Israel's Attack on Palestinian Civil Society

In October, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz declared six Palestinian human rights organizations to be “terrorist” groups. The targeted groups form the backbone of Palestinian civil society. Collectively, the organizations document Israeli human rights abuses and offer direct aid to Palestinians crushed by the Israeli occupation, whether it’s farmers facing Israeli settler land theft or children detained in Israel’s military court system. Gantz’s declaration placed the organizations at severe risk, making their employees potentially subject to arrest for working in a banned organization.

To learn more about what’s behind Israel’s moves and what it means for the future of Palestinian civil society, Senior Reporter Alex Kane interviews Palestinian American analyst Yousef Munayyer and Sarit Michaeli, International Advocacy Officer for B’Tselem, the leading Israeli human rights organization. 

Articles Mentioned:

“Secret Israeli Document Offers No Proof to Justify Terror Label for Palestinian Groups,” by Yuval Abraham, Oren Ziv, Meron Rapoport

“The Long Arm of Israeli Repression,” by Yousef Munayyer

“Report: NSO Spyware Found on 6 Palestinian Activists’ Phones,” by Frank Bajak and Joseph Krauss

“Palestinian Diplomats Targeted by Israeli Spyware, Official Says,” by Patrick Kingsley and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad

“Private Israeli Spyware Used to Hack Cellphones,” by Dana Priest, Craig Timberg, and Souad Mekhennet 

Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”