Conflating Human Rights Advocacy with Terrorism: Israel’s Designation of Six Palestinian Human Rights Organizations as 'Terrorist'
Israel’s Ministry of Defense designated six prominent Palestinian human rights organizations — Al-Haq, Defense for Children International - Palestine, Addameer, Bisan Center for Research and Development, Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees — as “terrorist organizations” on Friday October 22nd, 2021. These organizations now face increased political isolation and operational challenges as they continue to work to expose and seek accountability for Israeli human rights abuses.
Join the Center for Palestine Studies at Columbia University, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the Institute for Palestine Studies for a panel discussion on 18 November 2021 with Sahar Francis (Addameer), Khaled Quzmar (Defense for Children International - Palestine), Katherine Franke (Columbia Law School) Maria LaHood (Center for Constitutional Rights) and Rashid Khalidi (Columbia University). The event will begin at 1pm NY / 8pm Palestine.
The conversation will address the work of Addameer and Defense for Children International-Palestine in particular, the new challenges imposed by the Israeli government's designation, and how the organizations plan to move forward.
Panelists
Sahar Francis is the Director of Ramallah-based Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, a Palestinian NGO providing legal and advocacy support to Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. An attorney by training, she joined the association in 1998, first as a human rights lawyer, then as head of the Legal Unit, and became the Director in 2006. With over sixteen years of human rights experience, including human rights counseling and representation, Ms. Francis was also on the Board of Defense for Children International – Palestine Section for 4 years, and was on the Board of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees.
Maria LaHood is Deputy Legal Director at the Center for Constitutional Rights, where she represents Palestinian rights advocates facing suppression in the United States in cases such as Bronner v. Duggan, defending against a challenge to the American Studies Association’s resolution endorsing a boycott of Israeli academic institutions; and Jewish National Fund v. US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, a case challenging human rights advocacy under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Read more.
Khaled Quzmar is General Director of Defense for Children International - Palestine. Quzmar joined DCIP in 1995 as a lawyer representing Palestinian children in Israeli military courts. He rose through the ranks to become administrative and legal affairs director. He holds a master's degree in international human rights law. He specializes in issues of juvenile justice and grave violations against children during armed conflict. He earned a Master of Laws degree in international human rights law from the Irish Center for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland Galway.
Moderators
Katherine Franke is James L. Dohr Professor of Law, Columbia Law School. Read more.
Rashid Khalidi is Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies, Columbia University. Read more.
About the Organizations
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association is a Palestinian non-governmental, civil institution that works to support Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. Established in 1991 by a group of activists interested in human rights, the center offers free legal aid to political prisoners, advocates their rights at the national and international level, and works to end torture and other violations of prisoners' rights through monitoring, legal procedures and solidarity campaigns. Read more.
Defense for Children International - Palestine is an independent, local Palestinian child rights organization dedicated to defending and promoting the rights of children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Since 1991, we have investigated, documented, and exposed grave human rights violations against children; provided legal services to children in urgent need; held Israeli and Palestinian authorities accountable to universal human rights principles; and advocated at the international and national levels to advance access to justice and protection for children. Read more.
