Dear Friend, 

In the past month, we’ve fought some crucial battles and secured a number of legal victories, which we bring to you in this month’s newsletter, along with some useful resources to continue mobilising for Palestine. 

CASE UPDATES

Dutch court confirms: Expressing solidarity with the Palestinian resistance is protected under Dutch law 

Palestinian employee Nouraldin Alsweirki has won a landmark legal victory over his former employer, Dutch software company Speakap B.V., which fired him in October 2023 over LinkedIn posts in which he supported the right of the Palestinian people to resist the Zionist settler-colonial occupation. In November 2024, the Court of Amsterdam affirmed that Speakap had discriminated against Nouraldin based on his political beliefs and ordered the company to pay a significant compensation to him. Now, three months later, Speakap officially let the deadline to appeal the Court’s decision expire, making the judgement final. This case was won in a collaboration with lawyer Seyma Arikan from Spuistraat 10 Advocaten. Read more

We call it a landmark because it shows that expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people, including speaking out for the right of the Palestinian people to resist the Zionist settler-colonial occupation also through armed struggle, is a protected political belief on the basis of which you cannot be discriminated against under Dutch anti-discrimination law. The ELSC encourages employees to express any form of solidarity, keep records of the repression by your employer whenever it occurs, and reach out to the ELSC for legal support or advice as soon as possible. 

This legal victory demonstrates that there can no longer be impunity for employers that repress anti-genocide, anti-apartheid, and anti-colonial voices, so let there be none. Speak out. Collect evidence. End the impunity. 

Attempted criminalisation of the slogan ‘Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea’. Hearing at the Tiergarten District Court suspiciously postponed   

On Monday, 27 January 2025, another case in the attempted criminalisation of the slogan ‘Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea’ should have been heard at the Tiergarten District Court. The Berlin public prosecutor had opened an investigation against filmmaker Dror Dayan for the use of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organisations (§ 86a StGB), pressing charges. The case concerns a Twitter comment from November 2023, in which Dror Dayan denounced the criminalisation of the slogan in Germany.   

However, the judge postponed the ruling on spurious grounds, citing that an expert witness could not attend the trial for health reasons. The expert witness in question is a police officer in the Berlin State Criminal Police who had written and submitted an extensive report to clarify whether the slogan “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea” constitutes a symbol of Hamas, highlighting that the slogan had been used by a large political spectrum for many decades, and concluding that there was no compelling evidence to claim the slogan was a Hamas symbol in particular. Check out Dror’s interview with left Berlin

SHARE THIS IMPORTANT UPDATE!

Vienna Administrative Court Declares Police Raid of Palestine Solidarity Encampment Vienna Unconstitutional  

ELSC’s Senior Legal Officer Kiran comments: “We welcome the ruling obtained by our partner lawyers in Austria as a legal victory against the increasingly authoritarian anti-Palestinian repression committed by European police authorities. The court made it abundantly clear that freedom of expression and assembly are constitutional rights which are not to be granted by the police but, rather, must be protected by the authorities. This ruling can serve as a legal precedent for similar unlawful police actions against the growing Palestine solidarity movement in Europe.”  Read More.

SUPPORT THE LEGAL AID FUND

Setting up a small monthly donation to our legal aid fund can go a long way to ensure ELSC’s stability and security at this critical time where we face an all-time-high number of repression cases. We cannot do this alone, and we need your help to continue supporting the movement!

ELSC EVENTS

Last week, our Senior Communications Officer Abir spoke at a panel organised by Palinale 2025 in Berlin on “Manufacturing Consent in Germany: who’s (dis)informing the narrative on Palestine?”. The discussion addressed how public opinion is manufactured in Germany; how we are (dis)informed about wars abroad and at home; who’s arranging the facts and non-facts presented to us in film, news media, and academia; who determines the vocabularies and grammars used in German discussions on Palestine; and who decides which opinions are allowed and which views are prohibited in Germany.

On February 12th, we held a special discussion on the occasion of the new submission of the Ziada case before the European Court of Human Rights, challenging the Netherlands’ decision to grant immunity to Israeli officials accused of war crimes. Joined by UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese, and leading experts in the field of international justice and human rights advocacy, we discussed the challenges faced by legal activists, the role of the Netherlands in upholding international justice, and the broader implications for accountability for international crimes committed by Israel.  

ELSC IN THE MEDIA

Nouraldin, Seyma, and ELSC’s Juul were interviewed by several Dutch media about the landmark legal victory of Nouraldin shared earlier in this newsletter. In a video of Left Laser, for example, they explained what the ruling means for employees in the Netherlands expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and resistance. 

WATCH HERE

The national Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant focused on Nouraldin’s storyfeaturing an interview with him, with Seyma and Juul putting the case into a broader perspective.

Our Advocacy and Communication Officer in Britain, Tasnima, commented on the University of Birmingham’s targeting of two students over their support for Palestine. The ELSC has observed a growing trend of repression targeting speech in solidarity with Palestine across European universities over the past year. 

We also support academics like Ray Campbell, who was wrongly accused of antisemitism for his criticism of Israel’s genocidal project. Goldsmiths University has now apologised and paid a settlement. Tasnima commented: “Universities need to uphold their commitment to free expression and resist the undue influence of Zionist lobby groups that seek to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism (…). The misuse of frameworks like the IHRA definition to retroactively punish lawful speech sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the principles of academic freedom.” Read More.

RESOURCES OF SUPPORT

Repression of Palestine Solidarity in Britain  

Were you arrested at the London National Palestine Protest on January 18, 2025? We’re gathering information to build a clearer timeline and push back against the state’s false narrative. 

British Military Collaboration with Israel 

A new report from the British Palestinian Committee (BPC) lays bare the extent of the UK’s military involvement in the Israeli assault on Gaza. Cataloguing for the first time evidence of the many layers of collaboration between the UK and Israel in this genocidal project, the report details the UK’s active involvement in the Israeli arms industry, British provisions of logistical support and weapons transfers to the Israeli military, British protection of Israel’s military infrastructure, direct military intervention from the UK in Yemen to support Israel’s goals and repeated, ongoing intelligence provision from the UK to Israel via surveillance flights. Read the report

New case related to the ban of Palestine Solidarity Duisburg (PSDU) 

On 16 May 2024, the NRW Ministry of the Interior not only searched the homes of four activists of Palästina Solidarität Duisburg (PSDU), but also the workplace of Ahmad Othman, one of the four targeted activists and plaintiffs against the ban on PSDU. In addition, the police confiscated several devices belonging to Ahmad’s employer, who works in IT. 

Ahmad received his final notice of termination, effective 31 December 2024. The reasons given included: alleged unconstitutional attitude due to Ahmad’s membership of the PSDU.  

On Friday, 29 November 2024, Ahmad filed a wrongful dismissal suit and will continue to use all legal means to get his job back. Let’s support him in this: Keep donating to the Committee against the ban on Palestine Solidarity Duisburg, so he can get the legal representation he deserves!

OPEN VACANCIES

oin our team! We are looking for a Chief Legal Officer to lead our legal strategy across Europe. The deadline for applications is February 28th, 2025. Apply Now

We are proud to be in community with you. As you continue to organise and take action, make sure to visit our Know Your Rights resources and continue to report any form of repression.  

In solidarity,   

The ELSC  

Dear Friend, 

In the past month, we’ve fought some crucial battles and secured a number of legal victories, which we bring to you in this month’s newsletter, along with some useful resources to continue mobilising for Palestine.  

CASE UPDATES

Legal Complaint Filed in Germany Against Axel Springer Over Yad2’s Promotion of Illegal Land Grabs in Palestine 

Five Palestinian plaintiffs, along with the villages of Iskaka, Marda, and Taybeh in the occupied Palestinian territory, represented by the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre (JLAC), have filed a landmark legal complaint against major German media publishing group Axel Springer S.E., alleging violations of German law on corporate due diligence obligations. The complaint accuses Axel Springer of contributing to land grabbing and human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) through their Israeli subsidiary that operates the classified ads platform Yad2. According to JLAC, Yad2 facilitates the majority of real estate transactions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, at a time when forced displacement, annexation, and Israeli settler violence have dramatically intensified.

The legal action, which is supported by Law for Palestine (L4P), the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), and the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD), under the Justice and Accountability for Palestine Initiative, signals a significant step toward holding international corporations accountable for their involvement in Israeli crimes against Palestinians. 

BDS Austria against Municipality of Vienna recognised as Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation by Coalition Against SLAPPs In Europe 

The legal action initiated by the Municipality of Vienna against an activist member of BDS Austria has now been officially recognised as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) by CASE, a coalition of non-governmental organisations across Europe united in recognition of the threat posed to public watchdogs by SLAPPs.

To add to its shameful affront to democracy and rights, the Municipality of Vienna had proposed a settlement requesting the activist to pay 17.000 euros – the total amount of damages previously asked, including legal fees. Additionally, the Municipality demands that the activist refrain from claiming  it had brought “SLAPP suits” against BDS. Against this backdrop, this official recognition by CASE is an important success for the activists who have been facing legal challenges since 2021 and are still in legal proceedings as the Municipality of Vienna refuses to give up on their unreasonable claims. The case is currently pending before the Austrian Supreme Court.

Additional Evidence Filed Against Booking.com for Profiting from Illegal Settlements 

On 18 December 2024, a consortium of civil society organisations submitted new evidence to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in support of their original criminal complaint against Booking.com B.V. The complaint, filed on 8 November 2023, accuses the company of laundering profits from activities in illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). With no substantive response from the Dutch authorities to date, this filing underscores how Booking.com has not only continued its operations in these settlements but has significantly expanded them.Evidence collected reveals that the number of listings in illegal settlements has risen sharply since the original complaint, particularly in East Jerusalem, where the number has risen from 13 to 39 within a year, from 9 November 2023 to 9 November 2024.

In our complaint, we argue that by promoting and listing properties in illegal settlements, Booking.com directly supports the normalisation and economic sustainability of these unlawful practices. The company provides financial backing to settlers and their enterprises, furthering the displacement of Palestinians and solidifying settlement expansion. This conduct sustains Israel’s settler-colonial regime and violations of international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits population transfer into occupied territories. We have substantiated our claims thoroughly.

Milan Court once again confirms ruling in favor of Karem Rohana vs. Maurizio Molinari 

The Court of Milan upheld the ruling in favor of Karem Rohana against former La Repubblica editor-in-chief Maurizio Molinari. The latter had filed a complaint requesting the removal of Rohana’s social media posts and videos, which were deemed defamatory, a penalty for non-compliance, and publication of the order in the media. The court rejected the complaint, recognising Rohana’s statements as a legitimate exercise of the right to criticism and pointing out that there is no causal link between her posts and the alleged consequences complained of by Molinari. In addition, Molinari was ordered to pay 3,500 euros in court costs. The ruling represents an important victory for the protection of freedom of expression and a curb on legal actions aimed at censoring activists and civil society voices, especially in support of Palestinian solidarity.

Court Ruling Leaves Dutch Arms Export Policy Intact 

On 13 December 2024, the District Court of The Hague dismissed a case brought by Palestinian and Dutch civil society organisations urging the Dutch State to align its arms export policies and trade relations with international law. Despite acknowledging the State’s legal obligations under international law, the court upheld the current practice of individually assessing arms export licenses, rejecting calls for a blanket ban on military and dual-use goods exports. This ruling leaves a critical gap, as it allows for the possibility that exported goods could indirectly contribute to violations of international humanitarian law. The court also accepted the State’s so-called “discouragement policy” toward trade with illegal Israeli settlements but failed to evaluate its actual effectiveness. This decision contrasts with the July 2024 ICJ advisory opinion, which called on all nations, to take active measures to end trade and investment relations that sustain illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

The coalition is reviewing the decision and considering an appeal, warning that the current approach risks perpetuating international crimes, including forced displacement, annexation, and apartheid.

VOLUNTEER TO MONITOR REPRESSION IN ITALY

Throughout 2024, ELSC has worked tirelessly to protect the solidarity movement with Palestine through hundreds of legal cases, advocacy campaigns, and critical monitoring efforts. Our work goes beyond legal support; it also involves documenting forms of repression in the countries where we operate to uncover and highlight the patterns behind them. 

In 2025, we aim to expand our efforts and record even more cases of repression targeting the solidarity movement with Palestine, as well as activists, academics, and journalists facing censorship, defamation, and silencing for standing with the Palestinian cause. To achieve this, we are looking for new volunteers to help monitor the situation in Italy. 

Do you speak Italian and want to help us record forms of repression in your country? Send an e-mail to our colleague Laila (laila@elsc.support) and she will give you all the information you need to become a volunteer with the ELSC monitor team!

SUPPORT THE LEGAL AID FUND

Setting up a small monthly donation to our legal aid fund can go a long way to ensure ELSC’s stability and security at this critical time where we face an all-time-high number of repression cases. We cannot do this alone, and we need your help to continue supporting the movement!

ELSC EVENTS

On 14 December 2024
Know Your Rights Workshop Anti-Palestinain Repression In Schools
The ELSC in partnership with Team Eye4Palestine and the association 4Neukoelln+Berlin organised a Know Your Rights event in Berlin, this time focusing on repression in German schools. Lawyer Yalçın Tekinoğlu delivered a 45-minute lecture on repressive policies and ways to recognise and counter them, followed by an engaging Q&A with the audience. The event also provided a space to share experiences and strengthen networks within the community.

December 2024
Our team in Germany, Jasmin, Nadija, Tobias, and Alexander, spoke at a number of events in December 2024, sharing insights and reflections about the new German resolution against antisemitism, the criminalisation of the movement in solidarity with Palestine and legal repercussions of silencing and disinformation, developments leading to a German Mc Carthy era, and Know Your Rights resources and practices. 

2nd February
Our Senior Legal Officer Nadija will be holding a lecture in Frankfurt am Main, examining the complex intersections between international law, Germanys’ reason of state, and legal questions concerning Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza.

ELSC IN THE MEDIA

Journalist Hannah El-Hitami spoke to ELSC lawyer Alexander for Amnesty International about Germany’s weaponisation of racist policy, surveillance, and law enforcement to repress solidarity with Palestine.

In this in-depth interview, ELSC’s Daan and Juul talked about our case against the Dutch State and the political climate in the Netherlands after genocide perpetrators and supporters in the form of Maccabi hooligans terrorised Amsterdam back in November 2024: “The failure to challenge Zionist oppression of Palestinians and to take adequate action is resulting in fascism being imported into Europe”.

RESOURCES OF SUPPORT

Repression of Palestine advocacy in Britain  

Were you arrested last weekend, or did you witness repression at the Palestine demonstrations?

Stop Banking on Apartheid: New DBIO Report  

At the end of last year, the Don’t Buy Into Occupation (DBIO) coalition, to which ELSC is part of, released its fourth report at the end of last year! The research reveals that between January 2021 and August 2024, 822 European financial institutions provided $182 billion in shares and bonds, and $211 billion in loans and underwriting to 58 companies involved in the illegal Israeli settlement enterprise. The report findings are critical in defunding Israeli occupation by understanding how European financial institutions are linked to Israeli war crimes and colonial expansion. Check if your bank or pension fund or financial institution is on the DBIO list and pressure them to divest from Israeli colonial activities:

OPEN VACANCIES

Our team continues to grow. In the last three months we have been joined by five new members of staff! 

Anna joined the British Team in December as our first ever in-house solicitor, which means the ELSC will now have conduct of litigation and be able to instruct barristers in England and Wales. 
 
Our Advocacy and Communication Department grew with Juul as the Advocacy and Communication Officer for the Netherlands and Samar as our Advocacy and Communication Officer for the Crimes and Complicity team. 

In the meantime, our Monitor & Research Department welcomed this month Amira, Research Officer, and Layan, Junior Monitor Officer for Britain. Carina and Hisham moved from the Monitor Department to join our Legal Department as Junior Legal Officers as they have both recently finished their legal education and we are therefore recruiting a new Junior Monitor Officer for Germany. The deadline to apply to this vacancy is January 24, 2025. 

We are also recruiting a Junior Legal Officer in the Netherlands. The deadline for applications is February 2nd, 2025. 

We are proud to be in community with you. As you continue to organise and take action, make sure to visit our Know Your Rights resources and continue to report any form of repression.  

In solidarity,   
The ELSC  

If you are interested in empowering the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe, we welcome your one-time or monthly donations to the ELSC. For any inquiries, contact us at info@elsc.support.If you would like to put your skills (whether legal, editing, artistic, communications, or any other skills) at the service of our movement in support of Palestinian rights advocates, please contact us at info@elsc.support.

Dear Friend, 

In the past month, we’ve fought some crucial battles and secured a number of legal victories, which we bring to you in this month’s newsletter, along with some useful resources to continue mobilising for Palestine.  

CASE UPDATES

We are suing the Dutch state for failing to prevent genocide in Gaza  

On 10th October, we announced that we, together with a coalition of Palestinian and Dutch civil society organisations, are suing the Dutch state for failing to prevent genocide in Gaza and other Israeli violations of international law long before October 2023.  

We are calling on supporters like you to join us in this fight for justice. Your donation, no matter how small, will make a difference in supporting our efforts to hold the Dutch state accountable for violating its Genocide Convention obligations and for failing to take effective measures to bring an end to Dutch trade and investment relations that help maintain Israel’s ongoing colonisation of Palestinian land.  

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LEGAL VICTORY for Dr. Shahd Abusalama

Palestinian academic, activist, and artist Dr Shahd Abusalama has secured a major settlement against Sheffield Hallam University (SHU), which suspended and investigated her! After Zionist lobby groups led a smear campaign against her. 

Shahd’s victory stands as a powerful testament against the unjust repression of advocates for Palestine in Europe initiated by our institutions. Liana Wood represented Dr. Abusalama at Leigh Day, who instructed Michael Sprack. The European Legal Support Center also supported her. 

Solidarity Demonstrations and Legal Support for the Palestine Solidarity Movement in Italy 

On October 5th, demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people were held across Europe. However, Italy stood out as the only country where the national demonstration organised by the Palestinian Youth Movement was banned by the government. Police carried out several arrests, issued travel warrants, and conducted searches. Dozens of buses en route to the demonstration were stopped, preventing many from attending. 

At the demonstration site, the situation was no less tense. The area was heavily fortified by police, who restricted access to the square and subjected the majority of attendees to intense scrutiny. Despite these attempts to suppress the protest, more than 10,000 people gathered in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. 

At ELSC, we have been closely monitoring the situation and providing legal assistance. We remain committed to ensuring the protection of the Palestine Solidarity Movement and will continue our efforts in this regard. We also encourage everyone to consult our “Know Your Rights” toolkit, which offers crucial advice for those participating in street demonstrations and beyond. 

#BlockTheBoat: MV Kathrin 

In collaboration with BDS, we worked on delaying the arrival of military explosives to Israel through the Kathrin ship. We have sent letters to different governments including Portugal, Malta, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Croatia to remind them of their international and domestic legal obligations to not aid the genocide in Gaza. Successfully, Portugal has de-registered Kathrin from using its flag, and the the remaining countries rejected Kathrin from docking at their ports. 

University of Milan Suspends Ties with Israeli Institutions Amid Student-Led Boycott Calls 

In response to growing student demands for an academic boycott, the University of Milan has announced it will suspend its relations with Reichman University. This decision follows a meeting between the university’s rector, Marina Brambilla, and a delegation of Giovani Palestinesi d’Italia who had protested against continued ties with Israeli universities. Earlier this year, the University of Milan also ended its agreement with Ariel University, another Israeli institution. As ELSC we supported the students with legal research about the nature of the agreement between the University of Milan and Reichman University. 

This suspension is a significant outcome of the tireless mobilisation of student activists, who have been pushing for the university to take a stand against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. We will continue to monitor this important development and share further updates with you as they emerge.

SUPPORT THE LEGAL AID FUND

Setting up a small monthly donation to our legal aid fund can go a long way to ensure ELSC’s stability and security at this critical time where we face an all-time-high number of repression cases. We cannot do this alone, and we need your help to continue supporting the movement!  

ELSC EVENTS

Join Us for Our First National Community Event of 2024 in Italy! 

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming event on Monday, November 6th, at 6:00 p.m. at BASE Milan. Titled “Palestine, Freedom of Expression, and the Future of Protest: Strategies to Protect Solidarity Movements”, this event will bring together activists, journalists, lawyers, and researchers to reflect on the past year’s events and discuss strategies to defend the Palestine solidarity movement from increasing repression and criminalisation. We hope you’ll join us for this vital discussion on how we can stand together and protect our rights to protest and mobilise in solidarity with Palestine.

Our Senior Legal Officer in Germany Nadija facilitated a Know Your Rights workshop in Bremen, where we reflected collectively on current political and legal developments in Germany and answered questions around protest rights, police violence, student organising, migration law and some of the ELSC’s ongoing cases, such as the legal action against Germany’s delieveries of war weapons to Israel. The event was organised in collaboration with Seeds of Palestine Bremen.  

In collaboration with Arci Porco Rosso, Voices in Silence and Giovani Palestinesi d’Italia – Palermo, the ELSC organised a public Community event in Palermo on “The criminalisation of the Palestinians and the Palestinian movement in Italy’’.  

One of our Germany lawyers and expert on migration law, Alexander, participated at a discussion organised by Berlin Left about the state of affairs in Germany in the past year, reflecting on the mobilisation and experiences of the Palestine solidarity movement. The discussion covered historical context, German military support, activist’s personal experiences, and the legal framework employed by the German state to maintain Israel’s impunity and criminalise and silence those who stand in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. 

ELSC IN THE MEDIA

ELSC Executive Director Giovanni spoke to Al-Jazeera about the conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism as a tool to facilitate the crackdown on and criminalisation of support for the Palestinian cause, highlighting developments in the context of Israel’s ongoing genocidal onslaught on Gaza.  

Our case against the Dutch state was announced by Wout Albers, lawyer of the coalition, at the memorial protest organised by Dutch civil servants at the entrance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague. These civil servants have been protesting their government’s failure to comply with international law for almost a year. The announcement was widely covered by international media, such as Al Jazeera and Middle East Monitor, and Dutch media, such as in the most-watched daily national news broadcast.

GERMANY: RESOURCES OF SUPPORT AGAINST FINES & TRIALS   

If you are facing fines or trials for speaking out and mobilising for Palestine, here are some organisations that you can reach out to for support! Resources include free legal advice, open consultation hours for people experiencing racial profiling and racist police violence, contacts with lawyers in solidarity, and trial support or financial aid. You are not alone in this, and we will not let the state repression get us down.  

For more legal support in Germany, get in touch with 3ezwa, a newly founded association that is supported by allied groups across the country, including the ELSC, to help streamline the process of getting legal support, provide free and accessible consultations in Arabic, German, and English, raise funds to strengthen existing legal support structures in Germany, and cover at least 50% of the legal fees for criminal offenses and residency law procedures in relation to solidarity with Palestine.  

We are proud to be in community with you. As you continue to organise and take action, make sure to visit our Know Your Rights resources and continue to report any form of repression.  

In solidarity,   
The ELSC

Remember to follow the ELSC on social media and amplify our work!

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If you are interested in empowering the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe, we welcome your one-time or monthly donations to the ELSC. For any inquiries, contact us at info@elsc.support.

If you would like to put your skills (whether legal, editing, artistic, communications, or any other skills) at the service of our movement in support of Palestinian rights advocates, please contact us at info@elsc.support.

This month we once again witnessed the brutal bombardment of Gaza and violent commission of human rights abuses by Israeli authorities and settlers. In a global response, communities worldwide rose in solidarity calling for freedom and justice in Palestine. Yet, this call was not without struggle as this month we share with you all too common stories of censorship and repression of Palestinian rights activists. We also share the news of a win in an EU court, part of the effort to stop trade with illegal settlements, as well as an update on the BT3P campaign challenging the German Bundestag’s anti-BDS motion.

A MONTH OF ACTION AND SOLIDARITY

This month, millions came out across the globe to mobilize in solidarity with the Palestinian people against the most recent war crimes and human rights violations committed by the Israeli authorities. In all continents, people took to the streets to call for justice whilst online communities shared information, resources, and stories of Palestinians’ lived reality of Israeli occupation and apartheid.

In this history-making mobilization, activists faced increasing repression through censorship, smear campaigns and other restrictive actions at protests, schools and in online spaces. While Palestinians were sharing their experiences of Israeli violence in Sheikh Jarrah, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram removed and their censored posts. Protesters in France were fined and had marches cancelled before being attacked by police with water cannons and tear gas. School children in the UK were sanctioned for talking about Palestine, and the marches of solidarity in Germany were sweepingly smeared as antisemitic by officials and mainstream media. These are just a few of countless examples of repression faced by Palestinian rights activists this month.

If you know anyone who has faced repression for Palestinian rights advocacy whether at school, work, or during a protest in public space or online, make sure to fill out our incident report form. This information enables us to track how Palestinian advocacy is attacked and silenced, helping us to better defend activists in times of need and push back against shrinking civic space.

Report an Incident

The entire team at the ELSC has been working tirelessly to ensure Palestinian rights activists are supported and defended in this time of mobilization. When needed, we work in partnership with local lawyers to bring cases before national courts. This spring, we are aiming to raise €5000 to make sure we are able to offer legal assistance to everyone at risk or affected by repression. Will you help us reach this goal with a one-time or monthly donation to our legal aid fund?

Donate to our Legal Aid Fund

For more information on how to make your donation tax-deductible, please contact fundraiser@elsc.support.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION TOLD TO REVIEW INITIATIVE TO STOP TRADE WITH ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS

We were proud to announce earlier this month a ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU which gives a boost to efforts to stop European trade with illegal settlements.

After the EU Commission rejected a European Citizen Initiative (ECI) asking the Commission to adopt a measure to prevent European trade with illegal settlements in occupied territories, the seven citizens who started the initiative brought a case before the Court of Justice of the EU. The Court annulled the Commissions rejection of the ECI, ruling that the latter had infringed on the rights of the citizens when it refused to register their ECI without giving the necessary explanation of reasons. The Commission must now review the ECI again and issue a new, adequately reasoned decision in the coming months.

The ELSC assisted the seven citizens in the preparation of the Initiative in its initial stage and with legal research and analysis throughout the proceedings in Court. Help us hold the EU Commission accountable to its obligation to end trade with illegal settlements by sharing our message about this important win on social media.  

Join the #StopSettlements Campaign

GERMAN BUNDESTAG REPLIES TO BT3P CAMPAIGNERS

This month, the German Bundestag replied to the complaint filed by the BT3P campaigners challenging the 2019 anti-BDS motion which infringes on the individual right to freedom of expression and defames human rights activists as antisemitic. International law firm Redeker Sellner Dahs, representing the Bundestag, requested that the complaint be dismissed claiming the resolution had no legal effect whatsoever and that the BT3P’s rights have not been infringed upon. The BT3P lawyer, Ahmed Abed, will now submit the response to the court in the coming weeks, after which, the court will make a decision on the initiation of a court hearing.

RESOURCES & NEWS FROM AROUND EUROPE

On May 17, the Lyon criminal court acquitted former French journalist and Palestinian rights activist Olivia Zemor after she was sued for calling for the boycott of Teva, an Israeli pharmaceutical company.

Zemor appeared in court in March facing charges of defamation and incitement to discrimination following an online appeal she made on the EuroPalestine website urging readers to boycott Teva for itsr complicity in Israel’s occupation and human rights violations. The court found that Zemor’s claims did neither amount to defamation nor discrimination and dismissed all charges against her.

This latest ruling follows the milestone Baldassi v. France judgement issued in June 2020 which affirmed that the right to boycott falls within the fundamental right to freedom of expression. Although France is bound by the Baldassi ruling, the Ministry of Justice published in October 2020 a new circular that is still criminalizing the BDS movement and alleging its illegality under French law.

This latest judgement from the Criminal Court of Lyon represents a step towards the respect for an individual’s right to freedom of expression and right to boycott in France despite restrictive policies still being in force.

In this month’s newsletter, we share with you the release of the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, welcome a new member to the ELSC advisory board and highlight our 2021 work so far and how you can help to make this an important year for the protection of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe.

JERUSALEM DEFINITION ON ANTISEMITISM

On 25 March, the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) drafted by 200 Jewish scholars and academics was released. The JDA offers an alternative to the International Holocaust Remembrance Association Definition (IHRA) which has been weaponised to restrict free speech on Palestine.

The ELSC welcomes the JDA as an alternative to the IHRA definition of Antisemitism. However, we also share the concerns of Palestinian civil society and prominent Jewish groups that the JDA, with its focus on Israel/Palestine, will reinforce the policing of what may be said by advocates for Palestinian rights, distracting, ,  from the fight against antisemitism as part of the fight against all forms of racism, bigotry and discrimination.

A full and detailed critique of the JDA by Palestinian civil society can be found here.

OUR 2021 WORK SO FAR

So far this year, the ELSC has been defending Palestinian rights activists against smear campaigns, defunding attacks and threats to academic freedom all across Europe. In three short months, we have been engaged in 23 cases, pushing back against the suppression of advocacy for Palestinian rights, whilst we have also continued our systematic documentation of such attacks in The Netherlands and UK through our monitoring activities.

We are pleased to have contributed to a  strategic legal victory for the Palestine solidarity movement in Valencia at the beginning of this year. Nevertheless, the large number of requests for ELSC legal support and assistance are a steady reminder of the ongoing struggle many face when speaking out for Palestinian rights

You can help us ensure that all of those who are attacked for speaking out for Palestinian rights in Europe receive free legal advice and support by making a one time or monthly donation to the ELSC. Irrespective of whether or not you can make a donation at this time, please follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, sharing our posts and spreading the word that we will not stand down when Palestinian rights are restricted.

ELSC WELCOMES A NEW ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER

This month we are very pleased to welcome Dr. Triestino Mariniello to the ELSC Advisory Board. Dr Mariniello is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Liverpool John Moores University and is presently a member of the Legal Team representing Gaza Victims before the ICC.

The ELSC Advisory Board is comprised of 14 renowned jurists and scholars from diverse European countries, who support Palestinian rights and provide professional assistance to civil society-led advocacy. We look forward to the advice and support of Dr. Mariniello.

FOLLOW-UP & RESOURCES

Palestine Legal, one of our partner organisations in the United States, has just released its new year-in-review, analysing trends in the censorship of the US movement for Palestinian Rights in 2020, in the context of the Trump administration’s crackdown on Palestine advocacy and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Palestine Legal responded to 213 incidents of suppression of U.S.-based Palestine advocacy over the course of 2020, bringing up the total to 1,707 since 2014. The incidents included discrimination, baseless legal threats, disciplinary investigations, censorship, and false accusations of antisemitism.

Take also a look at Pal Legal interactive website tracking legislative efforts to silence Palestine advocacy in the US. The new legislation site tracks anti-boycott bills, efforts to redefine antisemitism as a means of censoring criticism of Israel, and other measures aimed at undermining advocacy for Palestinian rights in the U.S., by type, status, and year.

In March, the City Council of Strasbourg voted against the adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism in an important win on the right to free speech.  Following the vote, City Councillor Jean Werlen said:

“First, there is a Strasbourg tradition of never importing foreign conflicts into local religious communities. Second, it is out of the question to deny citizens the right to criticise a state, even a foreign one. We must condemn antisemitism, but we must be able to criticise a state and this definition prohibits any criticism of the policy of the State of Israel.”