In the middle of the night, Israeli soldiers raided the offices of the internationally respected Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq in Ramallah, West Bank, last week. They forced doors and inspected files. Six other organizations also had to deal with such raids, after which the entrance was sealed and welded with metal plates.
As if it were a terrorist hideout. And that was exactly the impression that Israel is trying to create. According to the Israeli authorities, Al-Haq and the other organizations are working together with the left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which has often carried out attacks on targets in Israel in the past. That’s why, Israel says, Al-Haq and the others themselves were also branded terrorist organizations last fall.
The raids were widely criticized. The Netherlands was one of nine EU member states that called the Israeli action “unacceptable”. The nine had concluded in July after an investigation that Israel had not provided sufficient evidence for its accusations. Al-Haq and the others have also strenuously denied involvement in terrorism.
Meanwhile, experienced Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard, who assists Al-Haq, is trying to find out what exactly Al-Haq is being accused of. “They say that Al-Haq is an arm of the PFLP but they refuse to say what that is based on,” he says from Tel Aviv. “It’s like being accused of murder, but the justice system doesn’t want to tell you who you killed and where and when. How can you defend yourself like that?”
Why do you think Israel is doing this?
“I have no doubt that the attempt to shut down Al-Haq is part of Israel’s strategy to thwart the International Criminal Court’s investigation into war crimes in The Hague. It’s no secret that Al-Haq helped the ICC. That’s clever of Israel. After all, it is difficult for the ICC to conduct an effective investigation without the help of local partners, in order to find victims and witnesses.”
But why acted so hard?
“Israel first hoped that charges of terrorism would stop foreign donors from funding Al-Haq and the other organizations, causing them to bleed to death. European countries concluded in July that there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations and the European Commission, which had frozen aid to Al-Haq, had it resumed. Israel realized that its strategy was in danger of failing and therefore decided to escalate.”
Verbal support is not enough, concrete actions must follow
What do you think will happen now?
“I suspect that the leaders of Al-Haq and the other organizations will soon be arrested unless strong counter-pressure is applied from abroad. There have already been threats against the leaders that they should not try to reopen their offices. By the way, I also received a letter that I need permission from the Ministry of Defense to continue defending Al-Haq. This really affects the freedom of lawyers to do their job.”
What support do you expect from abroad?
“Verbal support is not enough. Concrete actions will have to follow. Europe in particular will have to make it clear that this will not allow relations with Israel to continue as they were. Europe can have a lot of influence on Israel because of its close ties in many areas, especially commercially. They should treat Israel like authoritarian regimes that violate human rights. When Europe turns a blind eye, its credibility is tarnished.”
And what if Israel ignores all criticism and shuts down Al-Haq?
“I don’t think Israel will succeed in silencing Palestinian society in the long run. Not even by using more and more violence. Ultimately, that approach is stupid. No nation is occupied voluntarily. They are all fighting for their freedom in the end.”
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of August 26, 2022