Joint Statement on Six Palestinian Civil Society Organisations

Statement by the Spokespersons of the Foreign Ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands

On October 22 2021, Israel designated six Palestinian civil society organisations as terrorist organisations. Accusations of terrorism or links to terrorist groups must always be treated with the utmost seriousness. The designations needed therefore to be assessed carefully and extensively. No substantial information was received from Israel that would justify reviewing our policy towards the six Palestinian NGOs on the basis of the Israeli decision to designate these NGOs as 'terrorist organizations'. Should evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly. In the absence of such evidence we will continue our cooperation and strong support for the civil society in the oPt. A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values and for the two-state solution.