and designated it as such on 10 August 1997. (U1)
b. The European Union updated its list of persons, groups and entities subject to
Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of
specific measures to combat terrorism on 12 July 2016. It confirmed that those listed
in its annex have been involved in terrorist acts and that they should continue to be
subject to restrictive measures. The PFLP was included in this list. (U2)
c. Canada has also published a list of terrorist entities which includes the PFLP. The
description of the PFLP on the Canadian Government website states that “The goals
of the PFLP are the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of a
communist government in Palestine.” (U3)
d. Israel designated the PFLP as a terrorist organisation on 30 January 1986. (U60,
U60A)
2. The PFLP has been responsible for atrocities including:
a. An attack on the Shnerb family, killing 17 year old Rina Shnerb and injuring
her father and brother on 23 August 2019 at Ein Bubin Spring in the West
Bank.(U22, U23)
b. an attack on those praying at a synagogue in West Jerusalem on 18 November
2014, in which five Jewish worshippers and a Druze policeman were murdered
and six other worshippers were injured, with axes, knives, and a gun; (U4A,
U4B)
c. a drive-by shooting of passengers in a car on 29 June 2015, injuring four Israelis,
one of whom died the following day; (U5)
d. a suicide bombing in the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv on 1 November 2004,
which killed 3 Israelis;

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e. a suicide bombing in the bus station at Geha Junction in Petah Tikva on 25
December 2003 which killed 4 Israelis; (U7)
f. a suicide bombing in a pizzeria in Karnei Shomron on 16 February 2002, killing
three Israeli teenagers; (U8)
g. The assassination of Israeli Minister for Tourism Rehavam Zeevi on 21
October 2001; (U9)
h. The hijacking of a Lufthansa Flight 181 from Palma de Mallorca to Frankfurt
on 13 October 1977; (U10)
i. The hijacking of four passenger aircraft in September 1970 from Pan Am,
TWA and Swissair on flights to New York from Brussels, Frankfurt and
Zurich; (U11)
j. The hijacking of TWA Flight 840 from Los Angeles to Damascus on 29 August
1969 by a PFLP cell led by Leila Khaled; (U12) and
k. An attack on the El Al Flight 432 passenger jet at Zürich airport on 18 February
1969. (U13)
3. The PFLP’s objective is to destroy the State of Israel. (U14) It opposes the Oslo peace plan
and a two state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict and refuses to recognize Israel’s
right to exist. It also support the BDS campaign targeting the Jewish state. (U15)
4. UAWC is the official agricultural affiliate of the PFLP. A research paper for US AID by
the Democratic Institutions Support Project clearly shows this link. The report states:
“The PFLP's agricultural extension services are provided by the Union of Agricultural
Work Committees (UAWC), based in Bayt Hanina.”(U16) See table on page 8 and page
14 of Report.
5. UAWC was founded in 1986 by “agronomists loosely affiliated with the PFLP.1 (U113)
UAWC continues to be listed as an “affiliated institution” of the PFLP.(U18)
6. UAWC is an official member of Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) (U19) and was one
of 135 PNGO members, who refused to sign the 2020 European Union (EU) grant
agreement because an amendment stipulates that organizations must refute ties to
terrorist groups. The NGOs claim that the terrorist groups are “political parties”.
Shawan Jabarin, the executive director of Al-Haq, speaking on behalf of PNGO, told the
media outlet The New Arab, “We demanded to include conditions stipulating that we do
not have to recognize the criteria listed regarding terror groups”.(U20, U21)
7. The UAWC directly makes its assets available for PFLP use. For example the PFLP
celebrated its 42nd anniversary at the UAWC's hall in Khan Younis, Gaza on 12 December
2009, when it “organized on Saturday evening of the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine - the leadership of Shaheed Muhammad Alsakulai ‘Abossalh’ a meeting of cadres
and cadres and friends in the front hall to maintain the Union of Agricultural Work
Committees.” (U71 item 14)
8. Samer Mina Salim Arbid, was Financial Director of the UAWC from around 2015 to
2016 according to an article dated 14 March 2016 on the Samidoun website. (U21). He
may still have been employed by UAWC at the time of his arrest in late 2019 as the
1 Building a Palestinian State: The Incomplete Revolution By Glenn E. Robinson

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chairman of UAWC, Rizk Al Barghouthi is quoted in the Arab press, and refers to Arbid
as a “colleague” in October 2019 at a protest march against his arrest. (U131)
a. According to the Shin Bet, Arbid commanded a PLFP terror cell that carried out a
bomb attack which killed 17-year old Rina Shnerb, and injured her father and
brother on 23 August 2019, while they were on a nature trail. Arbid led the
terrorist cell, prepared the bomb and set it off the moment he saw the Shnerb
family reach the spring. (U22)
b. A Jerusalem Post article published on 5 October 2019 stated that Arbid is “one of
the PFLP’s officials in Ramallah and was previously arrested for involvement in
terrorist activities during the Second Intifada under the direct command of the
PFLP leadership, preparing explosive devices and committing terrorist
attacks.”(U23)
c. Arbid was described by Amnesty International in September 2019 as “a member
of the PFLP”. (U24)
d. An article in Samidoun dated March 2016 explains that he was arrested in
December 2015 and given an administrative detention of 3 months, which was
renewed for a further 3 months in March 2016. (U21)
e. Samidoun describes Arbid’s history of administrative detentions – he was held
from 2003-2006, 2007-2008 and again in October 2013 when he was arrested and
put in administrative detention for an initial period of four months.(U21)
f. Amnesty International states that Arbid was previously the accountant for
Addameer, the prisoner support and human rights association.(U24) A 2013
Electronic Intifada article also identified Arbid as an accountant at Addameer.
(U26) Addameer’s own website lists Arbid as its accountant as recently as May
2018. (U68)
9. Abdul Razaq Farraj is the current finance director of UAWC and has been an
employee of UAWC for the past 30 years, according to Amnesty International in April
2018 (U28). In July 2019 he was taking part in high level meetings between the UAWC
and the Palestinian government (U25)
a. Farraj was arrested by the IDF in late 2019 as part of a 50 person PFLP terror
network and according to his indictment, authorized the August 23, 2019 bombing
of the Schnerb family, which killed 17 year old Rina Sshnerb and injured her
father and brother. (U27)
b. Farraj was convicted of membership of the PFLP for which he served a six year
prison sentence from 1985 to 1991.(U28)
c. Since his release from prison in 1991, he was arrested six times, and each time
placed under administrative detention. According to Amnesty International, he has
been employed by UAWC since around 1989.(U28)
d. An Indian publication entitled Frontline, dated 11 July 2014, reported that Farraj
was held in administrative detention in 1994-96, 2002-06, 2009, 2011-12 and
from 25 February 2014 until the date of the article in July 2014. He was due to be
released on August 24 2014.(U29)
e. Amnesty International’s April 2018 newsletter (U28) records that Farraj was
arrested on 21 May 2017 and issued with a four-month administrative detention
order, which should have ended on 20 September 2017 but was renewed several
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times. He was eventually released on 17 July 2018, according to Amnesty
International’s report dated 16 August 2018, when he returned to work at the
UAWC as Finance and Administration Director.
f. An article from July 2012 in Maan News, reported that “the director of the
Administrative and Financial Affairs department of UAWC, Abdel Razek Farraj
was arrested, and released after spending more than 7 years at various periods in
administrative detention. (U61)
10. Rezk Al Barghouti was reported to be the current Chairman of UAWC, in February 2019
during the annual meeting. (U30) Barghouthi was mentioned in an article dated February
2018 as chairman of UAWC (U31) and has been a board member of UAWC since at least
since 2009 (U49). He has been chairman since May 2016 (U78). He was re-elected
chairman in May 2018. (U32)
a. In 2016 Barghouthi spoke on behalf of Ahmad Sa'adat, the Secretary-General of
the PFLP and a convicted terrorist imprisoned by Israel (U33) during a ceremony
held in Ramallah for Palestinian prisoners. (U34, U35)
b. In 2014, UAWC members including Barghouthi, participated in a PFLP delegation
to Brazil. (U36)
c. Marwan Abdel-Al, a PFLP leader and head of its Lebanon branch participated in
the Brazil delegation and spoke on behalf of the UAWC. (doc U36)
d. In August 2016 Barghouthi participated in a sit-in in solidarity with Palestinian
prisoners on a hunger strike, and stood in front of a PFLP banner holding PFLP
signs for prisoners. (U37)
e. On 5 August 2017 Barghouthi posted on Facebook a eulogy for Ammar Tirawi, a
Palestinian terrorist who carried out two shooting attacks on 15 July 2017, referring
to him as a hero. (U37b)
f. Barghouthi lead the UAWC celebration of land day, alongside the deputy secretary
general of the PFLP Abdel Rahim Mallouh in March 2010.(U38)
11. Bashir Al-Khairi, is a former UAWC director, and was president of the board of trustees
in 2008 (U39) and 2009. ( U49)
a. He was a senior political leader in the PFLP. (U40) He is referred to by the PFLP as
a “historical leader” in August 2014 when he was attending a PFLP commemoration
of the 13th anniversary of the martyrdom of the former PFLP secretary general, Abu
Ali Mustafa, by visiting his tomb. He made a speech at the tomb, saying “the time
has come to recognise the gratitude of everyone who contributed to the
steadfastness of Gaza in its war against the Zionist enemy, specifically Iran Syria
and Lebanon, especially Hezbollah..”(U40)
b. Al-Khairi was convicted of terrorist offences in 1969 and jailed for 15 years. (U62)
c. Al-Khairi was the head of the PFLP political bureau in 2002, according to a CNN
article, which describes him being arrested in August 2002. (U41)
d. Al-Khairi attended a PFLP event, unveiling a mural to Dr George Habash on 1 May
2014, and was referred to as a PFLP “comrade” and “leader”. (U42)
e. He is referred to by the PFLP as “Comrade” in January 2012 (U43)
f. Al Khairi was arrested in 2010, and referred to as a Member of the National
Assembly of the PFLP. (U44)
g.

He was arrested in May 2011, and the UAWC condemned his arrest and described
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him as Chairman of their board of directors, a lawyer and a freedom fighter. (doc
U45)
12. Hassan Jaber, a UAWC board member in 2015, is a journalist affiliated with the PFLP.
(U46, U47, U48)
13. Ismat Al-Shouli, was elected a UAWC board member, in 2009 (U49) and again in 2016
(U78).
a. He is also a former leader in the PFLP who was imprisoned by Israel several times
for his involvement with the PFLP terror organization. He was released from prison
in January 2015, after 10 months in administrative detention. (U50)
b. In September 2016 Al Shuli spoke at a PFLP event commemorating PDLP
Secretary General Abu Ali Mustafa, and was referred to as “the leader of the
Popular Front” (U53).
c. He was also described as a “PFLP leader” upon his release from prison in January
2015 (U51).
14. Mouhammad Saqa was a 2009 UAWC board member. (document U49).
a. He is a former branch leader in the PFLP, described as “the leadership of the front
branch comrade” .(U52)
15. Faysal Khalafallah, was a 2009 UAWC board member, (document U49).
a. He is a former senior leader in the PFLP. (U54)
b. There was a PLFP organised memorial service for Khalafallah, when he died in
May 201. Faysal Khalafallah is described as: a member of the PFLP central
committee, who gave his country over 31 years’ service to the PFLP; “a leader
who dedicated his life in the ranks of the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine”; “he was chosen to be one of the members of the Special Unit of the
device's military front, and undergoing a number of cycles of military and security
selection” (i.e. he was active in terrorist military operations) (U54)
16. Taghrid Jouma was elected to the UAWC board in 2008 (U49)and 2010 (U55).
a.

She was referred to in the Arab press as “a member of the central committee of the
Comrade Front” in March 2013. (U56)

b. Jouma was the main speaker at another PFLP event in January 2013, where she was
described as “a member of the PFLP’s Central Committee.” and a leading member
of the PFLP. (U57)
17. Hiba Abdul Kareem was elected to the UAWC Board of Directors in May 2016. (U78).
a. In August 2018, according to the PFLP (U63), Kareem was referred to as the
“Party Master”, and spoke at a PFLP event and “welcomed attendees” in honor of
“martyr Jabhahaoui” under the slogan “going on the path of martyrdom and
resistance.” Kareem’s speech further paid “tribute” to “martyrs.”
b. In November 2017, according to the PFLP, Kareem participated in a PFLP
meeting. (U67) The PFLP cites her as a “project coordinator” and refers to the
speech she gave about project implementation mechanisms at the event.
c. In December 2016, according to the PFLP, (U65) Kareem spoke at a large PFLP
gathering in “memory of the martyr Sami Madi.”
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d. In November 2015, the PFLP referred to Kareem as a “member of the Central
Governate Command and campaign co-ordinator” to help “families in need and
affected by the aggression…” (U66)
18. Maysr Faqih was elected a UAWC board member in 2018 (U32).
a. Maysr Faqih, was also listed as one of the candidates on a PFLP-Palestine
National Initiative Party (PNI) joint list for local elections in 2012. (U69)
19. Muhammad al-Bakri was elected director General of UAWC in 2010 (U55) and in 2012.
( U96)
a. On 16 October 2010 the UAWC, together with the PFLP held an event to express
solidarity with the Secretary-General of PFLP, Ahmad Saadat. (U73) Saadat was
convicted of masterminding the assassination in 2001 of the Israeli Tourism
Minister Rehavam Ze'evi. In his speech al-Bakri, sent his greetings to Ahmad
Saadat and to all Palestinian prisoners and detainees on the eve of “the anniversary
of the Ze'evi’s assassination” (16 October 2010).
b. In 2011 Al Bakri and the UAWC honoured a group of freed prisoners, at an event
attended by leading PFLP officials (U74)
c. In 2012 Al Bakri opened an exhibition, organised by the UAWC, in
commemoration of the Nakba, where they extended greetings to all the prisoners
headed by the secretary general of the popular front, Ahed Saadat. Bakri, then
general manager of UAWC opened the exhibition, which was also attended by
Jamil Al-Azznin, chairman of the board of UAWC. (U75)
20. Yusuf Abd al-Haq was elected a member of UAWC’s board of directors in 2012 (doc U96)
and in 2016. (doc U78)
a. Al Haq was one of the speakers in November 2011 when the UAWC with other
NGOs organised a Farmers, Rural Workers and Fishermen's conference, where
speakers included Aziz Dawaik of Hamas and Ali Jaradat of the PFLP.
b. In October 2012 Al-Haq was released from administrative detention where he had
been since 7 December 2011. He was greeted by a welcoming committee of the
UAWC including Khaled Al Hadmi, the chairman, members of the board of
directors, heads of departments and employees, who demanded the release of all
prisoners from “occupation prisons.” (doc U77)
c. In 2014 Abd al-Haq was referred to as a legal and economic adviser at a UAWC
conference. (U79)
d. In 2018 he took part in the UAWC’s annual general assembly. (U80)
e. Al Haq is referred to on many occasions as a PFLP leader. (U81, U82)
f. In October 2015 Al Haq was referred to as the Leader of the PFLP during a national
meeting organised by the democratic front for the Liberation of Palestine in Nablus.
(U82)
g. In February 2014 according to the PFLP, Abd al-Haq spoke on behalf of the PFLP,
discussing Habash’s life as well as a current political analysis of the Palestinian
cause.” (U83)

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h. In 2014 the Israelis arrested leaders of the PFLP in Nablus, and Dr Yousef AbdulHaq was described as one of the most prominent detainees, according to Al Jazeera.
(doc U84)
21. Ahmad Sufan was elected a member of UAWC’s board of directors in 2010 (U55).
a. Sufan was referred to as a member of the UAWC board of directors when he was
arrested in November 2011. (U77)
b. According to Palestinian media, in 2014 “the members of the PFLP, Ahmad Sufan
and Yasin Farraj were arrested. (Document U85)
22. Muhammad Nujum was manager of UAWC’s Jericho office from around 2012 to
2018.(docs U86 and U87).
a. The UAWC reported that in 2012 Nujum was arrested and held in administrative
detention. (doc U86)
23. Fouad Abu Seif was described in May 2019 as Director General of UAWC. (U70) He
was reported in July 2012 to be director of UAWC’s operations and development
department. (U88, U86)
a. He was arrested in July 2012 after his house in Hebron was stormed by reinforced
forces from the army. (U88)
b. The UAWC denounced his arrest. (U86, U88, U89).
24. Muayad Basharat was UAWC’s project co-ordinator in Jericho. He was arrested on 8
January 2012. (doc 89).
25. Khaled Hidmi was UAWC’s general director until 2015. (U91)
a. In 2014 UAWC opened a new centre to market agricultural products, and its
opening was attended by Hidmi as well as Abdul Rahim Malloh, the then deputy
Secretary General of the PFLP. (U92, U92a)
26. Zakaria Bakr was described in June 2019 as UAWC’s head of Gaza Fisherman
Committee. (U93)
a. He attended a 2014 PFLP Nakba commemoration event, and was referred to in the
Palestinian press as a PFLP “Comrade”. (U94)
b. In February 2016 he attended a PFLP event in support of Palestinian prisoners, and
was again referred to as a PFLP Comrade. (U95)
27. Suliman Shahin works at UAWC Gaza. (U97, U98)
a. Shahin was part of the PFLP’s progressive student action front (PSAF), the student
arm of the PFLP. (U99, U59)
b. Shahin has shared a number of images on his Facebook page, calling for acts of
violence. (U101)
28. Magdy Yaghi is a former member of the UAWC board of directors, having been elected
in 2010 (U55) and in 2012 (U96). In 2019 Yaghi participated in a UAWC event. (doc
U102)
a. The PFLP refers to Yaghi as “a member of the regional command” and a
“comrade”. (doc U105)

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b. In February 2019 Yaghi participated in a memorial service organised by the PFLP
for Maher Yamani, a PFLP founder and member of the Central Committee, and one
of its most prominent military commanders. (U103, 103A))
c. Yaghi was photographed with senior PFLP leaders on 7 December 2013 (doc U104)
d. Yaghi visited a school in Gaza to celebrate the 47th anniversary of the PFLP on 20
December 2014 (doc U104)
e. Yaghi was photographed marching with PFLP members carrying hatchets and
molotov cocktails on 6 November 2015 (doc U104).
29. Ubai Aboudi is the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the UAWC from October 2015
to the present time (24 July 2020) according to his own Linked In profile.(U114) He is
also Executive Director of Bisan Center for Research & Development. (U116) He appeared
in a Facebook post on 2 February 2017 (far right front row) celebrating the signing of an
$11.25m contract with the Dutch Government, on behalf of UAWC. (U115)
a. In early 2005 he was arrested, along with two others in a PFLP terrorist cell, who
were planning an attack at the Latrun Armory Museum and to carry out a shooting
attack against an IDF vehicle and abduct the soldiers' bodies. (U117)
b. Aboudi was also arrested in 2010, and had spent over four years in Israeli prisons
on charges including membership of the PFLP, according to an Amnesty
International report. (U118)
c. On 13 November 2019 Aboudi was arrested, as part of a 50 person PFLP terrorist
cell, and issued a four month administrative detention order. (U118)
d. Aboudi is referred to in the indictment of Farraj (see above) as a PFLP member who
met with Farraj in September 2019 and Farraj told Aboudi to recruit more members
to the cell. (U119)
The 2012 AusAid Report on UAWC
30. An AusAid Report dated 17 October 2012 (U129 and U130) was produced in response to
a report by Shurat HaDin alleging that UAWC had links to the PFLP, and sought to deny
these allegations. The AusAid Report stated that UAWC was officially registered in
Israel itself, and that Israel did not consider UAWC to be a terrorist organisation, as the
basis for denying the allegations that UAWC was linked to the PFLP. However,
information in the AusAid Report was subsequently rebutted by the Israeli Government.
In particular:
a) The AusAid Report states at page 1 that “the government of Israel does not consider
UAWC to be a terrorist entity”. However, a letter from Israel’s General Security
Service (the Shin Bet) dated 28 March 2017 confirms that the “UAWC”, which was
registered in the Gaza Strip, was a body which operates on behalf of the Popular Front
for the Liberation of Palestine”. (U127).
b) A letter from the State of Israel Ministry of Justice Corporations Authority
Enforcement and Supervision dated 4 April 2017 (the Letter) confirmed that UAWC
operated “on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine” (U128)

8

c) The AusAid Report states that UAWC has had a Jerusalem based office since 1996.
However, both letters (U127 and U128) confirm that UAWC was never in Israel – it
was registered in Gaza at that time.
d) Another entity, “the Committee of Agricultural Works” (CAW), had been registered in
Jerusalem, but did not submit any documents at all relating to its activities. For this
reason the registrar struck off CAW from the register of not for profit organisations on
25 January 2018. (U128)
e) The UAWC were found to have fraudulently provided foreign donors (such as World
Vision Australia, which acted on behalf of AusAid) with the Israeli charity
registration documents of another entity CAW, falsely claiming them as its own in an
effort to obtain government funding.
31. Australia donated to UAWC via another charity, World Vision, which carried out due
diligence on its behalf. However, World Vision’s charity operations manager in Gaza,
Muhammad el-Halabi, was indicted for diverting the charity's funds to Hamas on 4
August 2016. He remains in an Israeli prison, and his trial is progressing. (U132)
32. Following this arrest the Australians halted their cooperation with World Vision and
stopped funding UAWC. Worldvision also stopped its funding in Gaza.

The References in this document can be accessed at the following locations:
U1 to U15:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ra9rbekdlzj7a4/U1%20to%20U15%20PFLP%20Info.pdf?dl=0
U16 to U40: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9w6v5elbu4fm4t7/U16U40%20UAWC%20and%20PFLP%20links.pdf?dl=0
U41 to U80:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2dis0e0zh7667mz/U41%20to%20U80%20UAWC%20and%20P
FLP%20links.pdf?dl=0
U81 to U105:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ae52xn0bbgza8v5/U81%20to%20U105%20UAWC%20and%20
PFLP%20links.pdf?dl=0
U113 to U131
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7nwuev7d854m20q/U113%20to%20U131%20UAWC%20and%
20PFLP%20links.pdf?dl=0

9