LONDON: More than 100 Hollywood stars and other celebrities have penned a letter decrying the Israeli government’s decision to designate six prominent Palestinian charities as terrorist organizations.
Among the letter’s signatories are actors Tilda Swinton, Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere, director Ken Loach and musician Jarvis Cocker.
The joint letter described the move as “an unprecedented and blanket attack on Palestinian human rights defenders.”
Last month, Israel designated six Palestinian charities that advocate regularly for human rights as terrorist organizations for their perceived links to Palestinian militant groups.
Among the proscribed groups were Al-Haq — which issues reports on diverse issues including Israeli home demolitions and Palestinian Authority prison abuses — and Addameer, which represents Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli military courts. Another, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, is a non-profit advocacy group working to protect Palestinian farmers.
Some of the groups have received international funding, including from the EU and individual European countries.
The stars’ letter condemned this decision, stating: “The designations target six of the most eminent Palestinian human rights defenders engaged in critical human rights work and cover all aspects of civil society in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
The celebrity letter follows other statements from western human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, which issued a rare joint statement. They said Israel’s “appalling and unjust decision” to blacklist the Palestinian charities was “an attack by the Israeli government on the international human rights movement.”
The designations mean Israeli authorities can close the groups’ offices, seize their assets and arrest their staff in the West Bank, the rights groups said.
The move has drawn condemnation from the UN, which called it “the latest development in a long stigmatizing campaign against these and other organizations, damaging their ability to deliver on their crucial work.”
Israel defended the ban on the groups, saying they used “forgery and deceit” to access international funding that is allegedly funneled to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which has engaged in attacks on Israeli citizens and security forces.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said: “How the international community responds will be a true test of its resolve to protect human rights defenders. We are proud to work with our Palestinian partners and have been doing so for decades. They represent the best of global civil society.”
