Australian human rights community solidarity statement with Palestinian human rights organisations & defenders

27 October 2021

We the undersigned individuals and organisations in Australia condemn Israel’s latest dangerous attack on Palestinian human rights institutions in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT).

The State of Israel’s designation of six Palestinian human rights organisations and unions as “terrorist” organisations is designed to criminalise, persecute, and silence Palestinian civil society and human rights defenders for their commitment to the struggle against Israeli occupation, entrenched settler-colonialism, and apartheid. It is a dangerous attack on the internationally protected rights of freedom of speech, association, and assembly.

The organisations targeted include: Addameer – Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association; Al Haq – Law in the Service of Man; Bisan Center for Research and Development; Defense for Children International – Palestine; the Union of Agricultural Work Committees; and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees.

Palestinian human rights organisations are critical to documenting decades of grave abuses by Israeli occupation authorities, many of which are said to amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. They undertake their work at great risk to themselves and operate in a context of war and military occupation. Their offices are routinely raided, property, including sensitive evidence and equipment is confiscated, and their staff are subject to arrest, harassment, intimidation, and travel bans. Palestinian human rights organisations also play a critical role in documenting abuses by Palestinian authorities.

The consequences of this new measure will further criminalise their human rights activities and license Israeli authorities to close their offices, seize their assets, arrest, and imprison their staff. It will also prohibit funding and public expression of support for their work.

The targeting of a children’s rights organisation is particularly egregious. Palestinian children as young as 12 years old are detained at alarming rates in a military detention system, and are prosecuted in a separate judicial system assigned to them, Israel’s military courts. These prominent Palestinian human rights, prisoner’s rights and children’s rights organisations, and women’s and agricultural workers’ unions, are recognised internationally for their courageous work. In 2018, Al Haq was awarded the prestigious French honour the Human Rights Prize of the French Republic – Liberty – Equality – Fraternity, and in 2020, the Gwynne Skinner Human Rights Award presented by the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable.

This move represents an escalation of punitive efforts by Israeli authorities in their ongoing campaign to delegitimise Palestinian human rights organisations and defenders. Israel’s proxies working with, and for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, routinely target institutional donors, supporters, and partners of Palestinian human rights organisations with misinformation and defamatory campaigns designed to defund, discredit and silence their work in exposing Israel’s catalogue of abuses.

This brazen act represents an emboldened Israel that systematically violates the rights of Palestinians with impunity, buttressed by the international community who have for decades failed to challenge and confront Israel’s human rights abuses by imposing meaningful and effective measures in response to these egregious abuses. This includes successive Australian governments entering into agreements that foster Israeli defence industry partnerships, and Australia’s abysmal voting record and interventions at international forums such as the Human Rights Council, Security Council, General Assembly, and the International Criminal Court.

In addition to the dangers that these designations present to a shrinking Palestinian civic space, it also has implications for Australians and Australian organisations who collaborate with, and rely on the work of, Palestinian human rights organisations.

We echo the sentiments of global organisations Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International who stated that: “This appalling and unjust decision is an attack by the Israeli government on the international human rights movement.”

We are responding to a call for support from a collective of Palestinian human rights organisations to condemn these measures and reiterate support for Palestinian civil society organisations.

We stand in solidarity with Palestinian human rights organisations against these repressive Israeli efforts to stifle their critical work.

We call on the Australian Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to condemn these outrageous attacks on Palestinian human rights organisations and human rights defenders and to demand that Israel’s occupation authorities reverse these arbitrary decisions immediately.

We further call on the Australian Government to end its complicity with Israel’s violations of international law.

Organisations

Gamilaraay Next Generation

Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance – WAR

Fighting In Solidarity Towards Treaties (FISTT)

ACF Community Adelaide

ActionAid Australia

Addi Road Community Organisation

Alice Springs Peace Action Think Tank (ASPATT)

Amnesty International Australia

Anglican Overseas Aid

Arab Australian Federation Inc

Arab Council Australia

Arab Theatre Studio

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre

Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR)

Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN)

Australian Council for International Development (ACFID)

Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)

Australian Friends of Palestine Association

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights

Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)

Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights

Australian Palestinian Professionals Association

Australian Services Union, NSW & ACT (Services) Branch

Australians for Palestine

BDS Australia

Beit Jala Palestinian Association, Victoria

Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament (CICD)

Canberra Palestinian Community(CPC)

Casey Friends of Palestinian Community Group

CFMEU Qld/NT

Christians for Peace Newcastle

Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine (Sydney)

Democracy in Colour

Electrical Trades Union of Australia

Federation of Italian of Italian Migrant Workers and their Families FILEF Sydney

Free Palestine Melbourne

Friends of Bethlehem Inc.

Friends of Hebron Sydney

Friends of Palestine Tasmania Inc.

Friends of Sabeel Australia

Free Gaza Australia

Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights

Hunar Symposia

Independent and Peaceful Australia Network

Independent Australian Jewish Voices

International Commission of Jurists Australia

ICJ Victoria

Islamic Council of Victoria

Jews Against the Occupation Sydney

Josephite Justice Network

Kuranda Wholefoods

Kufiyas Australia

Loud Jew Collective

Marrickville Peace Group

Medical Association for Prevention of War

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Justice and Peace Centre

Multicultural Youth Affairs Network NSW

Muslim Legal Network NSW

Navarro & Associates Lawyers

Northern Beaches Committee for Palestine

Our Race

Palestine Fair Trade Australia (PFTA)

Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network (PIEN)

Pax Christi Australia

PEARL

PermaQueer

Quakers Australia

Queensland Council of Unions

Rail Tram and Bus Union, Qld

Refugee Art Project

Road to Refuge

The Department of Homo Affairs

Third Space

Tzedek Collective

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA

UnionsACT

United Australian Palestinian Workers

United Workers Union

we are the mainstream

Individuals

Abdul Aleem

Adel Yousif

Adriana Navarro

Dr Ahmad Shboul AM

Alan Griffin, former Minister for Veterans Affairs 2007-10

Alan Musry

Alex Moulis

Ali Kazak

Ali Ozturk

Alice Beauchamp

Alison Ryan

Alison Whittaker, Jumbunna Institute

Alissar Gazal

Alya Khan

Dr Amanda Jane Ruler

Professor Amanda Wise Macquarie University

Amer Saabi

Amin Abbas

Amr Zaid Abdallah

Andrew Irving

Andrew Leach

Andre Vatarescu

Andy Rose, LGBTQ community member, public housing advocate

Anisa Hamood

Anita Chan

Anita Masson

Dr Ann Hamblin

Ann Hughes

Ann Zubrick

Anne Bourne

Anne Bowman

Anne Finnerty LLB

Dr Anne Monsour

Anne Patterson

Bryan Dawe

Dr Cait Storr, Law Faculty, UTS

Caitlin Setter

Carl Lantzke

Carol Powell

Caroline Graham

Caroline Le Couteur

Cathy Peters

Cathy Slaughter

Catriona Devlin, csb.

Cecilia Bendall

Charlotte Faine

Professor Chris Cunneen

Chris Hayes MP

Chris Rawlinson

Chris Steytler

Christine Pilbrow

Claire Moore,  former Queensland Senator

Claudia Chidiac

Claudia Hyles

Colin Redmond

Dr Connal Lee

Councillor Colin Hesse

David and Valerie Glauser

Dr David Brophy,University of Sydney

David Cronin

Dr David Glanz

David Grybowski

David Steel

David Wheeler

Dr David Zyngier

Dean Farrow

Debbie Stothard

Dr Görkem Acaroğlu

Greg Barns SC, former National President Australian Lawyers Alliance

Dr Greg Giannis

Greg Thompson

Dr Gregory Jenks, Dean of Grafton

H Hafez

A/ Professor Hadia Haikal-Mukhtar OAM

Haifa Zeitoun

Hassan Moussa

Hazem Shammas

Dr Helen McCue

Helen van den Berg

Helene Fisher

Henriette Zeitoun

Hiba Farra

Hilmi Dabbagh

Adjunct Professor Holly Cullen

Hon Dr Barry Jones AC

Hon Amanda Fazio former President of the NSW Legislative Council

Hon Melissa Parke, former Minister for International Development, former Federal MP

Hon Sandra Kanck, former Member of the South Australian Legislative Council

Ian Geoffrey Lording

Ian McGregor

Ian Newman

Ian Parmeter, former Australian Ambassador to Lebanon

Ian Tuit

Ihab Shalbak

Ilhaam Soeker

Dr Imad Berro

Jo Hobson

Joan Errington

Joan Wright

Joannie Lee

Joe Shamass

Joe Shamass

Joel Wootten

Joelle Battestini-Newman

John and Sandra Brennan

John Apostolakis

Dr John Guy

John Hanna Karkar QC

Professor John Langmore AM, Melbourne School of Government

John Maait

John Menadue AO, Publisher Pearls and Irritations

John Neve

Jon Atkins

Jon Jureidini, University of Adelaide

Jon Stanhope AO, ACT Chief Minister 2001-2011

Jonathan Pilbrow

Jonathon Piasente

Dr Jordana Silverstein, Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne

Joseph Halevi

Professor Joseph Pugliese, Macquarie University

Judy Collings

Dr Julia Dehm, La Trobe Law School

Julia King

Leonie Lundy

Lila Zanrosso

Professor Linda Briskman

Linda Shboul

Dr Linda Steele, University of Technology

Lindy Patrick

Dr Lionel Bopage, Human rights and social activist

Lorel Thomas

Lorraine Young

Loubna haikal

Louis Haddad

Louisa Romanous

Louise Adler

Louise Pain

Professor Lucas Lixinski, UNSW Law & Justice

Lucia Sorbera, University of Sydney

Lydia Mardirian

Madeleine Blackwell

Mal Simmons

Marek Szyler

Margaret Reynolds

Margaret Walters

Mariam Maatooq

Marion Ferguson

Mark Berthold, School teacher

Mark Window

Professor Martha Augoustinos

Martin Geliot

Martin Munz

Mary Kelly

Dr Nicholas Harrigan

Nick Deane

Nick Riemer

Nicole Livar

Nicole M Barakat

Nikolai Haddad, Lawyer

Ntina Tzouvala, ANU College of Law

Omaim Albaghdady

P Limb

Dr Padraic Gibson, Senior Researcher, Jumbunna Institute, UTS

Pamela  Jenkins

Pamela Bell

Patricia Hovey

Patricia Hovey

Patrick Fletcher

Paul Noack

Paul Norman

Paul Thomas Underwood

Dr Paula Abood

Paula Russell

Peter Adams

Dr Peter Geelan-Small

Peter Gill

Peter J Griffin

Professor Peter Macdonald AM

Peter Manning, Adjunct Professor of Communications, UTS

Peter Moss

Dr Peter Slezak, Honorary Associate Professor UNSW

Dr Petro Alexiou

Russell Hawkins

Dr Safdar Ahmed

Salah Hammad

Dr Sam Pari

Sambavi Seermaran

Samya Jabbour

Sana Abo-Khalil

Sana Abo-Khalil

Sandra Rogers

Sandy Marty

Dr Sara Dehm, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, UTS

Sara Dowse

Sara Saleh, Campaigner and writer

Sarah Enderby

Sarah Ibrahim

Scott Ludlam, former Senator of the Australian Parliament

Seamus Martin

Sean Nugent

Dr Selvaraj Velayutham

Shaoquett Moselmane, MLC NSW Parliament

Dr Shaun Wilson, A/Prof, Sociology, Macquarie University

Shazleen Lateef

Shelley Marshall Lichtman, RMIT Business and Human Rights Centre

Shirley Winton

Siddiq Buckley

Sisonke Msimang, Writer

Sofia Yiannikas

Sonia von Bornemann

Dr Yana Taylor

Yamane Fayed

Yehia Yousri Mishriki

Yul Scarf

Yvonne Antoun

Zarin Lateef

Zeina Iaali, Artist

Ziad Jawad

Anne Picot

Anne Warren

Anne Yuille

Annette Brownlie

Annie Pfingst

Anoushka Alexander

Dr Anthea Vogl, Faculty of Law, UTS

Dr Antonina Gentile

Antony Carey

Apsara Sabaratnam

Assad Abdi

Associate Professor Jeanine Leane, University of Melbourne

Atika Hussain, Lawyer

Avanithah Selvarajah

Barbara Bloch

Barbara Fitzgerald

Barbara Paterson

Bashir Sawalha

Bek Christensen

Bek Reynolds

Belinda Lloyd

Dr Ben Silverstein

Ben Spies-Butcher

Dr Benjamin Law, Writer & broadcaster

Professor Ben Saul, Challis Chair of International Law, University of Sydney

Bernadette Hobbs

Bernard Parker

Bishop George Browning

Brad Watts

Brahmmi Kumarasamy

Brami Jegan

Brett Morgan

Brian and Maureen Arnott

Brigitta Olubas, Professor

Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran, PhD candidate, ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance

Diana Sayed, International human rights lawyer and advocate

Dieter Barkhoff

Don McFeat, former DFAT officer

Don Nardella, former Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly

Doug Cameron, Former Australian Senator

Dr Barbara Baird

Eberhard Frank

Eddie Synot, Lecturer Griffith University

Eddie Zananiri

Edith Bransbury

Edward Hurley

Dr Eileen Whitehead

Esperanza Marzouka

Evelyn Williames

Father Claude Mostowik msc

Fatima Ali

Fay Kennedy

Fayrouz Ajaka

Firstdog Onthemoon

Frances Clarke, Associate Professor, University of Sydney

Friends of Hebron

Garry Gillard

Gavin Marshall, former Senator of the Australian Parliament

Dr Geoffrey Bradshaw

George Mercier

Glenn Osboldstone

Gok-Lim Finch

Irena Boydell

Irene Nichols

Isabel Cueva-Fernandez

Isabelle Skaburskism, Senior Associate, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers

Issa Shaweesh

Jack Desbiolles

Jackie Antoun

Dr Jacqueline Mackaway

Jafar M. Ramini

Jake Lynch, Associate Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney

James Ingram AO FAIIA, former Australian Ambassador; former Executive Director UN World Food Programme

James Godfrey

James Macdonald

James Mann

Jan Bartlett, 3CR

Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs

Jane Sanders

Janet Lucas

Jasmine Pilbrow

Jean John

Jeanette Lucas

Jeanine Hourani, Activist and researcher

Jeff Dickinson

Jeff Loewenstein

Jennie Bloom

Jennifer Killen

Jennifer Robinson, Doughty Street Chambers

Jennifer Vuletic

Jennine Khalik

Jeremy Dawson

Jessica Hunter

Jill Hall JP, Former Federal Member for Shortland

Jo Errey

Julianne Abood

Julie Hart

Julie Webb-Pullman

Dr Jumana Bayeh

Kaliyah Kingi

Karen Nikolic

Kathleen Damm

Kathryn Barrington

Kathryn Kelly

Dr Katie Hepworth

Kay de Vogel

Kea Cranko

Kellie Tranter, Lawyer, researcher and human rights activist

Ken Enderby

Ken Matahari

Kerry Sawtell

Kevin Brown

Kevin Fine

Khalid Al Bostanji

Kinchana Pathirana, Justice Advocate

Kirsty Anantharajah

Kylie Haldeman

Kym Connell, Lawyer

Lana Tatour, Lecturer, University of New South Wales

Larry Lawson

Laurie Berg

Laurie Ferguson AO, former Federal MP

Laurie Izaks MacSween

Lee Rhiannon, former Senator of the Australian Parliament

Leila Shunnar

Lena Nahlous

Mary Kostakidis

Mary Lee

Mary R.

Marziya Mohammedali

Matt Chun

Maxine Beneba Clarke, Writer

Dr Maya Kayali

Meera Seermaran

Meggan Meuleman

Senator Mehreen Farqui

Professor Emeritus Merran Evans

Michael Beahan

Michael Fortescue

Michael White

Michelle Berkon

Michelle Fahy, Researcher and journalist

Dr Michelle Imison

Miriam Margolyes

Mohamed Zorob

Moira O’Leary

Moones Mansoubi

Mostafa Al-Zaqzouq

Mouna Kheir

Ms Ariadne Dion

Muayad Ali

Dr Na’ama Carlin

Nabil Abdi

Nadeem Al-Shareef

Nadia Zeaiter

Nadyat El Gawley

Narrelle Sattout-Day

Naser Shakhtour

Nasser Mashni

Natalie Anne Fuller

Dr Niall McLaren

Phil Davies

Phil Lynch

Phoenix Leonard

Randa Abdel-Fattah, Author and academic

Rayan Alan

Rebecca Sheehan

Reeda Kassis

Reem Abdalla

Rei de Vries

Rev Dr Helen Richmond

Rev Dr Sarah Bachelard

Rev Gregor Henderson

Rev Pancras Jordan

Richard Bentley

Dr Richard K Barnes

Richard Steele

Richard Stone

Rick Kuhn

Rita Alfar

Robert Austin PhD, Honorary Associate, Dept. of History, University of Sydney

Robert Birch

Robert Newton, former Australian Ambassador to Egypt

A/Prof Robin Stevens PhD

Robyne Stacey

Dr Rodrigo Acuña

Roger Lamey

Romina Beitseen

Ron Witton, Member, Jews Against the Occupation

Rosie Yuille

Roslyn Henderson

Ross Burns, Australian Ambassador to Israel 2001-2003

Sonja Sedmak

Sophie Trevitt

Souheir Edelbi, Lecturer, School of Law

Srisha Sritharan

Professor Emeritus Stuart Rees

Dr Sue Wareham OAM

Professor Sujatha Fernandes

Susan Edmondson

Susan Kelly

Susan Shepherd

Suzanne Clarke

Tameeka Tighe

Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law University of Technology Sydney

Tim Grace

Tim Hall

Tobia Fattore

Tom Knowles

Tommy Clarke, Human rights campaigner

Tony Crehan

Tonya Jensen

Toula Serna

Veronica Korman, Human rights lawyer

Vincent Coleman

Virginia Geddes

Viviana Ramírez, Senior teacher of Spanish (Retired)

Vivienne Porzsolt

Walid Barham

Wendy Egan

Wendy Fenton

Wendy Morony

Wendy Turner

 

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