John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last month the Israeli defence minister took the unprecedented action of designating six Palestinian human rights and civil society organisations as terrorist entities. These NGOs are among the most prominent human rights organisations in the occupied territories. They have a proven record of competence, credibility and professionalism. Consistently and courageously, they have vocally acted in defence of the Palestinian people and human rights. They brought Israeli repression, colonial expansion and apartheid policies under the spotlight for a global audience.

The groups Al-Haq and Addameer have been responsible for providing the International Criminal Court with information that is central to the investigation into possible war crimes committed by Israel within occupied Palestinian territory. Both receive financial assistance from the Irish taxpayer through Irish Aid. Both organisations also receive funding from the EU and other international organisations. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, previously outlined the depth of the oversight his Department maintains on organisations funded through Irish Aid.

There are strict controls governing the spending of funds coupled with independent evaluations and auditing.

I welcome the Minister's comments in the aftermath of the designation. He stated that Ireland would continue to support these organisations as the Israeli authorities have failed to provide any proof that supports the designation of the NGOs as terrorist entities. The French media outlet Mediapart published the evidence proffered by Israel and, along with all other objective observers of the evidence, concluded that the Israeli authorities have no real evidence against the NGOs. All of these groups - Al-Haq, Defense for Children International - Palestine, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees and Bisan Center for Research and Development - play a critical role in promoting international law, human rights and democratic values in the occupied Palestinian territory. The decision to designate the groups as terrorist entities is an attempt by the Israeli Government to incapacitate the NGOs in order to silence their work in bringing global attention to the human rights abuses, the colonial expansion of settlements and the apartheid policies of Israel which have carved the Palestinian territory up into a series of Bantustans. John Dugard, a South African legal scholar and former UN rapporteur, has stated, "Even the apartheid regime in South Africa never outlawed human rights defenders in the manner that Israel just did when it declared six Palestinian organisations to be 'terrorist organisations'." Israel means to smear, to persecute and to delegitimise these groups in front of a global audience to create an international chilling effect that would end the funding of these NGOs by countries such as Ireland and institutions such as the EU.

Earlier this month we learnt that an Israeli security company with close affiliations to the Israeli Government and security apparatuses had installed spyware onto the personal phones of staff members of Palestinian human rights organisations to monitor their communications and their locations. Ireland must make clear that we as a society and as a people who have worn the yoke of colonial oppression are prepared to stand in solidarity with any legitimate organisation committed to democratic and human rights principles. Although it has been over a month since the designation of the groups occurred, the EU has yet to state clearly that it rejects the Israeli designation, nor has it called on Israel to revoke its decision or in any way made clear that it will continue to fund the NGOs. It is critical that the Irish Government gives a commitment not only that the funding to these groups will continue but also that it will do everything possible to guarantee their safety. We must demand that Israel rescind immediately its designation and guarantee the safety and welfare of all the six organisations and the people who work for them.

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