Tag: Freedom of Expression

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Press Release

Joint Public Statement in Response to Independent Inquiry into Antisemitism at Goldsmiths 

Joint Statement withdrawing engagement with the Independent Inquiry into Antisemitism at Goldsmiths 

We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, withdraw our engagement with the independent inquiry into antisemitism at Goldsmiths following our loss of confidence in the Inquiry. We refuse to engage with an Inquiry that marginalises Palestinians and adopts an approach which discriminates against them, and appears to target those who criticise Israeli policies and Zionism. 

This decision follows: 

  • The refusal of both the Inquiry Chair and the College to ensure that the Inquiry’s scope includes the impact of the College’s approach to inquiring into antisemitism on Palestinian students and staff and those standing in solidarity with them.  
  • More than a year from its institution, the Inquiry’s refusal to confirm even what definition of antisemitism it is applying to inform its work, and in particular, whether it will adopt the widely discredited IHRA definition of antisemitism and its examples. This is a crucial question because criticism of Israeli government policies and actions, and anti-Zionism are frequently weaponised and misrepresented as antisemitism.   
  • Incoherent and contradictory statements from the College and the Chair of the Inquiry, with the College assuring a member that the Inquiry is not investigating individuals, while the Chair’s position is that it is.  
  • A lack of transparency as to who and what is being investigated by the Inquiry and a failure by the Inquiry to inform those it invites to interview what, if any, allegations have been made against them, or what general complaints or allegations there are.  
  • A lack of engagement with the Student Union as an institution.  
  • The Inquiry’s failure to indicate whether it intends to consider specific allegations against two individuals which have already been investigated and dismissed. Those allegations related to speech critical of Israeli government policies and Zionism. 

We initially engaged with this Inquiry in good faith, despite our misgivings about the circumstances in which it was instituted, which involved unfair and unfounded attacks on a woman of colour. Our attempts to engage with the Inquiry have been met with responses which are both incoherent and apathetic to the international climate of rampant anti-Palestinian repression. Other groups such as the Institute of Race Relations who had initially engaged in good faith, have also since disengaged due to a loss of confidence in the Inquiry. It is a matter for the Inquiry whether it takes account of our initial written submissions. If it does so objectively, those submissions will weigh heavily on the conclusions and recommendations.  

Both the College and the Chair of the Inquiry have refused to ensure that the Inquiry’s scope will include consideration of the impact of the College’s approach to investigating antisemitism on students and staff who (a) are Palestinian, Arab or Muslim (b) are from other minoritised groups (c) who hold anti-Zionist views and (d) who hold views which are critical of Israel and/or support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. 

This Inquiry takes place within a social and political context where unfounded accusations of antisemitism are used to silence Palestinian voices and those who stand with them. In addition to Palestinians, those most often targeted for standing up for Palestinian rights come from other marginalised groups. In ignoring this reality, the Inquiry’s approach perpetuates discrimination and represents a threat to freedom of expression and academic freedom.   

We have highlighted the discriminatory impact of the Inquiry’s approach in correspondence. In response, the College has refused to amend the Terms of Reference. The Chair of the Inquiry has similarly refused to include the effect of the process on these groups within the scope, offering a non-committal and general assurance that consideration of the impact on Palestinians and others “may inform” his outcome and recommendations. This is insufficient and unacceptable.  

Antisemitism is a scourge on our society, as are all forms of racism. Antisemitism is part of a larger context of this racism, and we should not fight one form of this oppression whilst also failing to see and understand another. The vital task of combating antisemitism in our community deserves a better custodian than this Inquiry.    

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Statement

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

In November 2024, the Vienna Administrative Court ruled on a complaint against the Vienna Police concerning the dissolution of the Palestine Solidarity Encampment Vienna at the University of Vienna on 8 May 2024, and declared the measures taken by the police to be unlawful and unconstitutional.  

The Palestine Solidarity Encampment had been set up on the University of Vienna Campus for only three days when the Vienna Police special unit Wiener Einsatzgruppe Alarmabteilung (WEGA) stormed it in the middle of the night, ​​​​attacking students present at the camp. Around 200 armed police officers violently evicted students and activists using drones, surveillance vans, police dogs, lorries, and a crane.   

At the time of the raid, the police gave no​ clear​ indication or ​consistent ​legal basis as to why the camp was being demolished. The Vienna Police Department later declared that after “a final assessment by the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence Service (DSN) […] the purpose of this gathering was no longer compatible with the Austrian legal situation after extensive consideration.” According to the police department of Vienna “the prosecuting authority had to conclude that the true aim or purpose of the gathering […]​ ​was to show solidarity with the aims of HAMAS and to create a mental breeding ground for the approval of terrorist offences within the meaning of Section 282a (2) of the Criminal Code ​(​StGB​)​ [approval of terrorist offences].”   

​​​​​​​The police substantiated these claims, citing that assembly participants had chanted the slogan “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free” and that the word “Intifada’’ was displayed on banners.  

No factual grounds 

The court dismissed these claims, reaffirming that freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are protected even when opinions expressed are considered shocking or offensive, as per settled case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Moreover, the court highlighted that expressing sympathy for a designated terrorist organisation, as has been claimed by the Vienna Police Department, would only constitute a crime under Section 282a StGB “Approval of terrorist offences” where it is likely to induce the commission of actual terrorist offences. The court further acknowledged that the use of the expressions “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Intifada” does not constitute an incitement to commit a terrorist offence or an identification with Hamas specifically, unless further expressions suggest the opposite. Accordingly, it cannot be concluded a priori that these slogans would create a “mental breeding ground for the approval of terrorist crimes”. Ultimately, there are no factual grounds that could explain the dissolution of the assembly.  

The unlawful attack on the camp  

During the raid, four students refused to leave after the police stormed the camp to prevent eviction and protect it. Three were then physically removed from the camp, isolated, and detained. Another student resisted removal and potential arrest by climbing a nearby tree, remaining there for approximately eight hours. The students were denied legal assistance for hours, and only ​two individuals were​ allowed to enter the premises ​for merely a few minutes ​after protesters loudly advocated for the students’ legal rights.   

Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters spontaneously gathered outside the campus in solidarity, blocking trams and traffic at the intersection of Alser​ Straße​​ ​and Spitalgasse​ in the 9th district of Vienna​. Police reportedly made racist remarks against the protestors, telling one demonstrator that they should “go back to where they came from” after they requested an English translation of the police’s instructions.   

​​Students ​and supporters ​o​utside the​​ ​campus continued to protest until the morning hours of May 9th, occupying the tram lines and disrupting business as usual. Early in the morning, they continued their protests all the way to the police detention centre (PAZ) at Roßauer Lände, where they demanded the release of the arrested activists and ​chanted ​against the destruction of the camp, with a line of police vans tailing them. Once they arrived at the PAZ, they faced a line of seven police vans. Within minutes of their arrival, around 30 people were aggressively surrounded by the police and were not allowed to leave. Police officers physically assaulted protesters and threatened to arrest them in a form of intimidation. Eventually, all protesters were forced to show identification, some were also forced to have their faces photographed. They were later notified by the police that criminal charges were being investigated. ​​​ 

​​​Some of the students saw it as a necessity not to let this happen without taking a stand and took this case to court to draw attention to the repression of the Palestine Solidarity Movemen​​t in Austria. ​​ 

​​​ELSC lawyer Kiran Chaudhuri said: “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.” ​​ 

Deutsch

Verwaltungsgericht Wien erklärt Räumung des Solidaritätscamps für Palästina Wien für verfassungswidrig  

Im November 2024 entschied das Verwaltungsgericht Wien über eine Beschwerde gegen die Wiener Polizei bezüglich der Räumung des Solidaritätscamps für Palästina in Wien am 8. Mai 2024 und erklärte die von der Polizei ergriffenen Maßnahmen für rechtswidrig, sowie verfassungswidrig.  

Das Solidaritätscamp für Palästina war erst drei Tage zuvor auf dem Campus der Universität Wien errichtet worden, als die Wiener Einsatzgruppe Alarmabteilung (WEGA) der Wiener Polizei es mitten in der Nacht stürmte und die anwesenden Studierenden angriff. Rund 200 bewaffnete Polizeibeamte vertrieben die Studierenden und Aktivist:innen gewaltsam mit Drohnen, Observationsfahrzeugen, Polizeihunden, Lastwägen und einem Kran.   

Zum Zeitpunkt der Razzia gab die Polizei keine klare Angabe oder einheitliche Rechtsgrundlage dafür, warum das Camp geräumt wurde. Die Wiener Polizeidirektion erklärte später, dass nach „einer abschließenden Bewertung durch die Direktion für Staatssicherheit und Nachrichtendienst (DSN) […] der Zweck dieser Versammlung nach eingehender Prüfung nicht mehr mit der österreichischen Rechtslage vereinbar war”. Laut der Polizeidirektion Wien „musste die Staatsanwaltschaft zu dem Schluss kommen, dass das wahre Ziel oder der wahre Zweck der Versammlung […] darin bestand, Solidarität mit den Zielen von HAMAS zu zeigen und einen geistigen Nährboden für die Billigung terroristischer Straftaten im Sinne von § 282a Abs. 2 StGB (Billigung terroristischer Straftaten) zu schaffen.”  

Die Polizei begründete diese Behauptungen damit, dass Versammlungsteilnehmer:innen den Slogan „From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free“ gerufen hätten und dass das Wort „Intifada“ auf Bannern zu sehen gewesen sei.  

Keinerlei sachliche  Begründung 

Das Gericht wies diese Behauptungen mit der Begründung zurück, dass die Versammlungs- und Meinungsfreiheit auch dann geschützt sind, wenn die geäußerten Meinungen schockierend oder beleidigend sind. Dies ist in der ständigen Rechtsprechung des Europäischen Gerichtshofs für Menschenrechte festgelegt. Darüber hinaus würde das Bekunden von Sympathie für eine designierte terroristische Vereinigung, wie von der Wiener Polizei behauptet, nur dann eine Straftat nach § 282a StGB „Billigung terroristischer Straftaten“ darstellen, wenn dadurch die Begehung tatsächlicher terroristischer Straftaten verursacht werden könnte. Darüber hinaus erkannte das Gericht an, dass die bloße Verwendung der Ausdrücke „From The River To The Sea, Palestine Will Be Free“ und „Intifada“ keine Anstiftung zur Begehung einer terroristischen Straftat darstellt und nicht a priori eine eindeutige Identifikation mit der Hamas bedeutet, es sei denn, weitere Ausdrücke deuten auf das Gegenteil hin. Daher kann nicht von vornherein geschlussfolgert werden, dass diese Slogans einen „geistigen Nährboden für die Billigung terroristischer Verbrechen“ schaffen würden. Somit besteht keinerlei Sachlage, die die Auflösung der Versammlung rechtfertigen würde.  

Der rechtswidrige Überfall auf das Camp  

Während der Räumung weigerten sich vier Studierende das Camp zu verlassen, nachdem die Polizei es gestürmt hatte. So wollten sie die Räumung verhindern und das Camp schützen. Drei der Studierenden wurden daraufhin gewaltsam aus dem Camp geschafft, isoliert und in Gewahrsam genommen. Eine weitere studierende Person widersetzte sich der Räumung und einer möglichen Verhaftung, indem sie auf einen nahen gelegenen Baum kletterte und dort etwa acht Stunden lang ausharrte. Stundenlang wurde ihnen Rechtsbeistand verweigert, und nur zwei Personen durften das Areal für lediglich ein paar Minuten betreten, nachdem Demonstrant:innen lautstark für die Rechte der Studierenden eingetreten waren.  

Währenddessen versammelten sich spontan hunderteUnterstützer:innen vor dem Campus, um ihre Solidarität zu bekunden, und blockierten Straßenbahnen und den Verkehr an der Kreuzung Alser Straße und Spitalgasse im 9. Wiener Bezirk. Es wurde berichtet, dass die Polizei rassistische Bemerkungen gegenüber den Protestierenden machte und einer Person sagte, sie solle „dorthin zurückgehen, wo sie hergekommen ist”, nachdem eine englische Übersetzung der Anweisungen der Polizei erbeten wurde.  

Die Studierenden und Unterstützer:innen vor dem Campus protestierten bis in die Morgenstunden des 9. Mai, besetzten die Straßenbahnlinien und verhinderten damit business as usual. Am frühen Morgen setzten sie ihren Protest bis zum Polizeianhaltezentrum (PAZ) in der Roßauer Lände fort, wo sie die Freilassung der verhafteten Aktivist:innen forderten und gegen die Zerstörung des Camps protestierten. Sie wurden dabei von einer Kolonne von Polizeifahrzeugen begleitet. Als sie im PAZ ankamen, wurden sie von einer Reihe von sieben Polizeifahrzeugen empfangen. Innerhalb weniger Minuten nach ihrer Ankunft wurden etwa 30 Personen von der Polizei aggressiv umzingelt und durften das Gelände nicht verlassen. Polizeibeamte griffen Demonstrierende körperlich an und drohten zur Einschüchterung mit Verhaftungen. Die Polizei zwang schließlich alle Demonstrierenden, sich auszuweisen. Mehrere Demonstrierende wurden gezwungen, sich fotografieren zu lassen. Diese erhielten später von der Polizei die Auskunft, dass strafrechtliche Ermittlungen gegen sie eingeleitet werden.  

Einige der Studierenden sahen es als unumgänglich an, dem nicht tatenlos zuzusehen. Sie brachten diesen Fall vor Gericht, um auf die Repression gegen die Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung in Österreich aufmerksam zu machen.  

Kiran Chaudhuri, Senior Legal Officer des ELSC, erklärte: „Wir begrüßen dieses Urteil, das von unseren Partneranwält:innen in Österreich erstritten wurde, als einen juristischen Erfolg gegen die zunehmend autoritäre anti-palästinensische Repression durch europäische Polizeibehörden. Das Gericht hat unmissverständlich klargestellt, dass die Meinungs- und Versammlungsfreiheit verfassungsmäßige Rechte sind, die nicht von der Polizei gewährt werden, sondern vielmehr von den Behörden geschützt werden müssen. Das Urteil kann als Präzedenzfall für ähnliche rechtswidrige Polizeieinsätze gegen die wachsende palästinensische Solidaritätsbewegung in Europa dienen.“  

تُعلنُ محكمة فيينا الإداريّة أنّ مداهمة الشّرطة للمخيّم الاحتجاجيّ “تضامنًا مع فلسطين” مداهمةٌ غير قانونيّة ومخالفة للدّستور 

في شهر نوفمبر/تشرين الثّاني 2024، أصدرت المحكمة الإداريّة في فيينا حكمها المتعلّق بشكوى ضدّ شرطة فيينا بسبب إزالتها وتدميرها لمخيّم التّضامن مع فلسطين، الذّي أقامه نشطاء بتاريخ 8 ماي/مايو 2024 في حرم الجامعة، وأعلنت المحكمة أنّ التّدابير والإجراءات التّي اتّخذتها الشّرطة تُعتبرُ غير قانونيّة ومخالفة لما ينصّ عليه الدّستور. 

للتّذكير، نصب النّشطاء خيامًا لتنظيم مخيّم في حرم جامعة فيينا تعبيرًا عن تضامنهم مع القضيّة الفلسطينيّة. بعد ثلاثة أيام، تدخّلت الوحدة الخاصّة لشرطة فيينا (Wiener Einsatzgruppe Alarmabteilung) واقتحمت المكان في ساعات متأخّرة من اللّيل مهاجمةً الطّلاب المتواجدين هناك. قام حوالي 200 شرطيّ مسلّح بإخلاء المكان من الطّلاب والنّاشطين بطريقة عنيفة مستخدمين الدّرونز (طائرات التّجسّس دون طيّار)، عربات المراقبة، الكلاب البوليسيّة، الشّاحنات، وآلة رافعة. 

أثناء المداهمة، لم تقدّم الشّرطة دواعي واضحة أو أسس قانونيّة بنّاءة لتبرير إزالة المخيّم وهدمه. لاحقًا، أعلنت إدارة شرطة فيينا أنّه إثر “تقييم نهائيّ قامت به كلّ من مديريّة أمن الدّولة وجهاز الاستخبارات (DSN) […] وبعد تدقيق النّظر بشكل واسع النّطاق، أُعتبرَ هدف هذا التّجمع غير مناسبٍ للوضع القانونيّ النّمساويّ.” 

حسب إدارة شرطة فيينا، “كان على النّيابة العامّة أن تستنتج أنّ الهدف الحقيقيّ أو الغرض من التّجمّع هو التّعبير عن التّضامن مع أهداف حركة حماس وخلق بيئة خصبة نفسيًّا متسامحةٍ مع ارتكاب الجرائم الإرهابية بموجب المادّة 282 أ (2) من القانون الجنائيّ (StGB) [الموافقة على الجرائم الإرهابيّة].” 

برّرت الشّرطة هذه المزاعم لأنّ المشاركين والمشاركات في التّجمّع ردّدوا شعار “فلسطين ستكون حرّة من النّهر إلى البحر” ولأنّ لافتات المتظاهرين احتوت على كلمة “انتفاضة”. 

غياب أسس بنّاءة لتبرير تفريق التّجمّع 

رفضت المحكمة هذه الادّعاءات مشيرة إلى ضرورة حماية حريّة التّجمّع وحريّة التّعبير حتّى ولو كانت الآراء المُعبّرُ عنها في مثل هذه التّجمّعات صادمةً أو ذات صبغة عدوانيّة، وذلك فقًا لقانون السّوابق والأحكام القضائيّة للمحكمة الأوروبيّة لحقوق الإنسان. ووضّحت المحكمة أنّ التّعبير عن التّعاطف مع منظمّة مصنّفة على أنها إرهابيّة، كما إدّعى قسم الشرطة في فيينا، يُشكّل جريمةً يعاقب عليها القانون بموجب المادّة 282 أ من القانون الجنائيّ “الموافقة على الجرائم الإرهابية”، فقط في حالة ما إذا كان من المرجح أن يؤدّي التّعبير عنها إلى ارتكاب جرائم إرهابيّة فعلية نتيجة لذلك. 

وأقرّت المحكمة أيضًا بأنّ مجرّد استخدام شعار “فلسطين ستكون حرّة من النّهر إلى البحر” وكلمة “انتفاضة” لا يُشكّلُ تحريضًا على ارتكاب جريمة إرهابيّة ولا يشكّل مبدئيًّا تقمّصًا لمبادئ حركة حماس بشكل خاص، إلاّ في حالة ما إذا أشارت تعابير أخرى إلى خلاف ذلك. بناءً عليه، لا يمكن أن نستنتج دون إثبات وبشكل نظريّ أنّ مثل هذه الشّعارات من شأنها أن تخلق “تربة خصبةً نفسيًّا تشجّع على الموافقة على ارتكاب الجرائم الإرهابيّة”. وختامًا، لا توجد أيّ أسس بنّاءة لتبرير تفريق التّجمّع المتضامن مع فلسطين. 

هجمة غير قانونيّة على المخيّم 

خلال المداهمة، رفض أربعة طلّاب مغادرة المكان بعد اقتحام الشّرطة للمخيّم. وقد قاموا بذلك لمنع الإخلاء وحماية المخيّم. ثمّ قامت الشّرطة بإخراج ثلاثة من الطّلاب من المخيّم وعزلهم واحتجازهم. في نفس الآونة، قاوم طالب آخر محاولة إخراجه من المخيّم واعتقاله المحتمل، فتسلّق شجرة قريبة وظلّ هناك لمدة ثماني ساعات تقريبًا. إثر ذلك، حُرمَ الطّلاب من التّمتّع بحقّهم في الحصول على المساعدة القانونيّة لساعات ولم يُسمح إلاّ لشخصين فقط بدخول المبنى لبضع دقائق فقط بعد أن دافع المتظاهرون بصوت عالٍ عن حقوق الطّلاب بموجب القانون. 

وفي نفس الوقت، تجمّع المئات من المؤيّدين عفويًّا خارج حرم الجامعة تضامنًا مع الطّلاب، فقاموا بتعطيل حركة مرور عربات التّرام وحركة المرور عمومًا عند تقاطع شارعيْ Alser Straße و Spitalgasse في الدّائرة التّاسعة لمدينة فيينا. حسب التّقارير، وجّهت الشّرطة تعاليق عنصريّة للمتظاهرين وقالت لأحدهم أنّه عليهم “العودة من حيث أتوا”، بعد أن طلب من الشرطة ترجمة تعليماتها إلى اللّغة الانجليزيّة. 

واصل الطّلاب ومؤيّدوهم الاحتجاجَ خارج حرم الجامعة إلى صباح يوم 9 ماي/مايو على خطوط عربات التّرام وعطّلوا مجرى الأمور كالمعتاد. وفي وقت مبكّر من صباح ذلك اليوم، واصل المتظاهرون مسيرتهم الاحتجاجيّة إلى أن وصلوا إلى مركز الاحتجاز الأمنيّ (PAZ) في روساوير لاند، حيث طالبوا بالإفراج عن النّاشطين المعتقلين وهتفوا مندّدين بإجراء إزالة المخيّم وتدميره وقد لاحقتهم عربات الشّرطة خلال مسيرتهم. 

وفي غضون دقائق قليلة من وصولهم، حاصرت الشّرطة حوالي 30 شخصًا بشكل عدوانيّ ولم تسمح لهم بالمغادرة. بعد ذلك، اعتدى أعوان الشّرطة جسديًّا عليهم وهدّدوا باعتقالهم، ممّا يعتبر شكلاً من أشكال التّرهيب. في نهاية المطاف، أجبرت الشّرطة جميع المتظاهرين على إظهار هويّاتهم وأجبرت أيضًا العديد من المتظاهرين على أخذ صور لوجوههم. لاحقًا، أعلمت الشّرطة المتظاهرون بأنّهم محلّ التّحقيق في تهم جنائيّة. 

نتيجة لهذه الأحداث، اعتبر بعض الطّلاب أنّه من الضّروريّ عدم السّماح بحدوث مثل هذا الأمر وأنّه يجب اتّخاذ موقف، فقاموا بالتّالي برفع قضيّة في المحكمة لتسليط الضّوء على القمع الذّي تشهد حركة التّضامن في فلسطين في النّمسا. 

 حسب أقوال كيران شودوري، محامي في المركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانونيّ (ELSC): “نحن نرحّب كلّ التّرحيب بالحكم الذّي تحصّل عليه شكاؤنا المحامون في النّمسا، فهو يعتبرُ انتصارًا قانونيًّا ضدّ القمع الاستبداديّ ضدّ فلسطين الذّي ما فتئ يتغلغلُ في مختلف أركان أقسام الشّرطة في أوروبا. لقد بيّنت المحكمة بكلّ وضوح أنّ حريّة التّعبير والتّجمّع حقوق دستوريّة لا يجب أنّ تمسّها الشّرطة: على العكس، يجب على السّلطات حماية هذه الحقوق. يُمكن اعتبار هذا الحكم سابقةً قانونيّةً تستهدفُ إجراءات غير قانونيّة مماثلة اتّخذتها الشّرطة ضدّ حركة التّضامن مع فلسطين التّي تنتشرُ أكثر فأكثر في أوروبا.”  

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Case Update Press Release

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 witness in question is a police officer in the Berlin State Criminal Police who had previously 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.  

Importantly, the expert noted that the attempt to establish the use of the slogan as Hamas praxis would be reductive, highlighting that is had been used by a large political spectrum for many decades.  Moreover, after reviewing a sizeable number of Hamas publications, including those dating back to 1988, the year of the group’s founding, the expert did not find a single publication which featured the slogan and thus concluded that there was no compelling evidence to claim that the slogan constituted a Hamas symbol.  

Nadija Samour, Senior Legal Officer at the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) representing the defendant comments: “This is highly suspicious. The expert had already delivered their report to the judge in a written form. The judge could have ruled that day. We suspect that the judge artificially prolonged the trial for political reasons, probably fearing repercussions. A ruling in our favour would constitute a legal precedent for other ongoing trials regarding the attempted criminalisation of the slogan ‘Palestine will be free from the river to the sea’. The judges seem avoidant to take a clear stance even though the police itself came to a clear conclusion.’’ 

Earlier, German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann had declared that expressing the slogan constituted a crime. This came right after the administrative court Bremen had ruled it was lawful. This must be considered an interference of the government in the judiciary. The tweet was widely understood as a warning and criticism of the court’s judgment. 

Not isolated cases: Germany’s systematic repression of Palestine solidarity 

There are currently dozens of ongoing cases concerning the slogan “Palestine will be free from the river to the sea’’, many of which have been artificially prolonged in similar ways. Furthermore, expressions of the slogan, are currently variously charged as three separate criminal offences, including as ‘incitement to hatred’ (§ 130 StGB), ‘displaying symbols of unconstitutional organisations’ (§ 86a StGB) or ‘endorsement of criminal acts’ (§ 140 StGB). This indicates that German authorities are politically motivated to criminalise the expression of the slogan, even if it does not clearly and conclusively meet any criminal offence defined in the German criminal code.   

These are not isolated cases. German authorities have only been expanding their alarmingly violent measures to suppress the Palestine solidarity movement. The German Federal Minister of Interior Nancy Faeser, for instance, declared the slogan illegal. 

In May 2024, the German Federal Ministry of Justice reiterated Nancy Faeser’s decree and declared the slogan to be a “Hamas slogan’’ and therefore punishable. Merely days after this declaration, the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia banned the Palestine Solidarity Duisburg group over alleged support for Hamas for the group’s use of the slogan. This resulted in several raids targeting the homes of the activists in May 2024.  

While much of the repression against the Palestine solidarity movement is issued at the German Federal level, the ruling Government of Germany’s capital, Berlin, has been particularly eager to press for even more authoritarian measures.  For instance, the push to remove students from universities in Berlin, specifically in relation to Palestine solidarity on campus, should be of utmost concern as it effectively denies the right to education based on political beliefs.  

Nevertheless, attempts to criminalise the slogan have been successfully pushed back against in German courts. In June 2024, a court in Munich reaffirmed the right to express the slogan ‘From the River to the Sea’ at demonstrations. 

The association Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost e.V. had called for a rally in front of the courthouse to protest the trial and oppose German complicity in Israel’s genocidal campaign in Palestine.  

Deutsch:

Versuchte Kriminalisierung des Slogans ‘Palästina wird frei sein, vom Fluss bis zum Meer’ Anhörung vor dem Amtsgericht Tiergarten verdächtig verschoben  

Am Montag, den 27. Januar 2025, sollte vor dem Amtsgericht Tiergarten ein weiterer Fall der versuchten Kriminalisierung des Slogans „Palästina wird frei sein, vom Fluss bis zum Meer“ verhandelt werden. Die Berliner Staatsanwaltschaft hatte ein Ermittlungsverfahren gegen den Filmemacher Dror Dayan wegen Verwendung von Kennzeichen verfassungswidriger und terroristischer Organisationen (§ 86a StGB) eingeleitet und Anklage erhoben. Der Prozess dreht sich um einen Twitter-Kommentar vom November 2023, in dem Dror Dayan die Kriminalisierung des Slogans in Deutschland anprangerte. Die Richterin vertagte die Entscheidung jedoch mit fadenscheinigen Begründungen, da angeblich eine Sachverständige aus gesundheitlichen Gründen nicht an der Verhandlung teilnehmen könne. 

Bei der besagten Zeugin handelt es sich um eine Polizeibeamtin des Landeskriminalamts Berlin, die zuvor einen ausführlichen Bericht verfasst und vorgelegt hatte. Dieser sollte klären, ob der Slogan „Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea“ ein Symbol der Hamas darstellt.  

Insbesondere merkte die Gutachterin an, es sei eine unzulässige Verkürzung, den Slogan als Hamas-Symbol zu werten, da er seit vielen Jahrzehnten von einem breiten politischen Spektrum verwendet werde. Nach Durchsicht einer beträchtlichen Anzahl von Hamas-Publikationen, die bis ins Gründungsjahr 1988 zurückreichen, fand die Gutachterin zudem keine einzige Veröffentlichung, in der der Slogan vorkam. Sie kam daher zu dem Schluss, dass es keine überzeugenden Belege dafür gibt, den Slogan als Hamas-Symbol einzuordnen.  

Nadija Samour, Senior Legal Officer beim European Legal Support Center (ELSC), die den Angeklagten vertritt, kommentiert: „Das Ganze ist höchst suspekt. Die Sachverständige hatte dem Gericht ihren Bericht bereits in schriftlicher Form vorgelegt. Die Richterin hätte an diesem Tag urteilen können. Wir vermuten, dass die Richterin das Verfahren aus politischen Gründen künstlich in die Länge zieht, wahrscheinlich aus Angst vor Konsequenzen. Ein Urteil zu unseren Gunsten würde einen Präzedenzfall für andere laufende Verfahren zur versuchten Kriminalisierung des Slogans „Palestine will be free from the river to the sea“ schaffen. Die Gerichte scheinen eine Entscheidung zu vermeiden, obwohl sogar die Polizei selbst zu einem eindeutigen Schluss gekommen ist.“  

Zuvor hatte der deutsche Justizminister Marco Buschmann erklärt, dass die Äußerung des Slogans eine Straftat darstelle. Dies geschah unmittelbar nachdem das Verwaltungsgericht Bremen entschieden hatte, dass die Verwendung des Slogans rechtmäßig sei. Dies muss als Eingriff der Regierung in die Justiz angesehen werden. Der Tweet wurde weithin als Warnung und Kritik am Urteil des Gerichts verstanden.  

Keine Einzelfälle: Deutschlands systematische Unterdrückung der Palästina-Solidarität  

Derzeit gibt es Dutzende von laufenden Verfahren wegen dem Slogan „Palestine will be free from the river to the sea“, von denen viele auf ähnliche Weise unnötig in die Länge gezogen werden. Darüber hinaus werden Äußerungen des Slogans derzeit auf dreierlei Weise als Straftatbestände verfolgt, darunter als Volksverhetzung (Paragraf 130 StGB), als Verwenden von Kennzeichen verfassungswidriger Organisationen (Paragraf 86a StGB) oder als Billigung von Straftaten (Paragraf 140 StGB). Dies deutet darauf hin, dass die deutschen Behörden politisch motiviert sind, die Äußerung des Slogans zu kriminalisieren, auch wenn er eindeutig und abschließend keiner im deutschen Strafgesetzbuch definierten Straftat entspricht.  

Dies sind keine Einzelfälle. Die deutschen Behörden haben ihre alarmierend gewalttätigen Maßnahmen zur Unterdrückung der Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung nur ausgeweitet. So erklärte die deutsche Bundesinnenministerin Nancy Faeser den Slogan für illegal. 

Im Mai 2024 bekräftigte das Bundesjustizministerium Nancy Faesers Erlass und erklärte den Slogan zu einem „Hamas-Slogan“ und damit für strafbar. Nur wenige Tage nach dieser Erklärung verbot das Bundesland Nordrhein-Westfalen die Gruppe „Palästina Solidarität Duisburg“ wegen angeblicher Hamas-Unterstützung, weil die Gruppe den Slogan verwendet hatte. Dies führte im Mai 2024 zu mehreren Razzien in den Wohnungen der Aktivist*innen.  

Während ein Großteil der repressiven Maßnahmen gegen die Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung auf Bundesebene erlassen wird, ist die Regierung der Hauptstadt Berlin besonders darauf erpicht, auf noch autoritärere Maßnahmen zu drängen. So sollte beispielsweise das Bestreben, Studierende von Berliner Universitäte im Zusammenhang mit Palästina-Solidarität auf dem Campus zu exmatrikulieren, Anlass zu größter Sorge geben. Denn damit würde das Recht auf Bildung aufgrund politischer Überzeugungen verwehrt. 

Dennoch wurden Bestrebungen, den Slogan zu kriminalisieren, erfolgreich vor deutschen Gerichten abgewehrt. Im Juni 2024 bestätigte ein Gericht in München erneut das Recht, den Slogan „from the river to the sea“ bei Demonstrationen zu verwenden.  

Der Verein Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost e.V. hatte zu einer Kundgebung vor dem Gerichtsgebäude aufgerufen, um gegen den Prozess und die deutsche Mitschuld an Israels Völkermordkampagne in Palästina zu protestieren. 

محاولة تجريم شعار “فلسطين ستكون حرّة من النّهر إلى البحر”: تأجيل محكمة منطقة تيرغارتن الألمانيّة لجلسة الاستماع للقضيّة في ظروف مريبة ومثيرة للشكّ. 

بتاريخ 27 جانفي/يناير، كان من المتوقّع أن تبتّ محكمة منطقة تيرغارتن الألمانيّة في جلسة قضيّة أخرى متعلّقة بمحاولة تجريم شعار “فلسطين ستكون حرة من النهر إلى البحر”. للتّذكير، فتحت النّيابة العامّة في برلين تحقيقًا ضدّ المخرج السّينمائيّ درور ديان ووجّهت له اتّهامات على خلفيّة استخدامه لرموز منظّماتٍ تُعتبرُ إرهابيّة ومخالفة للدّستور (المادّة 86 أ من القانون الجنائيّ الألمانيّ). تتعلّق القضيّة بتغريدةٍ نشرها درور ديان على تويتر في شهر نوفمبر/تشرين الثّاني 2023 للتّنديد بالتّجريم الذّي يستهدفُ هذا الشّعار في ألمانيا. بيْدَ أنّ القاضي أجّلَ النّظر في القضيّة متعلّلاً بأسباب غير شرعيّة، ألا وهي عدم قدرة شاهدٍ خبيرٍ على حضور جلسة المحاكمة لأسباب صحيّة. في هذه القضيّة، الشّاهد الخبير هو ضابط شرطة ينتمي إلى فرقة شرطة ولاية برلين، وهو نفس الشّخص الذّي حرّر وقدّم تقريرًا مفصّلاً للعدالة للتّقصّي فيما إذا كان شعار “فلسطين ستكون حرّة من النّهر إلى البحر” يمثّلُ رمزًا من رموز حركة حماس. 

من المهمّ التّذكير بأنّ الشّرطيّ الخبير قد أشار إلى أنّه لا يجدر بنا قوقعة هذا الشّعار في شكل رمز من رموز حماس واعتباره مجرّد شعار لهذه الحركة، فقد شدّد هذا الأخير على أنّ مختلف الحركات السّياسيّة استخدمت هذا الشّعار خلال عقودٍ من الزّمن. علاوةً على ذلك، بعد الاطّلاع على العديد من منشورات حماس، بما في ذلك تلك التّي نُشرت في عام 1988، أيْ السّنة التّي رأت فيها الحركة النّور، لم يجدْ الخبير أيّ منشور كان يتضمّنُ أو يشيرُ إلى الشّعار المعنيّ. بالتّالي، يُبيّنُ استنتاج الخبير غيابَ أيّ دليل مقنعٍ وقاطعٍ لتحجّج بأنّ الشّعار يمثّلُ رمزًا من رموز حماس. 

نادية سمور، مسؤولة عن الاستشارة القانونيّة في المركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانونيّ (ELSC)، وممثّلة المدّعي عليه: “هذا الأمر مريبٌ للغاية. فقد سبقَ أن سلّم الخبير نسخة تقريره المكتوبة إلى القاضي الذّي كان بإمكانه إصدار حكم في ذلك اليوم. لذا، فنحن نشكّكُ في مصداقيّة سبب التّأجيل ونعتقد أنّ القاضي قام بتأجيل المحاكمة بشكل متصنّع لأسباب سياسيّة، ربّما خوفًا من العواقب. بعبارة أخرى، قد يمثّلُ الحكم لصالحنا سابقةً من نوعها في السّاحة القانونيّة، فيؤثّرُ بذلك على مجرى قضايا حاليّة أخرى تتعلّق بمحاولة تجريم شعار “فلسطين ستكون حرّة من النّهر إلى البحر”. يبدو أنّ القضاة يتجنّبون اتّخاذ مواقف واضحة وقرارات صارمة على الرّغم من أنّ الشّرطة بحدّ ذاتها قد توصّلت إلى استنتاج واضح.” 

في وقت سابق، أعلن وزير العدل الألمانيّ، ماركو بوشمان، أنّ استخدام هذا الشّعار للتّعبير عن التّضامن مع فلسطين يعتبرُ جريمة. جاء هذا الإعلان مباشرةً بعد أن أصدرت المحكمة الإداريّة في بريمن حكمًا ينصّ على أنّ هذا الأمر قانونيّ. بالتّالي، يُعتبرُ هذا الأمر تدخّلاً مباشرا في نطاق صلاحيّات السّلطة القضائيّة. 

هذه القضايا ليست مجرّد قضايا معزولة: القمع المنهجيّ الذّي تمارسه ألمانيا ضدّ أيّ شكل من أشكال التّضامن مع فلسطين 

في الوقت الرّاهن، هناك عشرات من القضايا الجارية المتعلّقة بشعار “فلسطين ستكون حرّة من النّهر إلى البحر” التّي تمّ تأجيلها لتمديد تاريخ الحكم بشكل مفتعل من خلال تطبيق طرق واستراتيجيّات مماثلة. علاوةً على ذلك، يتمُّ تجريم استخدام هذا الشّعار اعتمادًا على اتّهامات تُصنّفُ وفق ثلاثة أنواع من الجرائم الجنائيّة التّي لا تتعلّق ببعضها البعض، بعبارة أخرى “التّحريض على الكراهيّة” (المادّة 130 من القانون الجنائيّ الألمانيّ)، “عرض رموز منظّمات غير دستوريّة” (المادّة 86 أ من القانون الجنائيّ الألمانيّ)، أو “تأييد أعمال إجراميّة” (المادّة 140 من القانون الجنائيّ الألمانيّ)، ممّا يعكسُ توجّه السّلطات الألمانيّة، أيْ دوافعها السّياسيّة الهادفة إلى تجريم استخدام الشّعار والتّعبير عن مضمونه الذّي لا يُمثّلُ بأيّ طريقة كانت وبشكل واضح وقطعيّ جريمةً جنائيّة بموجب القانون الجنائيّ الألمانيّ. في الواقع، لا تُعتبرُ هذه القضايا مجرّد حالات معزولة، فهي مرآة تعكسُ مدى انتشار الإجراءات العنيفة والقهريّة والمثيرة للقلق التّي تلجأ لها السّلطات الألمانيّة لقمع حركة التّضامن مع فلسطين. في هذا السّياق مثلاً، أعلنت وزيرة الدّاخليّة الألمانيّة، نانسي فايسر، أنّ هذا الشّعار غير قانونيّ. 

في شهر ماي/مايو 2024، تبنّت وزارة الدّاخليّة الألمانيّة مرسومَ نانسي فايسر وأعلنت أنّ الشّعار يُعتبرُ من “شعارات حركة حماس” وبالتّالي يُعاقبُ عليه بموجب القانون. بعد أيّام قليلة من هذا الإعلان، قامت ولاية شمال الرّاين وستفاليا بحظر كيان مجموعة التّضامن مع فلسطين في دويسبورغ وأنشطتها بسبب دعمها المزعوم لحماس على خلفيّة استخدام هذه المجموعة المعنيّة للشّعار، ممّا أدّى إلى العديد من المداهمات التّي استهدفت منازل النّشطاء والنّاشطات في ماي/مايو 2024. 

حتّى وإن كانت معظم الإجراءات القمعيّة المستهدفة لحركة التّضامن مع فلسطين إجراءات تتّخذها الحكومة الألمانيّة، أي على المستوى الوطنيّ، من الجدير بالذّكر أنّ مكتب الحكومة في العاصمة برلين كان حريصًا كلّ الحرص على تعزيز الضّغط من خلال اللّجوء إلى تدابير وإجراءات كانت ذات صبغة أكثر استبداديّة. على سبيل المثال، يُعتبرُ السّعي إلى إبعاد الطّلاب من الجامعات في برلين، على وجه الخصوص في إطار التّعبير عن التّضامن مع فلسطين في حرم الجامعات، أمرًا مثيرًا للقلق بشكل هامّ، فهو إجراء يغتصبُ الحقّ في التّعليم على أساس المعتقدات السّياسيّة الفرديّة. 

غير أنّ محاولات تجريم الشّعار فشلت فشلاً ذريعًا في المحاكم الألمانيّة. في شهر جوان/يونيو 2024، أكّدت محكمة في مونيخ مجدّدًا على شرعيّة الحقّ في التّعبير عن التّضامن مع فلسطين في المظاهرات عبر شعار “من النّهر إلى البحر”. 

دعت جمعيّة Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost e.V.  إلى تنظيم مظاهرة أمام المحكمة احتجاجًا على المحاكمة وللتّعبير عن معارضتها لتواطؤ ألمانيا المساندة لحملة الإبادة الجماعيّة التّي تشنّها إسرائيل على فلسطين

Categories
Press Release

Dutch Labour Court confirms: Firing of Palestinian employee by Dutch company over solidarity with Palestinian resistance was discriminatory, large compensation is due 

This press release is available in English, Dutch, and Arabic. Scroll down for different language versions.


AMSTERDAM, 12 FEBRUARY 2025 – 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 Israeli occupation. This dismissal had significant consequences not only for Nouraldin but also for his family in Gaza. The Court of Amsterdam affirmed on 1 November 2024 that Speakap had discriminated against Nouraldin based on his political beliefs and ordered the company to pay a significant amount of compensation to him. Now, three months later, Speakap has officially let the deadline to appeal the Court’s decision expire, making the judgement final. 

On 30 August 2023, Nouraldin, who is from Gaza and lived as a refugee in Turkey at the time, signed an employment contract with Speakap accepting the role of Frontend Engineer. In the days following 7 October 2023, he wrote many LinkedIn posts expressing his support for the right of the Palestinian people to resist the Israeli occupation. At that time, several of his relatives and friends were killed in Gaza by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). On 17 October 2023, Speakap informed Nouraldin that he had been dismissed on the ground that some colleagues would experience discomfort at his “strong personal opinions”. Earlier, the company had asked Nouraldin whether he would be willing to remove his LinkedIn contributions whenever requested, which he agreed to comply with. 

Significant consequences 

The decision meant that Nouraldin’s visa and residence permit were no longer valid to travel to the Netherlands. Having already given up his place and belongings in Turkey, Nouraldin was forced to apply for asylum in the Netherlands. As a result, with its decision Speakap had ensured that the evacuation of Nouraldin’s wife and family from the Israeli genocidal onslaught on Gaza was made impossible since a person who has applied for asylum cannot apply for family reunification until they have their residency permit in the Netherlands. 

No impunity for employers like Speakap 

Nouraldin decided to fight back. He contacted the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), and through the lawyer Seyma Arikan from Spuistraat 10 Advocaten he filed a claim for unlawful dismissal. Following the decision issued by the Dutch Human Rights Board (College voor de Rechten van de Mens) in June 2024, the Court of Amsterdam in November 2024 ruled that Speakap had discriminated against Nouraldin on the basis of his political beliefs. This is unlawful under Article 7:681 of the Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek) and under the Equal Treatment Act (Algemene wet gelijke behandeling). The Court ordered Speakap to pay Nouraldin a significant compensation not only for unlawful dismissal but also for emotional harm inflicted. 

A landmark legal victory 

The Court’s judgement demonstrates that expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and criticism of Israel, including speaking out for the right of the Palestinian people to resist occupation also through armed struggle, are protected political beliefs on the basis of which you cannot be discriminated against according to Dutch anti-discrimination law. Resisting the Israeli colonial occupation that has been committing crimes against humanity since at least 1948, the right of the Palestinian people to armed struggle is enshrined in international law in Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and reinforced in UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions such as 37/43 from 1982. 

This legal victory arrives at a critical moment in the Dutch context, amidst growing anti-Palestinian repression and a racist Dutch government increasingly attacking fundamental rights. The ELSC has observed a rise in workplace censorship, including in the Netherlands, where employees expressing solidarity with Palestine face intensified silencing. Although generally lacking any legal grounds, (the mere threat of) disciplinary investigation, dismissal, online surveillance, and harassment can create a chilling effect deterring workers from expressing solidarity with Palestine and standing up against the grave human rights violations in which employers may even be complicit. Often these cases go unrecorded as workers are worried about their employment. This legal victory, however, demonstrates that there can no longer be impunity for employers that repress anti-genocide, anti-apartheid, and anti-colonial voices – and the ELSC encourages employees to speak out, to keep records of the repression by an employer wherever it occurs, and to reach out to the ELSC for legal support or advice. 

Nouraldin Alsweirki commented: “Genocide is highly radioactive; no distance keeps you safe from it. People should never feel safe to commit or enable crimes as that creates a very dark and despicable world for all of us, a world where your same justifications to shed blood will be reused to shed yours and other innocent’s. Everybody has a duty to oppose genocide.” 

Juul Seesing, from the ELSC, said: “Speakap is an employer like so many in the Netherlands; their business-as-usual will not be inconvenienced by people speaking out against a genocidal occupation. According to companies like Speakap, Palestinians are supposed to do their jobs silently amidst an ongoing genocide against their people because it might make a privileged person or two ‘uncomfortable’. Let this case be a message to all employers complicit in repressing dissent and discriminating against people experiencing and opposing genocide, apartheid, and settler colonialism; your time of impunity is over.” 

Lawyer Seyma Arikan, from Spuistraat 10 Advocaten, concluded: “First the verdict of the Human Rights Board and now the ruling of the Court emphasise that dismissal on the basis of one’s political views is unlawful, obviously also when those views oppose the Israeli apartheid regime. These rulings respect the constitutional right to equal treatment and underscore the prohibition of discrimination based on political beliefs.” 

Dutch

Rechter bevestigt: Ontslag Palestijnse werknemer door Nederlands bedrijf wegens solidariteit met Palestijns verzet was discriminatie, hoge vergoeding verschuldigd 

AMSTERDAM, 12 FEBRUARI 2025 – De Palestijnse werknemer Nouraldin Alsweirki heeft een historische juridische overwinning behaald op zijn voormalige werkgever, het Nederlandse softwarebedrijf Speakap B.V., dat hem in oktober 2023 ontsloeg vanwege LinkedIn-posts waarin hij zijn solidariteit toonde met het recht van het Palestijnse volk op verzet tegen de Israëlische bezetting. Dit ontslag had niet alleen grote gevolgen voor Nouraldin, maar ook voor zijn familie in Gaza. De rechtbank van Amsterdam oordeelde op 1 november 2024 dat Speakap Nouraldin gediscrimineerd had op basis van zijn politieke overtuiging en veroordeelde het bedrijf tot het betalen van een aanzienlijke vergoeding aan hem. Nu, drie maanden later, heeft Speakap de termijn om in beroep te gaan tegen de uitspraak officieel laten verstrijken, waardoor de uitspraak definitief is. 

Op 30 augustus 2023 tekent Nouraldin, afkomstig uit Gaza en op dat moment als vluchteling woonachtig in Turkije, een contract bij Speakap voor de functie van Frontend Engineer. In de dagen na 7 oktober 2023 schrijft hij verschillende LinkedIn-posts waarin hij zijn steun uitspreekt voor het recht van het Palestijnse volk om zich te verzetten tegen de Israëlische bezetting. In deze periode vermoordt het Israëlische bezettingsleger verschillende familieleden en vrienden van hem in Gaza. Op 17 oktober 2023 deelt Speakap Nouraldin mee dat hij is ontslagen omdat sommige collega’s zich ongemakkelijk zouden voelen bij zijn “sterke persoonlijke meningen”. Eerder had het bedrijf Nouraldin gevraagd of hij bereid zou zijn om zijn LinkedIn-posts te verwijderen wanneer dit verzocht zou worden, waar hij mee instemde. 

Ingrijpende gevolgen 

De beslissing van Speakap betekent dat Nouraldins visum en verblijfsvergunning niet langer geldig zijn om naar Nederland te reizen. Nouraldin, die zijn woonplek en bezittingen in Turkije al heeft opgegeven, is genoodzaakt om asiel aan te vragen in Nederland. Hiermee is de evacuatie van Nouraldins vrouw en familie uit de Israëlische genocidale aanval op Gaza onmogelijk gemaakt aangezien een persoon die asiel heeft aangevraagd in Nederland geen gezinshereniging kan aanvragen totdat die diens verblijfsvergunning heeft. 

Geen straffeloosheid voor werkgevers zoals Speakap 

Nouraldin besluit terug te vechten. Hij neemt contact op met het European Legal Support Center (ELSC) en via advocaat Seyma Arikan van Spuistraat 10 Advocaten spant hij een zaak aan wegens onrechtmatig ontslag. In navolging van de uitspraak van het College voor de Rechten van de Mens in juni 2024 oordeelt ook de rechtbank van Amsterdam in november 2024 dat Speakap Nouraldin gediscrimineerd heeft op grond van zijn politieke overtuiging. Dit is onrechtmatig op grond van Artikel 7:681 van het Burgerlijk Wetboek en op grond van de Algemene wet gelijke behandeling. Speakap is gedwongen om Nouraldin een aanzienlijke schadevergoeding te betalen voor naast onrechtmatig ontslag ook voor geleden emotionele schade. 

Een historische juridische overwinning 

De uitspraak van de rechter toont aan dat het uiten van solidariteit met het Palestijnse volk en kritiek op Israël, inclusief het uitspreken voor het recht van het Palestijnse volk op verzet tegen de Israëlische bezetting ook door middel van gewapend verzet, beschermde politieke overtuigingen zijn op basis waarvan je niet gediscrimineerd mag worden onder de Nederlandse wet. Bovendien is het recht van het Palestijnse volk op gewapend  

verzet tegen de Israëlische koloniale bezetting die misdaden tegen de mensheid pleegt sinds ten minste 1948 vastgelegd in het internationaal recht in Aanvullend Protocol I bij de Verdragen van Genève van 1949, verder gespecificeerd in resoluties van de Algemene Vergadering van de Verenigde Naties zoals 37/43 uit 1982. 

Deze juridische overwinning komt op een kritiek moment in de Nederlandse context, te midden van toenemende anti-Palestijnse repressie en een racistische Nederlandse regering die in toenemende mate fundamentele rechten aanvalt. Het ELSC signaleert een toename van censuur op de werkplek, ook in Nederland, waar werknemers die hun solidariteit met Palestina betuigen steeds meer het zwijgen worden opgelegd. Hoewel er over het algemeen geen wettelijke gronden voor zijn, kan (de dreiging van) disciplinair onderzoek, ontslag, online surveillance en intimidatie een effect hebben dat werknemers ervan weerhoudt hun solidariteit met Palestina te betuigen en op te staan tegen de ernstige mensenrechtenschendingen waaraan werkgevers in sommige gevallen zelfs medeplichtig zijn. Vaak worden deze zaken niet geregistreerd omdat werknemers zich zorgen maken over hun baan(kansen). Deze juridische overwinning laat echter zien dat werkgevers die anti-genocide, anti-apartheid en anti-koloniale stemmen onderdrukken niet langer ongestraft kunnen blijven – en het ELSC moedigt werknemers aan om zich uit te spreken, administratie bij te houden van repressie van een werkgever mocht dit gebeuren en contact op te nemen met het ELSC voor juridische ondersteuning of advies. 

Nouraldin Alsweirki: “Genocide is zeer radioactief waar geen enkele afstand je veilig van houdt. Mensen moeten zich nooit veilig voelen om misdaden te plegen of mogelijk te maken, want dat creëert een zeer donkere en verachtelijke wereld voor ons allemaal, een wereld waarin dezelfde rechtvaardigingen om bloed te vergieten opnieuw zullen worden gebruikt om bloed van jou en andere onschuldigen te vergieten. Iedereen heeft de plicht om zich te verzetten tegen genocide.” 

Juul Seesing van het ELSC zegt: “Speakap is een werkgever zoals zovelen in Nederland; hun business-as-usual moet en zal geen hinder ondervinden van mensen die zich uitspreken tegen een genocidale bezetting. Bedrijven zoals Speakap vinden dat Palestijnen hun werk in stilte moeten doen te midden van een voortdurende genocide op hun volk omdat anders een geprivilegieerd persoon of twee zich ‘ongemakkelijk’ kan voelen. Laat deze overwinning een boodschap zijn aan alle werkgevers die besluiten werknemers die zich verzetten tegen genocide, apartheid en kolonialisme te onderdrukken en/of te discrimineren: jullie tijd van straffeloosheid is voorbij.” 

Advocaat Seyma Arikan van Spuistraat 10 Advocaten concludeert: “Eerst het oordeel van het College en nu de uitspraak van de Rechtbank benadrukken dat ontslag op basis van iemands politieke opvattingen onrechtmatig is, natuurlijk óók wanneer die opvattingen zich verzetten tegen het Israëlische apartheidsregime. Met deze uitspraken wordt het grondwettelijke recht op gelijke behandeling gerespecteerd en wordt het verbod op onderscheid op grond van politieke gezindheid onderstreept.” 

Arabic

قرار محكمة العمل الهولنديّة: 

 يُعتبرُ طرد موظّف فلسطينيّ من قبل شركة هولنديّة على خلفيّة تضامنه مع المقاومة الفلسطينية ممارسة ذات صبغة تمييزيّة وسيحظى هذا الأخير بتعويضٍ ماليّ هامّ لجبر الضّرر 

مؤرّخ في 12 فبراير/شبّاط 2025، مدينة أمستردام  

في سابقة من نوعها، ربحَ نور الدّين السويركي قضيّةً عدليّةً تمثّلُ نقطة تحوّل وعلامة مرجعيّة في السّاحة القضائيّة، وهي دعوى رفعها نور الدّين ضدّ مُشغّله السّابق، شركة البرمجيات الهولنديّة Speakap B.V، التّي طردتهُ من عمله، في شهر أكتوبر/تشرين الأوّل 2023، على خلفيّة منشورات شاركها على منصّة لينكدن يُعبّرُ من خلالها على مناصرته لحقّ الشّعب الفلسطينيّ، أيْ شعبه، في مقاومة الاحتلال الاستيطانيّ الصّهيونيّ. كان لهذا الطّرد نتائج وخيمة على نور الدّين وعلى عائلته في غزّة. ولكن في غرّة نوفمبر/تشرين الثّاني، أكّدت محكمة أمستردام ما يلي: نور الدّين كان ضحيّة للتّمييز الذّي مارسته شركة Speakap ضدّهُ بناءً على معتقداته السّياسيّة وأمرت المحكمة بدفع مبلغ ماليّ كتعويض للضّرر. الآن، وبعد مرور ثلاثة أشهر من الحكم، بلغت شركة Speakap تاريخ انتهاء المهلة المحدّدة للطّعن في قرار المحكمة، ممّا يجعلُ الحكم نهائيًّا بشكل رسميّ. 

 
في 30 أغسطس/أوت 2023، وقّع نور الدّين، أصيل قطاع غزّة والذّي كان يعيش في تركيا في ذلك الوقت، عقْدَ عملٍ مع شركة Speakap ليشغل منصب مهندس الواجهة الأماميّة لتطوير الويب. خلال الفترة التّي تلت تاريخ 7 أكتوبر/تشرين الأوّل 2023، دوّنَ نور الدّين عددًا من المنشورات على منصّة لينكدن يُعبّرُ فيها عن مناصرته لحقّ الشّعب الفلسطينيّ في مقاومة الاحتلال الاستيطانيّ الصّهيونيّ. وكان ذلك في ذات الفترة التي استشهد فيها الكثير من أقاربه وأصدقائه في غزّة على يد قوّات الاحتلال الإسرائيليّة. في يوم 17 من نفس الشّهر، أعلمتهُ شركة Speakap بقرار طردها له على خلفيّة احتمال شعور البعض من زملائه وزميلاته بعدم الارتياح والانزعاج بسبب “آرائه الشّخصيّة المتطرّفة” على حدّ وصفهم. من الجدير بالذّكر أنّ الشّركة طلبت من نور الدّين في وقت سابق ما إذا كان على استعداد لإزالة منشوراته على لينكدن عندما يُطلبُ منه ذلك، وقد وافق على الامتثال لذلك. 

نتائج وخيمة 

قرار الطّرد هذا يعني أنّ تأشيرة سفر نور الدّين وتصريح إقامته لم تعُدْ صالحةً للسّفر إلى هولندا والبقاء فيها. نظرًا لترك نور الدّين مكان إقامته وممتلكاته في تركيا، أٌجبرَ هذا الأخير على تقديم طلب لجوءٍ في هولندا. كنتيجة لذلك، وبسبب قرار شركة Speakap، أصبح من المستحيل إجلاء زوجته وعائلته من مخالب هجوم الإبادة الإسرائيليّ التّي كانت غزّة ضحيّته: ففي هذه الحالة، الشّخص المتقدّمُ بطلب لجوء لا يمكنه قانونيًّا تقديم طلب لِلمِّ شمل العائلة إلى أنّ يتحصّل على تصريح إقامة يسمح له بالعيش في هولندا. 

من الآن فصاعدًا لن يُفلت المُشغلّون والشّركات مثل Speakap من العقاب 

 
قرّر نور الدّين تحدّي قرار طرده، فتواصل معنا في المركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانونيّ (ELSC) وقام برفع دعوى قضائية على خلفيّة طردٍ غير قانونيّ بمساعدة المحامية سيماء أريكان من Spuistraat 10 Advocaten . إثر القرار الصّادر عن المجلس الهولنديّ لحقوق الإنسان في شهر جوان/يونيو 2024، أصدرت محكمة أمستردام حكمًا في شهر نوفمبر/تشرين الثّاني 2024 ينصّ على كون نور الدّين ضحيّة للتّمييز الذّي مارسته شركة Speakap ضدّه بناءً على معتقداته السّياسيّة. تُعتبرُ مثل هذه الممارسات ممارسات غير قانونيّة بموجب المادّة 7:681 من القانون المدنيّ الهولنديّ (Burgerlijk Wetboek) وبموجب قانون المساواة في المعاملة (Algemene Wet Gelijke Behandeling). كما أمرت المحكمة شركة Speakap بدفع تعويض ماليّ هامّ لجبْرِ كلٍّ من الطّرد غير القانونيّ من العمل والضّرر العاطفيّ الذّي لحقَ به كذلك.  

 
انتصار قانونيّ تاريخيّ في سابقة هي الأولى من نوعها 

 
حكمُ المحكمة دليلٌ على أنّ التّعبير عن التّضامن مع الشّعب الفلسطينيّ وانتقاد إسرائيل، بما في ذلك التّحدّث علنًا عن حقّ الشّعب الفلسطينيّ في مقاومة الاحتلال من خلال النّضال المسلّح، هي معتقدات سياسيّة محميّة لا يُمكنُ لأيّ كان استغلالها لاضطهادك بموجب قانون مناهضة التّمييز الهولنديّ. بعبارة أخرى، يُعتبرُ حقّ الشّعب الفلسطينيّ في النّضال المسلّح وفي مقاومة الاحتلال الاستيطانيّ الإسرائيليّ، الذّي ما فتئ يرتكب جرائمًا ضدّ الإنسانيّة منذ عام 1948 على الأقّل، حقًّا مقدّسًا ينصّ عليه القانون الدّوليّ في البروتوكول الإضافيّ الأوّل لاتّفاقيّة جنيف لعام 1949، وهو حقّ تمّ ترسيخه في القرارات الصّادرة عن الجمعيّة العامّة للأمم المتّحدّة (UNGA)، نذكرُ على سبيل المثال القرار رقم 37/43 لعام 1982. 

يتصادفُ هذا الانتصار القانونيّ مع وقت حرج تعيشهُ هولندا، أي القمع المتزايد ضدّ الفلسطينيّين والفلسطينيّات وممارسات الحكومة الهولنديّة العنصريّة التّي ما انفكّت تصعّدُ هجماتها التّي تستهدفُ حقوق الإنسان الأساسيّة. لقد لاحظ المركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانونيّ (ELSC) ارتفاع نسبة الرّقابة في أماكن العمل، بما في ذلك في هولندا، حيث يواجه الموظّفون والموظّفات الذّي يعبّرون عن تضامنهم مع فلسطين إخمادًا وإسكاتًا حادًّا لأصواتهم. عمومًا، رغم أنّ هذه الحالات تفتقرُ لأيّ أساس قانونيّ بنّاءٍ، فإنّ (مجرّد التّهديد بـ) إجراءات التّحقيق التّأديبيّ، الطّرد من العمل، المراقبة على الإنترنت، والمضايقة يمكنُ أن تخلق بيئة مرهبةً تردعُ العمّال عن التّعبير عن تضامنهم مع فلسطين والصّمود أمام أيّ شكل من أشكال الانتهاكات الجسيمة لحقوق الإنسان التّي قد يكون أرباب العمل متواطئين فيها. في غالب الأحيان، تمرّ هذه الحالات مرور الكرام بسبب خوف العمّال من فقدان عملهم. بَيْدَ أنّ هذا الانتصار القانونيّ يُبيّنُ بكلّ وضوح أنّهُ، من الآن فصاعدًا، لن يستطيع المُشغّلون الإفلات من العقاب في حالة قمعهم للأصوات التّي تعلُو لمناهضة الإبادة الجماعيّة ومناهضة الفصل العنصريّ ومناهضة الاستعمار كذلك. وبناءً عليه، يُشجّعُ المركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانونيّ (ELSC) كلّ التّشجيع الموظّفين والموظّفات لإعلاء أصواتهم، تسجيل وتوثيق الممارسات القمعيّة التّي يرتكبها المُشغّلون أينما حدثت، والاتّصال بالمركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانونيّ (ELSC) للحصول على الدّعم القانونيّ أو المشورة القانونيّة. 

يُعلّقُ نور الدّين السويركي قائلاً: “الإبادة الجماعيّة ذات مفعول شبيهٍ بالإشعاع الذريّ، فلا توجد مسافة أمانٍ تحميك منها. يجب علينا نفعل كلّ ما بوسعنا كي لا يشعر النّاس بحصانة تحميهم عند ارتكابهم للجرائم أو تمكينهم من ارتكابها، فهذا بحدّ ذاته يخلقُ عالمًا ظالمًا لنا جميعًا، عالم سيُلجأ فيه إلى استخدام نفس مبرّراتك لسفك دم الشّعب الفلسطينيّ لتبرير سفك دمكَ أنتَ ودماء أبرياء آخرين لاحقًا. واجب معارضة الإبادة الجماعيّة فرضٌ على كلّ فرد منّا.” 

يضيفُ جُول سيسنغ (Juul Seesing) من المركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانون (ELSC): ” Speakapشركة كالعديد من الشّركات الأخرى في هولندا لن تتضرّر أعمالها التّجاريّة بسبب تحدّث النّاس عن معارضتهم للإبادة التّي تشنّها قوّات الاحتلال. تعتقدُ شركات مثل Speakap أنّهُ يجب على الفلسطينيّين والفلسطينيّات القيام بعملهم بكلّ صمت دون إحداث ضجّة بينما يعيشُ شعبهم تحت وطأة الإبادة الجماعيّة المستمرّة، لأنّ التّنديد بذلك قد “يخدشُ راحة” شخص أو شخصين من أصحاب الامتيازات، فيشعرُون “بالانزعاج”. بالتّالي، فلتكُنْ هذه القضيّة درسًا ورسالةً إلى جميع أرباب الأعمال المتواطئين العاملين على قمع المعارضة، والمرتكبين للتّمييز ضدّ الأشخاص المضطهدين والذّين يستهدفون المعارضين للإبادة الجماعيّة والفصل العنصريّ والاستعمار الاستيطانيّ: لقد دقّتْ السّاعة معلنةً عن نهاية إفلاتكم من العقاب.” 

تقول المحامية سيماء أريكان من مكتب Spuistraat 10 Advocaten خاتمةً:” يُسلّطُ كلّ من قرار مجلس حقوق الإنسان والحكم الصّادر عن المحكمة الضّوء على أنّ الطّرد على أساس الآراء السّياسيّة أمر غير قانونيّ، ومن البديهيّ أنّ هذا الأمر ينطبقُ كذلك على الآراء التّي تعارضُ نظام الفصل العنصريّ الذّي تمارسه إسرائيل. تحترمُ هذه الأحكام الحقّ في المعاملة المتساوية بموجب الدّستور وتؤكّدُ على حظر التّمييز على خلفيّة المعتقدات السّياسيّة”.  

Categories
Event

Know Your Rights: Anti-Palestinian Repression in Schools

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOP

ANTI-PALESTINIAN REPRESSION IN SCHOOLS
with lawyer Yalçın Tekinoğlu 

On Saturday, December 14, 2024, the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), in partnership with Team Eye4Palestine and the association 4Neukoelln+Berlin, will host a Know Your Rights workshop with lawyer Yalçın Tekinoğlu at the House of Democracy and Human Rights (Greifswalder Str. 4, 10405 Berlin). The workshop will focus on the increasing anti-Palestinian repression and discrimination in German schools.  

Yalçın Tekinoğlu is an expert on legal matters in school contexts. A 45-minute lecture featuring a general legal overview and a discussion of specific cases will be followed by a Q&A with the audience. 

The event begins at 4:00 p.m. and will be held in German. Translation into Arabic and English can be provided ad hoc. 

NOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOP 

ANTI-PALÄSTINENSISCHE REPRESSION AN SCHULEN 

mit Rechtsanwalt Yalçın Tekinoğlu 

Am Samstag, den 14. Dezember 2024, veranstaltet das European Legal Support Center (ELSC) in Kooperation mit Team Eye4Palestine und dem Verein 4Neukoelln+Berlin einen Know Your Rights Workshop mit Rechtsanwalt Yalçın Tekinoğlu im Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte (Greifswalder Str. 4, 10405 Berlin). Thema des Workshops ist die zunehmende anti-palästinensische Repression und Diskriminierung an deutschen Schulen.  

Yalçın Tekinoğlu ist Experte für die rechtliche Situation im schulischen Kontext und wird nach einem 45-minütigen Vortrag über die allgemeine Rechtslage und konkrete Fälle auch Fragen aus dem Publikum beantworten. 

Die Veranstaltung beginnt um 16:00 Uhr und wird auf Deutsch abgehalten. Eine Übersetzung ins Arabische und Englische kann ad hoc bereitgestellt werden. 

ندوة “اعرف حقوقك” 

ضد القمع المناهض للطلاب الفلسطينيين في المدارس 
مع المحامي يالتشين تكين أوغلو 

يوم السبت، 14 ديسمبر 2024، ينظم المركز الأوروبي للدعم القانوني (csle) بالاشتراك مع مجموعة ( عين على فلسطين ) و جمعية ( من اجل نويكولن و برلين )ندوة عمل بعنوان “اعرف حقوقك” مع المحامي يالتشين تكين أوغلو في بيت الديمقراطية وحقوق الإنسان

Greifswalder Str. 4, 10405 Berlin

موضوع الندوة هو تزايد القمع والتمييز المناهض للطلاب الفلسطينيين في المدارس الألمانية. 

المحامي يالتشين تكين أوغلو، الخبير في الوضع القانوني في السياق المدرسي، سيقدم محاضرة لمدة 45 دقيقة حول الوضع القانوني العام ولبعض الحالات العنصرية التي عايشها طلاب وطالبات فلسطينين في المدارس الالمانية، يليها فقرة للإجابة عن أسئلة الجمهور. 

تبدأ الندوة الساعة 00:61. 

ستُعقد الفعالية باللغة الألمانية، لكن يمكن توفير ترجمة فورية إلى العربية والإنجليزية حسب الحاجة. 

Categories
Statement

Solidarity with Amsterdammers Standing Up Against Genocide and State Repression

Solidarity with Amsterdammers Against Genocide & Repression

DUTCH AND ARABIC BELOW.

We at the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) stand in solidarity with the people in Amsterdam standing up against the genocide perpetrators, supporters, and vicious police force unleashed on our streets over the past weeks.  

While Israel, with full impunity and full support from the Dutch government, is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the racist Dutch government and the Amsterdam municipality collude with the Israeli government against their own population. Mainstream media outlets engaged in a disinformation campaign and Dutch authorities pre-emptively banned demonstrations to suppress those who speak out against the glorification and justification of genocide. The demonstration ban issued on 8 November led to massive police deployment and extreme violence against protesters, as well as arbitrary arrests and forcible removal outside of Amsterdam where police were shown to assault demonstrators in the night. This is a worrying precedent under an alarming pattern of restrictions. 

These acts constitute an outrageous attack against the fundamental right to assembly and association and are in direct breach of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In a joint statement published in February 2024, nine UN Special Rapporteurs stressed that “protests and rights movements should be facilitated rather than restricted or criminalised” and that “enabling and protecting human rights defenders and fundamental freedoms is also vital to give effect to the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice.” Instead, the Dutch government is emboldening Israel’s indiscriminate attacks on Palestinians by cracking down on protest rights and jeopardising freedom of expression and assembly. This is happening in a context already marked by anti-Palestinian repression. Individuals in the Netherlands have been fired from their jobs for voicing opinions on social media or have reported facing hate speech, censorship and self-censoring fearing reprisals, including discrimination and criminalisation, for voicing their opinions online and offline. 

While the Netherlands further descends into fascism, we keep each other safe. 

As ELSC, our team in the Netherlands is devoting all their capacities to monitoring all forms  of repression against protesters and activists and connecting those in need of legal support to our network of lawyers. If you have faced police violence or any other form of repression for protesting or advocating for Palestinian rights, we strongly encourage you to fill out the ELSC report form. Sending your report is crucial as it helps us gather evidence and create a database to expose and challenge the systematic forms of anti-Palestinian repression. 

In summary, allow us to remind you to: 

  • Report all incidents of repression and request support by filling out this form, available in Dutch, Arabic, English, and several other languages.  
  • Consult our Know Your Rights Toolkit for Protesters in the Netherlands. It provides an overview of protest law in the Netherlands and pays attention to specific questions and themes that affect our movement. It is available in Dutch, Arabic, and English. 

In solidarity with our movement.

Solidariteit met de Amsterdammers die opstaan tegen genocide en staatrepressie

Wij van het European Legal Support Center (ELSC) zijn solidair met de mensen in Amsterdam die opstaan tegen genocideplegers, hun aanhangers en de wrede politiemacht die de afgelopen weken op onze straten zijn losgelaten.

Terwijl Israël – met volledige straffeloosheid en met volledige steun van de Nederlandse regering – genocide pleegt op Palestijnen in Gaza, spannen de racistische Nederlandse regering en de gemeente Amsterdam samen met de Israëlische regering tegen hun eigen bevolking. De mainstream media ondersteunden hen met een desinformatiecampagne, en de Nederlandse autoriteiten verboden preventief demonstraties om mensen die opstaan tegen genocide te criminaliseren. Het demonstratieverbod dat op 8 november werd uitgevaardigd leidde tot massale politie-inzet, willekeurige arrestaties, en extreem geweld tegen demonstranten. Demonstranten werden bijvoorbeeld buiten Amsterdam gereden, waar politie hen in het holst van de nacht aanviel. Dit is een zorgwekkend precedent.

Deze daden vormen een schandelijke aanval op het fundamentele recht op vergadering en vereniging en zijn een directe schending van Artikel 11 van het Europees Verdrag voor de Rechten van de Mens. In een gezamenlijke verklaring uit februari 2024 benadrukten negen Speciale VN-Rapporteurs dat “protesten en bewegingen voor rechten moeten worden gefaciliteerd in plaats van beperkt of gecriminaliseerd” en dat “het faciliteren en beschermen van mensenrechtenverdedigers en fundamentele vrijheden ook van vitaal belang is om uitvoering te geven aan de recente uitspraak van het Internationaal Gerechtshof.”

In plaats van te handelen volgens het internationaal recht moedigt de Nederlandse regering Israëls aanvallen op Palestijnen aan door het protestrecht met harde hand aan te pakken en de vrijheid van meningsuiting en vergadering in gevaar te brengen. Dit gebeurt in een context die al wordt gekenmerkt door anti-Palestijnse repressie. Individuen in Nederland zijn ontslagen omdat ze hun mening gaven op sociale media of hebben te maken met haatzaaierij, censuur of zelfcensuur uit angst voor represailles, waaronder discriminatie en criminalisering, voor het geven van hun mening online en offline.

Terwijl Nederland verder afglijdt in het facisme, houden wij elkaar veilig.

Ons team in Nederland zet al diens capaciteiten in om alle vormen van repressie tegen demonstranten en activisten te monitoren en om degenen die juridische ondersteuning nodig hebben in contact te brengen met ons netwerk van advocaten. Als je te maken hebt gehad met politiegeweld en/of enige andere vorm van onderdrukking omdat je protesteerde of opkwam voor Palestijnse rechten, dan raden we je sterk aan om dit bij ons te melden via dit formulier. Dit is cruciaal omdat het ons helpt bewijs te verzamelen en een database aan te leggen om de systematische vormen van anti-Palestijnse onderdrukking aan de kaak te stellen en aan te vechten.

Ter afsluiting willen we je eraan herinneren om:

  • Alle incidenten van repressie en vragen voor ondersteuning aan ons te laten weten door dit formulier in te vullen, beschikbaar in het Nederlands, Arabisch, Engels, en verschillende andere talen.
  • Onze Know Your Rights-toolkit voor demonstranten in Nederland te raadplegen. Deze geeft een overzicht van de wetgeving met betrekking tot protesteren in Nederland en besteedt aandacht aan specifieke vragen en thema’s die van invloed zijn op onze beweging. De toolkit is beschikbaar in het Nederlands, Arabisch en Engels.
  • Deze tips te lezen over wat te doen voor, tijdens, en na huiszoekingen.
  • Naar deze pagina te gaan mocht steun en herstel nodig zijn na het meemaken van of getuige zijn van politiegeweld.
  • Deze gids te raadplegen over het voorkomen van en de nazorg van doxing.

In solidariteit met onze beweging.

تضامناً مع سكان أمستردام في مواجهة الإبادة الجماعية والقمع الحكومي.

نحنُ، المركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانونيّ (CSLE)، نعبّر عن تضامننا الكامل مع سكّان مدينة أمستردام، الذين يقاومون مرتكبي الإبادة الجماعية وداعميهم والقوة البوليسية الشرسة التي اجتاحت شوارعنا خلال الأسابيع الماضية.

في الوقت الذي ترتكب فيه إسرائيل الإبادة الجماعية ضد الفلسطينيين في غزة بدعم كامل ومن دون محاسبة من الحكومة الهولندية، تتواطأ الحكومة الهولندية العنصرية وبلدية أمستردام مع الحكومة الإسرائيلية ضد سكانها.

لقد شاركت وسائل الإعلام الرّئيسيّة في حملات إعلاميّة تضليليّة واسعة النّطاق وقامت السّلطات الهولنديّة بحظر المظاهرات بشكل استباقيّ الغية قمع الأصوات التّي تعلُو مُندّدةً بتمجيد وتبرير الإبادة الجماعيّة. أدّى حظر المظاهرات بتاريخ 8 نوفمبر إلى انتشار مُكثّفٍ لقوّات الشّرطة ولجوءٍ إلى عنف شديدٍ ضدّ المتظاهرين والمتظاهرات. كما نتجَتْ عن هذا الحظر مجموعةٌ من الاعتقالات ذات الصّبغة التّعسفيّة وطردٌ قسريّ خارج نطاق أمستردام حيثُ تَبيّنَ للعِيان اعتداءُ الشّرطة على المتظاهرين ليلاً. يشكل هذا سابقة خطيرة في نمط مقلق  من القيود المفروضة .

تشكل مِثْلُ هذه الإجراءات اعتداءً صارخاً على الحق الأساسي  التّجمّع وتكوين الجمعيّات، ممّا يُشكّلُ انتهاكًا مباشرًا للمادّة 11 من الاتّفاقيّة الأوروبيّة لحقوق الإنسان. في بيان مشترك نُشرَ في شهر فبراير 4202، أكدت تسعة من المقرّرين الخاصّين الأمم المتّحدة على أنّ “يجب تسهيل الاحتجاجات والحركات الحقوقية بدلاً من تقييدها أو تجريمها”، كما أن “تمكين المدافعين عن حقوق الإنسان وحماية الحريات الأساسية أمران حيويان لتنفيذ حكم محكمة العدل الدولية الأخير.” 

لكنْ بدلاً من ذلك، تعمل الحكومة الهولنديّة على تشجيع الهجمات العشوائيّة التّي تشنّها إسرائيل على الشّعب الفلسطينيّ من خلال قمع حقّ الاحتجاج والتّظاهر وتعريض حريّة التّعبير والتّجمّع للخطر، وهذا ليس بالأمر الجديد، فكلّها أمور تحدثُ في سياق يتّسمُ، مُنذ فترة من الزّمن، بقمع يستهدفُ الفلسطينيّين: ففي هولندا، فُصلَ أشخاص من وظائفهم بسبب تعبيرهم عن آرائهم على وسائل التّواصل الاجتماعيّ وأفاد آخرون كونهم كانوا ضحايا لخطاب الكراهيّة، وللرّقابة، والرّقابة الذّاتيّة كذلك خوفًا من أيّ شكل من أشكال الانتقام، بعبارة أخرى تعرّضهم للتّمييز والتّجريم مثلاً بسبب التّعبير عن آرائهم عبر شبكة الإنترنت وخارج نطاقها.

في الوقت الذي تنحدر فيه هولندا أكثر نحو الفاشية، نبقى معاً لنحمي بعضنا البعض.

يُكرّسُ فريقنا في المركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانونيّ (CSLE) في هولندا كلّ جهوده لرصدِ جميع أشكال القمع ضدّ المتظاهرين والنّاشطين ولنكونَ همزة وصل تربطُ بين الأشخاص المحتاجين إلى الدّعم القانونيّ والمحامين في شبكتنا. إذا كنت ضحيّة من ضحايا عنف قوّات الشّرطة أو أيّ شكل آخر من أشكال القمع في إطار احتجاج، أو مظاهرة ما، أو مناصرة لحقوق الفلسطينيّين، نُشجّعُكَ كلّ التّشجيع على تعمير نموذج استمارة الإبلاغ الخاصّة بالمركز الأوروبيّ للدّعم القانونيّ. إنّ إرسال بلاغك أمرٌ في غاية الأهميّة، فهو يساعدُنا على جمع الأدلّة وإنشاء قاعدة بيانات لتسليط الضّوء على مختلف الأشكال المنهجيّة لقمع الفلسطينيّين والعمل معًا على مواجهتها.

:باختصار: تذكير بما يمكنكم فعله

يرجى الإبلاغ عن أيّ حادثةٍ ذات صبغة قمعيّة وطلب المساعدة والدّعم من خلال ملء هذه الاستمارة المتوفّرة باللّغة الهولنديّة، والعربيّة، والانجليزيّة، وغيرها من اللّغات.

الاطّلاع على الدّليل تحت عنوان “تعرّف/ي على حقوقك: مجموعة أدوات للمتظاهرين/ات في هولندا“. يوفّرُ هذا الدّليل نبذةً عامّةً عن قانون الاحتجاج والتّظاهر في هولندا ويسلّط الضّوء على أسئلة ومواضيع معيّنة تُأثّر على حركتنا. الوثيقة متوفّرة باللّغة الهولنديّة، والعربيّة، والانجليزيّة.

يرجى قراءة هذه النّصائح حول ما يجب فعله قبل، وأثناء، وبَعْدَ عمليّات تفتيش المنازل.

يرجى الأخذ بعين الاعتبار محتوى هذا الدّليل المتعلّق بتفادي عمليّة استقاء المعلومات الشّخصيّة وطريقة التّداول معها إثر حدوثها.

معاًَ في تضامن مع حركاتنا.

Categories
Press Release

ELSC Warns Aachen University in Germany About Direct Involvement in Crimes Against Humanity in Palestine 

On 30th September, the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) has warned the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH) in an open letter to comply with its obligations to prohibit genocide and apartheid and cut its cooperation agreements with the Israeli Technion University, which is directly involved in crimes against humanity in Palestine. 

Technion is known for its historically close ties with the Israeli military industries. It conducts research and development in fields such as robotics, drones, and cybersecurity, which are then deployed by the Israeli military. Moreover, many of the technological innovations emerging from Technion are “dual-use,” meaning they have both civilian and military applications, and they are also integrated into military strategies and equipment of the army. 

The RWTH Aachen University and the Technion are connected on multiple levels. They have a partnership agreement that provides an exchange platform for study and research visits for Bachelor, Master as well as Doctoral students in many areas that can be defined as “dual-use”, such as:  Energy Materials and Energy Conversion, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Image Processing as well as Biological- and Chemical Engineering. 

At no time did the RWTH Aachen University take a position on the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza. Instead, it publicly expressed its solidarity with Israel after the 7th October, despite Israel’s clear violations of international law. This stands in clear contrast to the university’s handling of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In 2022, the University suspended all academic and scientific cooperation with the Russian Federation.  

In the face of such blatant complicity, students at the university, organised as Students for Palestine Aachen, set up a protest camp against genocide on campus in May 2024, demanding an end to the cooperation with the Israeli Technion University. Since then, they have organised numerous well-attended events such as lectures, workshops and demonstrations. Dozens of activists stay at the camp every night. 

Their demonstrations have been subjected to repeated physical attacks and vandalism by Zionists, as well as authoritarian repression by the university and the German police. In May 2024, two masked assailants attacked the camp, pouring white and blue paint right next to the tents of the sleeping students. In another incident, the University took thermal images of the students’ tents during their sleep to monitor the students’ activities, violating direct instructions by the Police not to do so. These thermal images were published during a court proceeding, in which the RWTH had unsuccessfully attempted to close the camp and deny the students of their constitutional right to assemble freely. 

Recently, police authorities have threatened to clear the camp after the university had repeatedly threatened to revoke the students’ right to hold a protest camp. The case is now pending and awaits judgement from the Higher Administrative Court in Münster. 

You can support the students by signing and amplifying their petition. Please consider donating to their fundraiser.  

DE

ELSC warnt die RWTH Aachen wegen direkter Beteiligung an Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit in Palästina  

Am 30. September forderte das European Legal Support Center (ELSC) die Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH) in einem offenen Brief auf, ihren Verpflichtungen zum Unterbinden von Völkermord und Apartheid nachzukommen und ihre Kooperationsvereinbarungen mit der israelischen Technion-Universität aufzuheben, da diese direkt an Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit in Palästina beteiligt ist.  

Seit jeher ist die Technion für ihre engen Verbindungen zur israelischen Militärindustrie bekannt. Sie betreibt Forschung und Entwicklung in Bereichen wie Robotik, Drohnen und Cybersicherheit, welche wiederum vom israelischen Militär eingesetzt werden. Darüber hinaus sind viele der technologischen Innovationen, die aus der Technion hervorgehen, „dual-use“, d. h., sie können sowohl zivil als auch militärisch eingesetzt werden und sind auch in militärische Strategien und Ausrüstung der Armee integriert.  

Die RWTH Aachen und die Technion sind auf vielfältige Weise miteinander verbunden. Sie haben ein Partnerschaftsabkommen, das eine Austauschplattform für Studien- und Forschungsaufenthalte für Bachelor- und Masterstudierende sowie für Doktorand:innen in vielen Bereichen bietet, die einen potenziellen ”dual-use” haben. So etwa: Energiematerialien und Energieumwandlung, Künstliche Intelligenz, Data Analytics, Bildverarbeitung sowie Bio- und Chemieingenieurwesen.  

Die RWTH Aachen hat sich zu keinem Zeitpunkt zum Völkermord Israels in Gaza positioniert. Stattdessen hat sie sich nach dem 7. Oktober lediglich mit Israel solidarisiert, obwohl Israel eindeutig gegen das Völkerrecht verstößt. Im Umgang mit Russlands Einmarsch in die Ukraine hat sich die RWTH Aachen deutlich kritischer positioniert. Im Jahr 2022 setzte die Universität jegliche akademische und wissenschaftliche Zusammenarbeit mit der Russischen Föderation aus.  

Angesichts der mittäterschaftlichen Beihilfe organisierten sich Studierende der Universität als „Students for Palestine Aachen“. Seit Mai 2024 haben sie auf dem Campus ein Protestcamp gegen Völkermord errichtet, um ein Ende der Zusammenarbeit mit der Technion zu fordern. Inzwischen haben sie zahlreiche gut besuchte Veranstaltungen wie Vorträge, Workshops und Demonstrationen organisiert. Dutzende Aktivist*Innen übernachten jede Nacht im Camp.  

Ihre Demonstrationen waren Grund genug für wiederholte Angriffe durch zionistisch-motovierten Vandalismus sowie für autoritäre Repression durch die Universität und die Polizei. Im Mai 2024 griffen zwei maskierte Angreifer das Camp an und gossen weiße und blaue Farbe direkt neben den Zelten der schlafenden Studierenden. In einem anderen Fall nahm die Universitätsleitung Wärmebildaufnahmen der Zelte der Studierenden während ihres Schlafs auf, um ihre Aktivitäten zu überwachen; trotz direkter Anweisung der Polizei dies zu unterlassen. Diese Aufnahmen wurden während eines Gerichtsverfahrens veröffentlicht, in dem die RWTH vergeblich versuchte das Camp zu schließen und den Studierenden ihr Grundrecht auf Versammlungsfreiheit zu verwehren. 

Vor kurzem drohte die Polizei damit, das Camp zu räumen, nachdem die Universität wiederholt drohte, den Studierenden das Recht auf ein Protestcamp zu entziehen. Der Fall ist nun anhängig und wartet auf das Urteil des Oberverwaltungsgerichts Münster.  

Sie können die Studierenden unterstützen, indem Sie ihre Petition unterschreiben und verbreiten, aber auch durch Spenden finanziell unterstützen.   

ARABIC:

وجّه المركز الأوروبي للدعم القانوني تحذيرًا إلى جامعة آخن في ألمانيا بسبب تورّطها المباشر في انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان في فلسطين. 

في 03 سبتمبر الماضي، وجّه المركز الأوروبي للدعم القانوني تحذيرًا لجامعة آخن التقنية في ولاية شمال الراين-فيستفاليا (HTWR) عبر رسالة مفتوحة، داعيًا الجامعة إلى الالتزام بواجباتها في منع الفصل العنصري والإبادة الجماعية، وإلغاء اتفاقيات التعاون مع التخنيون (معهد إسرائيل للتكنولوجيا) بسبب تورطه في انتهاكات لحقوق الإنسان في فلسطين. 

يُعرف التخنيون تاريخيًا بعلاقاته الوثيقة مع الصناعات العسكرية الإسرائيلية، حيث يقوم بإجراء أبحاث علمية وتطوير تقنيات في مجالات الروبوتات، والطائرات المسيّرة، والأمن الرقمي، وهي تقنيات يستخدمها الجيش الإسرائيلي. إضافة إلى ذلك، فإن العديد من الابتكارات الصادرة عن التخنيون تُعتبر ذات استخدام مزدوج، إذ لها تطبيقات مدنية وعسكرية. كما يشارك التخنيون في تطوير استراتيجيات عسكرية ومعدات حربية. 

ترتبط جامعة(nehcaA HTWR) ومعهد التخنيون بعدة مستويات. لديهما اتفاقية شراكة توفر منصة للتبادل للزيارات الدراسية والبحثية لطلاب البكالوريوس والماجستير والدكتوراه في العديد من المجالات التي يمكن تصنيفها كمجالات “ذات استخدام مزدوج”، مثل: مواد الطاقة وتحويل الطاقة، الذكاء الإصطناعي، تحليل البيانات، معالجة الصور، بالإضافة إلى الهندسة البيولوجية والكيميائية. 

لم تتخذ كلية آخن التقنية أي موقف تجاه الإبادة الجماعية التي تنفذها إسرائيل في غزة؛ بل أبدت دعمها لإسرائيل بعد 7 أكتوبر، رغم انتهاكاتها الواضحة للقانون الدولي. ويمكن ملاحظة التناقض في سلوك الجامعة عند مقارنة موقفها من الصراع الأوكراني-الروسي؛ حيث علّقت الجامعة كل العلاقات الأكاديمية والتعاون العلمي مع روسيا الاتحادية في عام 2202. 

في مواجهة هذا التواطؤ، أسس طلاب من الجامعة حركة طلاب لأجل فلسطين – آخن وأنشأوا مخيمًا داخل الحرم الجامعي للاعتصام ضد الإبادة الجماعية. منذ أبريل 4202، يطالب المشاركون بإنهاء التعاون مع التخنيون، وينظمون فعاليات شعبية متنوعة من محاضرات وورش عمل ومظاهرات. يبيت عشرات الناشطين في المخيم كل ليلة. 

كانت مظاهراتهم السلمية ذريعة كافية لقيام مخربين صهاينة بالاعتداء على المخيم، إضافة إلى القمع السلطوي من الجامعة والشرطة الألمانية. ففي إحدى ليالي أبريل 4202، هاجم شخصان مقنعان المخيم وسكبا طلاءً أبيض وأزرق أمام خيم الطلبة النائمين. وفي حادثة أخرى، التقطت إدارة الجامعة صورًا حرارية لخيم الطلاب أثناء نومهم بغرض مراقبة أنشطتهم، منتهكة بذلك توجيهات الشرطة بعدم القيام بذلك. وقد عرضت هذه الصور أثناء إجراءات المحكمة، حيث حاولت الجامعة دون جدوى إغلاق المخيم وحرمان الطلاب من حقهم الدستوري في حرية التجمع. 

مؤخرًا، هددت الشرطة بإخلاء المخيم بعد تكرار مطالبة الجامعة بسحب حق الطلاب في إقامة مخيم للاعتصام. ما زالت القضية قيد النظر، وننتظر الحكم من المحكمة الإدارية العليا في مونستر 

يمكنكم دعم الطلبة من خلال توقيع العريضة والمساهمة في نشرها، كما ندعوكم للتبرع لحملتهم. 

Categories
Press Release

Supporting Palestinians’ Right to Resistance is protected under Free Speech: Dana Abu Qamar Wins Landmark Tribunal Victory to Overturn Home Office’s Visa Cancellation  

Immigration Tribunal Affirms Palestinians’ Right to Resistance Under International Humanitarian Law, Ruling Support Does Not Constitute Extremism; Upholds Right to Free Speech and Declares Visa Revocation a Violation of Human Rights Under Article 10 of the ECHR.

LONDON, 30 October 2024: In a significant legal victory, Palestinian student Dana Abu Qamar has won her appeal at the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) against the Home Office’s attempt to cancel her student visa in December 2023. This decision comes after court documents showed that then-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick personally intervened in the matter, enquiring with the Home Office whether it would be “possible to revoke her student visa”.  

The Tribunal’s decision is a landmark ruling, rebuffing the British government’s relentless attempts to conflate solidarity with Palestine with ‘terrorism’ or ‘antisemitism’ and reaffirming the right to support Palestinian resistance under International Humanitarian Law. The decision was upheld despite a change in government, with the new Labour-appointed Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, refusing to reverse the initial punitive decision – illustrating how Labour has continued Tory policies that stifle advocacy and solidarity for Palestinian rights.   

The decision to cancel Abu Qamar’s visa came in the midst of a major crackdown by the previous government against the growing mobilisation in solidarity with Palestine in the wake of Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza. 

Significantly, the Tribunal declared that Abu Qamar was ‘not an extremist’ and ruled that the Home Office had failed to demonstrate that Abu Qamar’s statements in support of Palestinian resistance made her presence in Britain ‘not conducive to the public good’ – the test at the heart of Britain’s sweeping powers to deport individuals and deprive them of British citizenship.  

The Tribunal also recognised that Abu Qamar’s description of Israel as an “apartheid state,” aligned with the views of numerous human rights organisations and that references to Palestinians “actively resisting” and as “breaking free” are widely understood to relate to lawful acts of resistance. Subsequently, ruling that support for Palestinian resistance does not constitute extremism and falls within protected free speech pursuant to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and thus attempts at revocating Dana’s visa under these grounds violates her fundamental rights.  

Dana Abu Qamar’s win is a boost for the Palestine solidarity movement and a blow to the British government’s shameless attempts to criminalise protestors and bully them into silence. The decision raises questions about the deeply politicised use of security and counter-terrorism powers against the Palestine movement and increasingly against those engaging in political activism and protest against the state. The ELSC calls for an end to the punitive use of counter-terrorism measures to suppress critical dissent and urges the UK government to uphold international human rights standards, protecting the rights of all communities to advocate for justice and lawful resistance against settler colonialism freely.  

Dana Abu Qamar, commented: “After a year-long legal battle against state repression and disregard of human rights, specifically targeted against pro-Palestinians, justice has prevailed.  

This case has reinforced Palestinians’ right to resist occupation in the domestic context; that the expression in support of that right cannot be conflated with support for terrorism; that there is no room for abuse of power by ministers and arbitrary decision-making to undermine the rule of law. I hope that this ruling inspires and strengthens supporters of the Palestinian movement to continue advocating against Israel’s flagrant violations of international law.  

I am grateful to the ELSC, my legal team, comrades, friends and family for their support throughout the whole process.” 

Tasnima Uddin, from ELSC, stated:  “Dana Abu Qamar’s landmark legal victory is a powerful reminder that government measures are often wielded to criminalise dissent, particularly within Palestinian, Muslim, and other minority communities.  

This decision underscores the misuse of vague security terms—like ‘non-conducive to the public good’—to stifle expressions of solidarity with Palestine, particularly in an atmosphere increasingly charged by racist political agendas, such as those spearheaded by figures like Robert Jenrick. Abu Qamar’s victory is a crucial step against the erosion of civil liberties and sends a clear message: solidarity with Palestine is not a crime. Supporting Palestinian resistance is internationally recognised and is not extremism.” 

Leigh Day partner Tessa Gregory said:  “In concluding that the decision to cancel our client’s visa was incompatible with her right to free speech, the Tribunal has made plain that expressions of solidarity with lawful Palestinian resistance which deeply reflect the deeply felt sense of historical injustice shared by many Palestinians must not and can not be equated with support for terrorism.” 

Mr R Hussain KC, Mr D Seddon KC and Mr R Fakhoury, instructed by Leigh Day, with support from the European Legal Support Center.  

To access the full judgement, please email tasnima@elsc.support

Categories
Press Release

Shocking levels of state violence and repression in Germany: Palästina Solidarität Duisburg and Samidoun

GERMAN AND ARABIC BELOW

In the early morning hours of the 16th of May 2024, over 50 police officers raided the homes and workplaces of alleged members of the Palestine solidarity group Palästina Solidarität Duisburg (PSDU).  

The Ministry of Interior of the German state North Rhine-Westphalia had outlawed the group just shortly before the raids.  Minister Herbert Reul declared: “In many cases, solidarity with Palestine hides nothing other than hatred of Jews – as is the case with the organization that is now banned. We use all legal means at our disposal to dry up anti-Semitism and ideological support for terror.” 

Among its baseless accusations, the ministry declared the group’s call for a ‘‘Free Palestine from the river to the sea’’ would “de facto’’ be a call for the ‘‘annihilation’’ of the State of Israel. 

The shallow reasoning resulted in the confiscation of the association’s assets, the ban of all their internet presence and the criminalisation of the public display of symbols related to the association (§ 11 Absatz 3 des Strafgesetzbuches). While this is an outrageously shocking display of German state repression and authoritarianism, it is not an isolated case. The ministry of Interior of the German state North Rhine-Westphalia explicitly mentioned the German chapter of the Palestine Prisoner solidarity network Samidoun, which was criminalised in Germany in November 2023 by decree by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. 

Members of the groups have been subjected to shocking levels of authoritarian state violence and repression. As such, they have repeatedly been threatened with financial penalties to prevent them from attending demonstrations “related to Palestine” following the raids during which members of PSDU and their families have been denied rights guaranteed under the German Penal Procedure code. They have been subjected to threatening intimidation, including threats to residency and citizenship status, lies and gross mockery by the police officers violating their intimate spheres.  

The police confiscated: flyers, stickers, buttons, pins, several flags and flagpoles, books and brochures, self-painted signs and posters, kuffiyehs, a loudspeaker system and a microphone, a megaphone, a pavilion, laptops and computers, cell phones, USB sticks and MP3 players as well as a few thousand euros in cash – including a large portion of private assets. 

Ahmad from PSDU states: “The police raids were accompanied by the Axel Springer press. Press teams were on site at the same time as the officials. In my opinion, this was a big show by the authorities to serve certain political interests. At a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify German involvement in the genocide and support for the IOF’s terrorist actions, politicians need scapegoats to justify the repression and oppression of the Palestinian movement in Germany in order to continue trying to silence the Palestinian movement and voices against genocide and the barbaric violence of the Zionist occupation.” 

Germany’s descent into blatant authoritarianism 

The ban of the groups and the related raids are part of a larger ruthless state campaign to repress dissent and criminalise mobilisation against Israel’s ongoing genocidal onslaught on Gaza and Germany’s complicity. There are legal cases pending admission by the court against the ban itself, and against all raids as well.  

We are observing a worrying trend in Germany. Authorities are taking extra-legal, in many cases clearly illegal, measures to further repression against the Palestine solidarity movement and attempts to increase the criminalisation, fragmentation, and isolation of activists and activist groups.  

This seems to happen in collusion with German media. Right wing tabloids are now routinely publishing target lists and smear articles with names and employers of Palestine solidarity activists in Germany. These activists are then exposed to surveillance, raids, extreme police brutality and legal persecution. 

Politicians from Germany’s ruling coalition representing the social democrats (SPD), The Greens and the Liberal party (FDP) are constantly overbidding themselves in shockingly authoritarian and racist statements and moves competing with the largest opposition parties, the Christian democrats (CDU&CSU) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). 

Attempts to criminalise the slogan “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea”, with several instances dating back to as early as 2022, are ever-growing. At the time, the conference of interior ministers had declared that it would test and use all legal measures that allow a criminalisation of the use of the slogan to express Palestine solidarity.   

This political climate leads to almost completely unchecked escalation of state repression by the German authorities. While in many cases, the authoritarian instructions informing the executive are successfully challenged in court, the damage is usually already done. German politicians and German authorities and law enforcement units have not been held accountable for their unconstitutional decisions which continue and increase the violations of fundamental civic and human rights, often times with corporate complicity. There are next to no consequences. The German ministry of Interior is now pushing to allow the German Federal Police to raid homes in secret. 

Leon from PSDU commented: “An important aim of the repression is of course to intimidate us. And all I can say is they didn’t succeed! We both took legal action against the ban, and we use every opportunity and travel all over Germany to talk about the repression, about Palestine, about the genocide in Gaza and about the legitimate resistance of the Palestinian people. And we are pleased that other former PSDU comrades continue to be active and that other groups in Germany are not intimidated, continue and invite us to join them. 

The repression is also clearly calculated: it seeks to bleed us dry financially. The confiscations caused €25,000 in damages to a comrade and me alone, and we are required to pay around €8,000 in advance for the first instances. But this strategy isn’t working either: we are prepared to give our last penny for this fight. And we are experiencing great solidarity, and I am optimistic that we will be able to cover the costs and fight this battle.” 

We call for solidarity with PSDU and Samidoun, and urge to support the ‘’Komitee Gegen das Verbot von Palästina Solidarität D uisburg’’ which fights the ban of the group through legal and political means and collects donations to cover the legal costs. 
 
Sign this statement in support of Samidoun and the International Campaign Against Anti-Palestinian Repression in Germany here. For details on how to support Samidoun, see here.  

Schockierendes Ausmaß an staatlicher Gewalt und Repression in Deutschland: Palästina Solidarität Duisburg und Samidoun  

In den frühen Morgenstunden des 16. Mai 2024 durchsuchten über 50 Polizeibeamte die Wohnungen und Arbeitsplätze von mutmaßlichen Mitgliedern der Gruppe Palästina-Solidarität Duisburg (PSDU).  

Das nordrhein-westfälische Innenministerium hatte die Gruppe erst kurz vor den Razzien verboten. Minister Herbert Reul erklärte dazu: „Hinter der Solidarität mit Palästina verbirgt sich in vielen Fällen nichts anderes als Judenhass – so auch bei der jetzt verbotenen Organisation. Wir setzen alle rechtlichen Mittel ein, um Antisemitismus und ideologische Unterstützung des Terrors auszutrocknen’’.  

Eine haltlose Anschuldigung des Ministeriums: die Forderung der Gruppe nach einem „freien Palästina vom Fluss bis zum Meer’’ sei „de facto’’ ein Aufruf zur „Vernichtung’’ des Staates Israel.  

Diese schwache Argumentation führte zur Beschlagnahmung des Vermögens der Gruppe, zum Verbot ihrer gesamten Internetpräsenz und zur Kriminalisierung der öffentlichen Zurschaustellung von Symbolen der Vereinigung (§ 11 Absatz 3 des Strafgesetzbuches). Dies ist zwar ein schockierendes Beispiel für die Repression und den Autoritarismus des deutschen Staates, stellt aber in keinster Weise  einen Einzelfall dar. Das nordrhein-westfälische Innenministerium erwähnte ausdrücklich die deutsche Sektion des Solidaritätsnetzwerks für palästinensische Gefangene Samidoun, welche in Deutschland im November 2023 per Dekret von Bundesinnenministerin Nancy Faeser kriminalisiert wurde.  

Die Mitglieder der Gruppen sind in erschreckendem Maße autoritärer staatlicher Gewalt und Repression ausgesetzt. So wurden ihnen wiederholt Geldstrafen angedroht, um sie daran zu hindern, an Demonstrationen „mit Bezug zu Palästina“ teilzunehmen. Bei den Razzien wurden Mitgliedern von PSDU und ihren Familien die in der deutschen Strafprozessordnung garantierten Rechte verweigert. Sie waren Einschüchterungen, einschließlich der Bedrohung des Aufenthaltsstatus und der Staatsbürgerschaft, Lügen und groben Verhöhnungen durch die Polizeibeamten ausgesetzt, die in ihre tiefste Intimsphäre eindrangen.  

Die Polizei beschlagnahmte: Flugblätter, Aufkleber, Buttons und Anstecker, mehrere Fahnen und Fahnenmasten, Bücher und Broschüren, selbstgemalte Schilder und Plakate, Kuffiyehs, eine Lautsprecheranlage und ein Mikrofon, ein Megaphon, einen Pavillon, Laptops und Computer, Handys, USB-Sticks und MP3-Player sowie einige tausend Euro Bargeld – darunter ein großer Teil Privatvermögen.  

Ahmad von PSDU erklärt: „Die Polizeirazzien wurden von der Axel Springer Presse begleitet. Presseteams waren zur gleichen Zeit vor Ort wie die Beamten. Meiner Meinung nach war dies eine große Show der Behörden, um bestimmte politische Interessen zu bedienen. In einer Zeit, in der es immer schwieriger wird, die deutsche Beteiligung am Völkermord und die Unterstützung der terroristischen Aktionen der IOF zu rechtfertigen, brauchen Politiker Sündenböcke, um die Repression und Unterdrückung der palästinensischen Bewegung in Deutschland zu rechtfertigen und um weiterhin zu versuchen, die palästinensische Bewegung und die Stimmen gegen den Völkermord und die barbarische Gewalt der zionistischen Besatzung zum Schweigen zu bringen.” 

Deutschlands Abgleiten in eklatanten Autoritarismus  

Das Verbot der Gruppen und die damit verbundenen Razzien sind Teil einer größeren, schonungslosen staatlichen Kampagne zur Unterdrückung abweichender Meinungen und zur Kriminalisierung der Mobilisierung gegen Israel’s anhaltenden völkermörderischen Angriff auf Gaza und die deutsche Mitschuld daran. Gegen das Verbot selbst, aber auch gegen alle Razzien sind Klagen anhängig, die auf Zulassung von den Gerichten warten.  

Wir beobachten in Deutschland einen besorgniserregenden Trend. Behörden ergreifen extralegale, in vielen Fällen eindeutig illegale Maßnahmen zur weiteren Repression gegen die Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung und versuchen, die Kriminalisierung, Zersplitterung und Isolierung von Aktivist:innen und Aktivist:innengruppen zu verschärfen.  

Dies scheint in Zusammenarbeit mit deutschen Medien zu geschehen. Rechtsgerichtete Boulevardzeitungen veröffentlichen nun routinemäßig Ziellisten und Hetzartikel mit Namen und Arbeitgeber:innen von Palästina-Solidaritätsaktivist:innen in Deutschland. Diese Aktivist:innen sind dann Überwachung, Razzien, extremer Polizeibrutalität und rechtlicher Verfolgung ausgesetzt.  

Politiker der deutschen Regierungskoalition aus Sozialdemokraten (SPD), Grünen und den Liberalen (FDP) überbieten sich ständig mit schockierend autoritären Äußerungen und Maßnahmen im Wettbewerb mit den größten Oppositionsparteien, den Christdemokraten (CDU&CSU) und der rechtsextremen Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).  

Gleichzeitig nehmen die Versuche zu, die Parole „Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea” zu kriminalisieren, wobei mehrere Fälle bereits in das Jahr 2022 zurückreichen. Zu dem Zeitpunkt hatte die Innenministerkonferenz erklärt, sie werde alle rechtlichen Maßnahmen prüfen und anwenden, die eine Kriminalisierung der Verwendung der Parole als Ausdruck der Palästina-Solidarität ermöglichen.   

Dieses politische Klima führt zu einer fast völlig unkontrollierten Eskalation der staatlichen Repression durch die deutschen Behörden. Zwar werden die autoritären Weisungen der Exekutive in vielen Fällen erfolgreich vor Gericht angefochten, doch der Schaden ist in der Regel bereits angerichtet. Deutsche Politiker:innen und deutsche (Strafverfolgungs-)behörden werden nicht für ihre verfassungswidrigen Entscheidungen zur Rechenschaft gezogen. Die Verletzung grundlegender Bürger- und Menschenrechte wird fortgesetzt und verstärkt, oft mit der Komplizenschaft deutscher Unternehmen. Es gibt so gut wie keine Konsequenzen. Das deutsche Innenministerium drängt nun darauf, der deutschen Bundespolizei heimliche Hausdurchsuchungen zu erlauben.  

Leon von PSDU kommentiert: „Ein wichtiges Ziel der Repression ist es natürlich, uns einzuschüchtern. Und ich kann nur sagen: Das ist ihnen nicht gelungen! Wir haben beide rechtliche Schritte gegen das Verbot eingeleitet und wir nutzen jede Gelegenheit und reisen durch ganz Deutschland, um über die Repression, über Palästina, über den Völkermord in Gaza und über den Widerstand des palästinensischen Volkes zu sprechen. Und wir freuen uns, dass andere ehemalige PSDU-Genoss:innen weiterhin aktiv sind und dass andere Gruppen in Deutschland sich nicht einschüchtern lassen, weitermachen und uns einladen, sich ihnen anzuschließen.  

Die Repression ist auch klar kalkuliert: Sie zielt darauf ab, uns finanziell auszubluten. Die Beschlagnahmungen haben allein bei einem Genossen und mir einen Schaden von 25.000 Euro verursacht, und für die ersten Instanzen müssen wir rund 8.000 Euro vorstrecken. Aber auch diese Strategie geht nicht auf: Wir sind bereit, unseren letzten Pfennig für diesen Kampf zu geben. Wir erleben eine große Solidarität. Ich bin optimistisch, dass wir die Kosten decken und diesen Kampf ausfechten können.” 

Wir rufen zur Solidarität mit PSDU und Samidoun auf und bitten um Unterstützung des „Komitee Gegen das Verbot von Palästina Solidarität Duisburg“, das mit juristischen und politischen Mitteln gegen das Verbot der Gruppe kämpft und Spenden zur Deckung der Prozesskosten sammelt.  

Unterzeichnet außerdem diese Erklärung zur Unterstützung von Samidoun und der Internationalen Kampagne gegen antipalästinensische Unterdrückung in Deutschland. Details zur finanziellen Unterstützung des Falls findet ihr hier.  


حملات عنف وقمع مروّعة ومفزعة من قبل الحكومة الألمانيّة: مجموعة التّضامن مع فلسطين في دويسبورغ وشبكة صامدون

في السّاعات الأولى من صباح يوم 61 مايو 4202، قام أكثر من 05 شرطيّ بمداهمة منازل وأماكن عمل أعضاء مجموعة التّضامن مع فلسطين في دويسبورغ (UDSP) على خلفيّة اشتباه الدّولة الألمانيّة فيهم.

قبل شنِّ هذه المداهمات بوقت قصير، قامت وزارة الدّاخليّة الألمانيّة في ولاية شمال الراين – وستفاليا بحظر كينونة وأنشطة المجموعة المذكورة، وقد أعلنَ الوزير هربرت رويل ما يلي: “في العديد من الحالات، لا يخفي التّضامنُ مع فلسطين في طيّاته إلاّ كراهيّةً تستهدفُ اليهود، كما هو حال المنظّمة التّي حُظرتْ أنشطتها في الوقت الحاليّ. نحن نلجأ إلى كلّ الوسائل القانونيّة المتاحة لنا للقضاء على أيّ شكل من أشكال دعم المعاداة الساميّة وإيديولوجيا الإرهاب”.

تستندُ الوزارة على اتّهامات بلا أساس وغير مبرّرة، من بينها إعلان أنّ دعوة مجموعة التّضامن مع فلسطين في دويسبورغ التّي تنصّ على “تحرير فلسطين من النّهر إلى البحر” ليست في الواقع العمليّ إلاّ دعوة إلى “إبادة” دولة إسرائيل.

بسبب هذا المنطق العدميّ والتّحليل السّطحيّ، تمّت مصادرة أصول الجمعيّة وحظر وجودها حظرًا تامًّا على شبكة الإنترنت، إضافةً إلى تجريم عرض رموزها في المساحات العامّة واعتبار أيّ مخالفة لذلك جرمًا (المادّة 11 من القانون الجنائيّ). رغم أنّ هذه الأمثلة تعتبرُ مرآةً تعكسُ بوضوح قمعَ واستبداد الحكومة الألمانيّة الشّنيع والمفزع، فهي ليست في حقيقة الأمر مجرّد حالة معزولة. لقد أشارت وزارة الدّاخليّة الألمانيّة في ولاية شمال الراين – وستفاليا بكلّ وضوح إلى الفرع الألمانيّ التّابع لشبكة التّضامن مع الأسرى الفلسطينيّين صامدون الذّي أصبح كيانًا غير قانونيّ في ألمانيا منذ شهر نوفمبر 3202 بموجب مرسوم صادرٍ عن وزيرة الدّاخليّة الألمانيّة، نانسي فيزر.

لقد كان أعضاء المجموعة عرضةً لمختلف أشكال العنف والقمع ذي الصّبغة الاستبداديّة المُروّعة التّي مارستها الحكومة الألمانيّة. على سبيل المثال، تعرّض هؤلاء مرارًا وتكرارً لتهديدات تنصّ على عقوبات ماليّة لمنعهم من حضور المظاهرات “المتعلّقة بفلسطين” وذلك في أعقاب المداهمات التّي حُرمَ خلالها أعضاء مجموعة التّضامن مع فلسطين في دويسبورغ (UDSP) وأفراد عائلاتهم من حقوقهم، رغم أنّها حقوق يضمنها قانون الإجراءات الجنائيّة الألمانيّ. علاوةً على ذلك، كانوا ضحيّة التّهديداتِ والتّرهيبِ، كالتّهديدات المتعلّقة بحقّ الإقامة والتّمتّع بالجنسيّة، كما استهدفتهم الأكاذيب والسّخريّة الفظّة من قبل أعوان الشّرطة الذّين انتهكوا خصوصيّتهم.

في هذا السّياق، قامت الشّرطة بمصادرة ما يلي: منشورات، ملصقات، أزرار، دبابيس، العديد من الأعلام وساريات الأعلام، كتب وكتيّبات، لافتات وملصقات مُخصّصة، كوفيّات، نظام تكبير الصّوت وميكروفون، مكبّر صوت، خيمة، حواسيب محمولة وأجهزة كمبيوتر، هواتف محمولة، وحدات ذاكرة (BSU)، مشغّلات 3PM، إضافةً إلى بضعة آلاف من اليورو نقدًا، وهي تتضمّن جُزْءًا كبيرًا من الأصول الخاصّة للمجموعة.

حسب أقوال أحمد من مجموعة التّضامن مع فلسطين في دويسبورغ (UDSP): رافق صحافيّو جريدة أكسل سبرينغر فرقة الشّرطة التّي شنّت المداهمات. لقد كانت فريق الصّحفيّين موجودًا على عين المكان في نفس وقت تواجد المسؤولين. في اعتقادي، يمثّل هذا السّيناريو استعراضًا واسع النّطاق من قبل السّلطات بغية خدمة مصالح سياسيّة معيّنة. خلال هذه الفترة الزّمنيّة التّي أصبح فيها من الصّعب أكثر فأكثر تبرير تورّط ألمانيا في الإبادة الجماعيّة ودعم الأعمال الإرهابيّة التّي ترتكبها قوّات الاحتلال الإسرائيليّ، يحتاج رجال السّياسة إلى كبش فداءٍ لتبرير التّضييق والقمع الذّي يستهدف الحركة الفلسطينيّة في ألمانيا لتمكينهم من مواصلة كتم صوت الحركة الفلسطينيّة والأصوات المناهضة للإبادة الجماعيّة وعنف الاحتلال الصّهيونيّ الهمجيّ”.

سقوط ألمانيا الذّاتيّ في الاستبداد الفاحش والمتمادي

إنّ حظر المجموعات والمداهمات المنظّمة في نفس السّياق هي جزْء لا يتجزّأ من حملة حكوميّة شرسةٍ ذات نطاق أوسع تسعى إلى قمع الرّأي المعارض وتجريم أنشطة التّعبئة التّي تندّدُ بالإبادة الجماعيّة المتواصلة على يد إسرائيل وبتواطؤ ألمانيا كذلك. وُجّهت دعاوى قانونيّة تنظر فتح تحقيقٍ من قبل الادّعاء العامّ الألمانيّ وهي شكاوى ضدّ الحظر و المداهمات المنظّمة أيضًا.

من الواضح أنّ ألمانيا تسلكُ اتّجاهًا مقلقًا ومحيّرًا، فالسّلطات تتّخذُ إجراءات وتدابير تتجاوز نطاق القانون. وفي الكثير من الحالات، تُعتبرُ هذه الإجراءات غير القانونيّة بتاتًا وسيلةً لتشديد القمع ضدّ حركة التّضامن مع فلسطين وزيادة محاولات تجريم وتفتيت شمل النّشطاء والنّاشطات والمجموعات النّاشطة وعزلهم.

يبدو أنّ كلّ هذه الأمور تحدثُ بتواطؤ من وسائل الإعلام الألمانيّة، فالصّحف الشّعبيّة ذات التّوجّه السّياسيّ اليمينيّ تنشرُ يوميًّا قوائمًا ذات أهداف معيّنة ومقالات تشهيريّة تتضمّن أسماء المسؤولين في حركة التّضامن مع فلسطين في ألمانيا والنّاشطين والنّاشطات فيها، ممّا يجعل هؤلاء عرضة لمراقبة الشّرطة، للمداهمات شديدة الوحشيّة، وللاضطهاد القانونيّ.

ما فتئ السّياسيّون من الائتلاف الحاكم في ألمانيا، أيْ الحزب الدّيمقراطيّ الاجتماعيّ (DPS) وحزب الخضر والحزب اللّيبيراليّ (PDF)، يبالغون بشكل مستمرّ في تصريحاتهم وتحرّكاتهم الاستبداديّة والعنصريّة مبالغةً صادمةً ويتنافسون مع أهمّ أحزاب المعارضة، أيْ حزب الدّيمقراطيّين المسيحيّين (USC&UDC)  وحزب البديل اليمينيّ المتطرّف لألمانيا (DfA). 

تشهدُ محاولات تجريم شعار “فلسطين حرّة من النّهر إلى البحر” المتعدّدة تفاقمًا واضحًا منذ بداية عام 2202، حيث أعلن مؤتمر وزراء الدّاخليّة حينها أنّه سيختبرُ ويلجأ إلى جميع التّدابير القانونيّة التّي تسمحُ بتجريم استخدام هذا الشّعار في أيّ سياق يسعى إلى التّعبير عن التّضامن مع فلسطين.

يؤدّي هذا المناخ السّياسيّ إلى تصعيد القمع الحكوميّ الذّي تمارسه السّلطات الألمانيّة وهو قمعٌ لا رقابة عليه إطلاقًا. في كثير من الحالات، يتكلّلُ الطّعن في الأوامر الاستبداديّة من قبل السّلطة التّنفيذيّة في جلسات المحاكم بالنّجاح، ولكنّه يأتي متأخّرًا، فهو في أغلب الأحيان نجاح لا ينفي حصول ضرر فعليّ مسبقًا. تظلّ القرارات غير الدّستوريّة لرجال السّياسة الألمان والسّلطات الألمانيّة ووحدات تنفيذ القانون دون محاسبةٍ ومتواصلةً، ممّا يزيد من انتهاكات الحقوق المدنيّة والإنسانيّة الأساسيّة. غالبًا ما تكون هذه الانتهاكات، التّي تكاد تكون دون عواقب، ممكنة بفضل تورّط وتواطؤ الشّركات والمؤسّسات. في الوقت الرّاهن، وزارة الدّاخليّة الألمانيّة تسعى جاهدةً إلى السّماح للشّرطة الفيدراليّة الألمانيّة بمداهمة المنازل سرًّا.

حسب شهادة ليون من مجموعة التّضامن مع فلسطين في دويسبورغ (UDSP): ” بطبيعة الحال، يُعتبرُ جوهر القمع وهدفه الرّئيسيّ ترهيبنا. كلّ ما أستطيع قوله هو أنّهم لم ينجحوا! لقد اتّخذ كلّ منّا إجراءات قانونيّة ضدّ الحظر، كمّا أنّنا نستغلّ كلّ فرصة ونتنقّل في جميع أنحاء ألمانيا للتّنديد بالقمع وللتّحدّث عن فلسطين وعن الإبادة الجماعيّة في غزّة وكذلك عن شرعيّة مقاومة الشّعب الفلسطينيّ. يُسعدنا أنّ رفاقًا سابقين من مجموعة التّضامن مع فلسطين في دويسبورغ (UDSP) يواصلون أنشطتهم كناشطين وناشطات وأنّ مجموعات أخرى في ألمانيا لا تستسلم للتّرهيب وتستمرّ في نشاطها وتدعونا إلى الانضمام إليها.

من البديهيّ أنّ اللّجوء إلى القمع استراتيجيّةٌ مدروسةٌ بشكل محنّك، بعبارة أخرى: استنزافنا ماليًّا. فقد تسبّبت عمليّات مصادرة ممتلكاتي وممتلكات رفيقي فقط في أضرار ماليّة تبلغ 52 ألف يورو. كما أنّنا مطالبون بدفع حوالي 8 آلاف يورو مسبقًا قبل حضور جلسات المحكمة الابتدائيّة. بيد أنّ هذه الاستراتيجيّة لم تنجح كذلك: إنّنا مستعدّون للتّضحية بآخر فلس في حوزتنا للكفاح. نحن نتمتّع بتضامن عظيم، لذا فأنا متفائل بأنّنا سنكون قادرين على تدبّر أمر التّكاليف وعلى خوض هذه المعركة”.

أمّا بعد، نحن ندعو إلى التّضامن مع مجموعة التّضامن مع فلسطين في دويسبورغ (UDSP) وشبكة صامدون ونحثّ على دعم لجنة مناهضة حظر مجموعة التضامن مع فلسطين – ديوسبورغ التّي تعمل على مكافحة حظر المجموعة من خلال وسائل وآليّات قانونيّة وسياسيّة وتجمعُ التّبرّعات لتغطية التّكاليف القضائيّة.

يرجى التّوقيع هنا على هذا البيان الدّاعم لشبكة صامدون و الحملة الدّوليّة المناهضة للقمع ضدّ الفلسطينيّين في ألمانيا. لمزيد من التّفاصيل حول كيفيّة مساندة صامدون، اطّلع على هذا الرّابط.

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Press Release

Disclosed emails reveal Tory Minister’s secret personal request to cancel a Palestinian student’s visa

Dana AbuQamar

LONDON, 04 SEPTEMBER 2024: Disclosed emails reveal that the Government’s decision to cancel the visa of a 20-year-old Palestinian student from the UK was instigated personally by Robert Jenrick MP, the then Immigration Minister and a current Conservative leadership candidate.  

Following an interview Dana Abu Qamar gave to Sky News on 8 October 2023, in which she expressed support for the right of Palestinians to resist the illegal Israeli occupation in accordance with international law, Jenrick’s private secretary wrote to Home Office officials to indicate that “the Minister is interested in finding out about Dana Abu Qamar” and to enquire whether it would be “possible to revoke her student visa”. The failure to follow any established referral process raises serious concerns about political influence in individual immigration decisions. 

On 1 December 2023, the Home Office cancelled Ms Abu Qamar’s student visa on the grounds that her presence in the UK was not ‘conducive to the public good’. Ms Abu Qamar is challenging that decision by way of a Human Rights Appeal in the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), with a substantive hearing listed for 26 – 30 September 2024. As part of the proceedings, the new Labour Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, must now review the decision by 13 September 2024.   

The cancellation decision shows the remarkable lengths to which the Conservative Government used their powers to suppress Pro- Palestinian free speech, including describing ceasefire protests as ‘hate marches’ and calling on universities to refer student activists to Prevent.  Widespread repression of Palestine advocacy has further intensified in recent months with the systematic targeting of students, health care professionals and most recently of journalists.  

Since October 2023, Ms Abu Qamar has lost 22 members of her family in Gaza in the course of Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians. Her public statements during this time reflected the broader struggle of Palestinians under occupation. Since 2006, Israel has imposed a siege on Gaza, which has widely been recognised as unlawful under international law. Gaza has been illegally occupied by Israel since 1967, with approximately 80% of Palestinians in Gaza, including Ms. Abu Qamar’s paternal grandparents, being refugees or descendants of those expelled during the Nakba of 1948.  

Ms Abu Qamar is being supported by the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC). 

Tasnima Uddin of the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) said: 

“For a government minister to personally and arbitrarily intervene to remove a Palestinian student from the country and suppress her speech while her family is being killed in Gaza is truly unconscionable.  

Despite Jenrick’s previous statements about the importance of protecting freedom of expression, he seems perfectly comfortable suppressing speech when it comes to Palestine solidarity, seemingly for ideological purposes and political gains. 

Dana Abu Qamar said: 

The media portrayal of Palestinians and their supporters, often encouraged by the rhetoric of the British government, has too often been influenced by wilful misinformation and misunderstanding of the context of the conflict. This has led to unfair perceptions and mischaracterisations of support for Palestinian resistance. At no point, nor would I ever, condone or advocate for violence committed against civilians. In such challenging times, it is even more important to uphold the principles of lawful freedom of expression to ensure the voices of the Palestinian people, who are living under an illegal occupation, can be heard and understood within the bounds of legality and respect for international humanitarian law.

To be targeted by a Government minister, outside of the established process, for speaking on behalf of a people subjected to such atrocities feels not only unjust – but an attempt to suppress and silence my rights for political reasons and gains.

Support Dana Abu Qamar and Defend Free Speech in our Universities!
We Must Act Now! 

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Press Release

Next trial in the attempted criminalisation of the slogan “Palestine will be free from the river to the sea” in Germany 

The case of Daria

On 22nd August 2024, activist Daria will face her first hearing at the Berlin court Amtsgericht Tiergarten. She is accused of  ‘circulation of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organisations’ (§ 86 StGB) for chanting the slogan “Palestine will be free from the river to the sea” at a demonstration on the 9th of March 2024. 

Her case does not stand in isolation. Rather, it is one of many that are challenging the attempted criminalisation of the slogan ‘’Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea’’ by German authorities. This attempt clearly constitutes a political move to control and repress the Palestine solidarity movement in Germany as a whole. 

ELSC Lawyer Nadija Samour is representing Daria at the trial. Nadija Samour comments:  

‘’This is an attack on the freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and stands on a shaky legal basis. However, this is a highly political case, the court might seek to forward the case to a higher court by imposing a financial penalty on Daria in this first instance. We will then definitely appeal and expect to win at a higher tribunal.” 

A similar trial had recently raised international attention. Here, a Berlin court sentenced an activist to a fine for chanting ‘Palestine will be free from the river to the sea’ at a demonstration against racism in German schools. The court argued that because the demonstration happened on October 11th, using this slogan would constitute a criminal offence, referring to the ‘endorsement of criminal acts’.  

‘’Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea’’ is a call for Palestinian liberation and an end to genocidal settler-colonialism, apartheid, land grabbing and other forms of systematic oppression of the Palestinian people since at least 1948. Israeli officials regularly reiterate the colonial logic to annihilate Palestinian existence on the land between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea, the historic Palestine.  

In the past, German authorities have protected far right Israeli activists using the slogan “From the river to the sea” as a call for Israeli supremacy and the annihilation of Palestine on multiple occasions.  

At the same time, attempts to criminalise the slogan “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea”, with several instances dating back to as early as 2022, are ever-growing. At the time, the conference of interior ministers had declared that it would test and use all legal measures that allow a criminalisation of the use of the slogan to express Palestine solidarity.  

This led to shocking levels of authoritarian state repression, as Daria explains: 

 ”The risk of a penalty fine is obviously not the most relevant consequence here. Police are using the quite severe offence charges to justify brutal violence against protestors. In the past few months, dozens of people have been beaten to a state of unconsciousness during police crackdowns and had to be hospitalized with severe injuries; some have had their homes raided just for saying “From the river to the sea”.  

The criminalisation of the slogan is clearly an attempt to generate consent for the persecution of the Palestine solidarity movement and ultimately for the genocide in Palestine. More broadly, it is used to cement racist stereotypes and white supremacist mentality in the German societal consciousness. This is meant to pave the way for more fascistic politics, like the practical annulment of human rights for refugees, the police occupation of non-white neighbourhoods and 

 the overall militarisation of police at the cost of defunding education and social services, just to name a few examples.  

The persecution of the Palestine solidarity movement is not an isolated phenomenon but is part of a large-scale fascisation of this country and Europe as a whole, which will be affecting everybody soon enough. Very telling that the German public, of all countries, doesn’t care to recognise where this leads to.” 

German authorities have only been expanding their alarmingly violent measures to suppress the Palestine solidarity movement. German Federal Minister of Interior Nancy Faeser, for instance, has declared the slogan illegal and punishable as a crime with a prison sentence of up to three years by decree in November 2023, but it is usually punished with a fine upon conviction.  

In May 2024, the German Federal Ministry of Justice reiterated Nancy Faeser’s decree and declared the slogan to be a ‘’Hamas slogan’’ and therefore punishable. Merely days after this declaration, the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia banned the group Palestine Solidarity Duisburg over alleged support for Hamas for the group’s use of the slogan. This resulted in several raids of the homes of activists in May 2024.  

The German ministry of Interior is further preparing a draconian migration law, which would effectively end free speech for nationals in Germany who do not carry the citizenship and pave the way for extensive online surveillance of migrants.  

The German parliament seems unwilling to prevent these developments and is preparing a declaration which calls for extensive state repression of anyone vaguely expressing Palestine solidarity through criminalisation, but also through cutting cultural funding and interfering in academic research. 

While much of the repression against the Palestine solidarity movement is issued on a German Federal level, the ruling Government of Germany’s capital Berlin has been particularly eager to press for even more authoritarian measures. The absurd and ineffectual ban of red triangles has raised eyebrows recently. Of outmost concern should be the push to remove students from universities in Berlin, effectively denying the right to education based on political grounds, specifically with relation to Palestine solidarity. 

Nevertheless, attempts to criminalise the slogan have been pushed back against successfully at German courts before. In June 2024, a court in Munich granted a demonstration the right to express the slogan. 

Activists will now accompany Daria’s trial with a rally in front of the courthouse on Thursday August 22 starting at 9:00 am. At a previous hearing in a different case on August 6, a huge group had gathered in support When the defendant left the court, dozens shouted in solidarity: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. 

For press inquieries, please contact Karim Bohnhoff karim@elsc.support

Der Fall von Daria:

Nächster Prozess zur versuchten Kriminalisierung der Parole „Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea“ in Deutschland  

Am 22. August 2024 findet die erste Verhandlung gegen die Aktivistin Daria vor dem Berliner Amtsgericht Tiergarten statt. Ihr wird die „Verbreitung von Kennzeichen verfassungswidriger und terroristischer Organisationen“ (§ 86 StGB) vorgeworfen, weil sie bei einer Demonstration am 9. März 2024 die Parole „Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea“ skandiert hat.  

Das ist kein Einzelfall. Vielmehr steht der Fall in einer Reihe ähnlicher Versuche deutscher Behörden zur Kriminalisierung der Parole „Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea“. Diese Versuche sind ein eindeutig politisch-motiviertes Manöver zur Kontrolle und Unterdrückung der Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung in Deutschland.  

Die ELSC-Anwältin Nadija Samour vertritt Daria in dem Prozess. Nadija Samour kommentiert:  

“Dies ist ein Angriff auf die Meinungs- und Versammlungsfreiheit und steht auf einer wankenden Rechtsgrundlage. Da es sich jedoch um einen hochpolitischen Fall handelt, könnte das Gericht versuchen, den Fall an ein höheres Gericht weiterzuleiten, indem es Daria in erster Instanz eine Geldstrafe auferlegt. Wir werden dann auf jeden Fall in Berufung gehen und erwarten, dass wir vor einem höheren Gericht gewinnen werden. ” 

Ein ähnlicher Prozess hat vor kurzem internationales Aufsehen erregt. Ein Berliner Gericht verurteilte hierbei einen Aktivisten zu einer Geldstrafe, weil er bei einer Demonstration gegen Rassismus an deutschen Schulen „ Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea“ skandierte. Das Gericht argumentierte, dass die Verwendung dieses Slogans eine Straftat darstelle. Da die Demonstration am 11. Oktober stattfand, kurz auf den 7. Oktober, wä­re die Verwendung des Slogans als „Befürwortung von Straftaten“ zu verstehen.  

“Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea” ist ein Aufruf zur Befreiung Palästinas und zur Beendigung des völkermörderischen Siedlerkolonialismus, der Apartheid, des Landraubs und anderer Formen der systematischen Unterdrückung des palästinensischen Volkes seit mindestens 1948. Israelische Beamte bekräftigen regelmäßig die koloniale Absicht, die palästinensische Existenz im gesamten Land zwischen Jordan und Mittelmeer, dem historischen Palästina, zu vernichten.  

In der Vergangenheit haben deutsche Behörden mehrfach rechtsextreme israelische Aktivist:innen geschützt, die den Slogan „Vom Fluss zum Meer“ als Aufruf zur israelischen Vorherrschaft und zur Vernichtung Palästinas verwendeten.  

Gleichzeitig nehmen die Versuche zu, die Parole „Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea“ zu kriminalisieren, wobei mehrere Fälle bereits in das Jahr 2022 zurückreichen. Zu dem Zeitpunkt hatte die Innenministerkonferenz erklärt, sie werde alle rechtlichen Maßnahmen prüfen und anwenden, die eine Kriminalisierung der Verwendung der Parole als Ausdruck der Palästina-Solidarität ermöglichen.  

Dies führte zu einem schockierenden Ausmaß an autoritärer staatlicher Repression, wie Daria erklärt:  

”Das Risiko eines Bußgeldes ist hier offensichtlich nicht die härteste Konsequenz. Die Polizei rechtfertigt mit den Strafanzeigen brutale Gewalt gegen Demonstrant:innen. In den letzten Monaten wurden Dutzende bei Polizeirazzien bis zur Bewusstlosigkeit geprügelt und mussten mit schweren Verletzungen ins Krankenhaus eingeliefert werden. Bei einigen wurden Hausdurchsuchungen durchgeführt, nur weil sie „Vom Fluss zum Meer“ gesagt hatten.  

Die Kriminalisierung des Slogans ist eindeutig ein Versuch, Zustimmung zur Verfolgung der Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung und letztlich zum Völkermord in Palästina zu mobilisieren. Im weiteren Sinne dient sie dazu, rassistische Stereotypen und White Supremacy-Denkweisen im deutschen gesellschaftlichen Bewusstsein zu zementieren. Damit soll der Weg für weitere faschistische Politik geebnet werden, wie die praktische Aufhebung der Menschenrechte für Geflüchtete, die polizeiliche Belagerung nicht-weißer Stadtviertel und die allgemeine Militarisierung der Polizei auf Kosten von Bildungs- und Sozialleistungen zeigen, um nur einige Beispiele zu nennen.  

Die Verfolgung der Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung ist kein Einzelphänomen, sondern Teil einer großflächigen Faschisierung dieses Landes und Europas insgesamt, die schon bald alle betreffen wird. Es ist sehr bezeichnend, dass ausgerechnet die deutsche Öffentlichkeit nicht erkennen will, wohin das führt.“  

Die deutschen Behörden haben ihre erschreckend gewalttätigen Maßnahmen zur Unterdrückung der Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung nur noch ausgeweitet. So hat Bundesinnenministerin Nancy Faeser die Parole im November 2023 per Erlass für illegal erklärt, die als Straftat mit einer Freiheitsstrafe von bis zu drei Jahren geahndet werden soll, wobei es bei einer Verurteilung jedoch in der Regel zu einer Geldstrafe kommt. 

Im Mai 2024 bekräftigte das deutsche Bundesjustizministerium den Erlass von Nancy Faeser und erklärte die Parole zu einer „Hamas-Parole“ und damit zu einer strafbaren Handlung. Nur wenige Tage nach dieser Erklärung verkündete das Bundesland Nordrhein-Westfalen das Verbot der Gruppe Palästina-Solidarität Duisburg wegen angeblicher Unterstützung der Hamas vor dem Hintergrund ihrer Verwendung der Parole. Dies führte im Mai 2024 zu mehreren Hausdurchsuchungen bei den Aktivist:innen. 

Zudem bereitet das deutsche Innenministerium ein drakonisches Migrationsgesetz vor, welches die freie Meinungsäußerung für nicht-deutsche Staatsangehörige in Deutschland effektiv beendet und den Weg für eine umfassende Online-Überwachung von Migrant*innen ebnet. 

Das deutsche Parlament scheint nicht gewillt zu sein, diese Entwicklungen zu verhindern. Stattdessen bereitet es eine Erklärung vor, in der umfassende staatliche Repressionen gegen jede Person gefordert werden, die auch nur vage  Palästina-Solidarität zum Ausdruck bringt. Diese beinhaltet Kriminalisierung, sowie auch die Streichung von Kulturförderung und Einschnitte in akademische Freiheiten.  

Während ein Großteil der Repressionen gegen die Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung auf bundesdeutscher Ebene erfolgt, hat die Berliner Landesregierung Berlin besonders eifrig auf noch autoritärere Maßnahmen gedrängt. Das absurde und nicht umsetzbare Verbot der roten Dreiecke hat etwa in letzter Zeit für Stirnrunzeln gesorgt. Besonders besorgniserregend ist das Gesetz, welches es erlaubt Student:innen von Berliner Universitäten zu exmatrikulieren und ihnen das Recht auf Bildung aus politischen Gründen, insbesondere im Hinblick auf Palästina-Solidarität, zu verweigern.  

Einige Versuche die Parole zu kriminalisieren, wurden jedoch in der Vergangenheit vor deutschen Gerichten erfolgreich abgewehrt. Im Juni 2024 sprach ein Gericht in München einer Demonstration das Recht zu, die Parole zu rufen.  

Aktivist:innen werden Darias Prozess mit einer Kundgebung vor dem Gerichtsgebäude am Donnerstag, den 22. August ab 9:00 Uhr begleiten. Bei der Anhörung in einem anderen Fall am 6. August hatte sich eine große Gruppe zur Unterstützung versammelt. Als die Angeklagte den Gerichtssaal verließ, wurde sie von Dutzenden solidarisch begrüßt, und es erklang der laute Sprechchor: Palestine will be free from, the river to the sea.

Categories
Press Release

Director of Al-Haq Shawan Jabarin Holds Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera accountable

ALHAQ_Shawan-Jabarin

Joint statement by Al-Haq and ELSC available in English, Arabic, and Italian.

7 August 2024


Il Corriere Della Sera, one of Italy’s most prominent newspapers, has paid around 15,000 Euros in damages to Shawan Jabarin, the General Director of Al-Haq, for falsely accusing him in 2021 of being a terrorist and murderer, an unfounded allegation based on Israeli propaganda and smear campaigns.

What Happened?

On 20 December 2021, Laura Boldrini, an Italian Member of Parliament (MP), invited two representatives from human rights organisations; Al-Haq and Addameer, to a video-conference hearing at the Chamber of Deputies in the Italian Parliament. This hearing was organised in response to Israel’s unlawful criminalization of six Palestinian NGOs, including Al-Haq and Addameer in October 2021. This designation of NGOs as ‘terrorist organisations’ was widely rejected and condemned by EU states and institutions, including Italy, as well as by the United Nations and various international organisations.

However, two days after the hearing, Il Corriere della Sera, Libero Quotidiano, and Il Tempo published articles containing false and defamatory statements about Addameer, Al-Haq, and its General Director, Shawan Jabarin, labelling him a ‘terrorist’. Additionally, the newspapers omitted essential contextual information around Israel’s targeted designation of six Palestinian civil society organisations as ‘terror organisations’, thereby infringing on the readers’ right to access free and impartial information. We believe that the newspaper based its information on unreliable sources and existing smear tactics frequently used by Israel to criminalise, silence, and control Palestinian rights voices, including the circulation of false accusations by Israeli officials. 

Further to this, the lawyer of Mr. Jabarin has been attacked and smeared. We fully reject these accusations and consider them intimidation tactics and character assassination. We stand by our representatives and their right to freedom of expression, and reject the smearing campaigns used by Israel and its allies in weaponizing antisemitism to suppress dissent.

Accountability

After being summoned to Court, Il Corriere Della Sera accepted a settlement agreement, which included compensating Shawan Jabarin for ‘reputational’ damage suffered and publishing an article retracting the defamatory claims. Despite reporting on the incident and retracting the terrorist claim, the newspaper failed to acknowledge that it was their own publication that had defamed Mr. Jabarin. 

This case highlights the critical need for responsible journalism, not only on the situation in Palestine and the violations the Palestinian people are subjected to, but also concerning racist discourse and misinformation. Already in December 2022, ELSC sent a complaint to the Order of Journalists of Lazio and Lombardy, pointing out violations of the deontological obligations of truthfulness and accuracy to which professional journalists are bound. In November 2022, the former condemned the actions of Il Tempo and requested the rectification of the article concerning the case of Shawan Jabarin. Two years later, and considering the two decisions in place, the Order of Journalists of Lombardy has still not issued a ruling, an act indicative of the lack of attention paid by the Italian media to their disclosure responsibilities.

What we want

This legal battle aims to hold media outlets accountable and to support Palestinian voices. Not only have some media outlets been defaming Palestinians, but the Italian mainstream press has also been accused of reporting inaccurate information about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Israel’s settler-colonial apartheid regime and its commission of international crimes against the Palestinian people as a whole. There is a pressing need to expose and discuss the quality of information in Italy and the right to access impartial information through verified, reliable and unbiased sources.

This legal battle exposes the various tactics used by Israel to smear human rights defenders and is a testament to our collective will and efforts to challenge the suppression of Palestinian voices. It also highlights the complicity of Italian media outlets, which should respect the Italian public’s right to access accurate and credible information about the atrocities committed in Palestine.

Al-Haq’s General Director, Shawan Jabarin will donate the entire sum of the court-ordered compensation to Al-Haq and UNRWA.

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العربية

 صحيفة “كوريري ديلا سيرا” تدفع تعويضات لمدير الحق وتتراجع عن موقفها وحملات التشويه.


دفعت صحيفة “كوريري ديلا سيرا”، إحدى أبرز الصحف الإيطالية، حوالي 15,000 يورو كتعويضات لشعوان جبارين، المدير العام لمؤسسة “الحق”، وذلك بعد دعوى قضائية رفعها جبارين ضد الصحيفة بسبب حملات تشويه قادتها عام 2021 واتهمت خلالها جبارين بأنه إرهابي وقاتل. واستندت الصحيفة خلال حملة التشويه لمعلومات كاذبة وبروباجندا إسرائيلية بعضها من الجهات الرسمية.

كانت قد دعت لورا بولدريني، عضو البرلمان الإيطالي، ممثلين عن مؤسسات حقوق الإنسان، الحق والضمير في 20 ديسمبر/كانون الأول 2021، لحضور جلسة استماع عبر الفيديو في مجلس النواب بالبرلمان الإيطالي. تم تنظيم هذه الجلسة استجابة لتجريم إسرائيل غير القانوني لست مؤسسات مجتمع مدني وحقوق إنسان فلسطينية، ومنها الحق والضمير لرعاية الأسير وحقوق الإنسان، وذلك في أكتوبر/تشرين الأول 2021، حيث صنفت دولة الإحتلال مؤسسات المجتمع المدني كـ”منظمات إرهابية”، الأمر الذي لاقى رفضاً وإدانة من قبل الدول والمؤسسات الأوروبية، بما في ذلك إيطاليا، وكذلك من قبل الأمم المتحدة والعديد من المنظمات الدولية.

ومع ذلك، وبعد يومين من الجلسة، نشرت صحف “كوريري ديلا سيرا” و”ليبيرو كوتيديانو” و”إل تيمبو” مقالات ذات مضمون كاذب ويهدف لتشويه سمعة المؤسسات وبالتحديد مدير مؤسسة الحق، شعوان جبارين، واصفة إياه بـ”الإرهابي”، وأغفلت الصحف معلومات أساسية حول استهداف إسرائيل للمؤسسات المجتمع المدني الفلسطينية وملاحقتها المدافعات والمدافعين عن حقوق الإنسان في فلسطين، وهو ما ينتهك حق القراء في الوصول إلى معلومات حرة ومحايدة. استندت الصحيفة في معلوماتها إلى مصادر غير موثوقة وأساليب التشويه المتكررة التي تستخدمها إسرائيل لتجريم وإسكات ومراقبة الأصوات المنادية بحقوق الشعب الفلسطيني، بما في ذلك نشر اتهامات كاذبة من قبل المسؤولين الإسرائيليين.

تعرض مؤخراً محامي السيد جبارين للهجوم والتشويه، الأمر الذي نرفضه تماما ونعتبره أسلوب لتكميم الأفواه وتشويه السمعة، ونعبر عن تضامننا مع ممثلينا وحقهم في حرية التعبير، ونرفض حملات التشويه التي تستخدمها إسرائيل وحلفاؤها واستخدامهم الاتهامات غير صحيحة كمعاداة السامية كوسيلة لقمع الأصوات المنادية بحق الشعب الفلسطيني وتفضح الاستعمار الاستيطاني الاسرائيلي وممارساته القائمة على الفصل العنصري والجرائم الدولية.

تباعا لفتح دعوى قضائية بحق الصحيفة واستدعائها من المحكمة قبلت صحيفة “كوريري ديلا سيرا” اتفاق تسوية تضمن دفع تعويضات للسيد شعوان جبارين وذلك للأضرار التي تسببت بها الصحيفة ولحقها نشر مقال تصحيحي للادعاءات التشهيرية التي نشرت عام 2021. بالرغم المقال التصحيحي، إلا أن الصحفية لم تعترف بأنها هي نفسها التي شوهت سمعة السيد جبارين.

تسلط هذه القضية الضوء على الحاجة الملحة لوجود صحافة مسؤولة وذات بعد نقدي في إيطاليا ودول العالم، وليس فقط حول الوضع في فلسطين والانتهاكات التي يتعرض لها الشعب الفلسطيني، وإنما فيما يتعلق بالخطاب العنصري والمعلومات المضللة حول مواضيع عدة. في ديسمبر 2022، أرسلت “ELSC” شكوى إلى نقابة الصحفيين في لاتسيو ولومباردي، مشيرة إلى انتهاك الصحف التزاماتها الأخلاقية بنشر معلومات صادقة ودقيقة. وفي نوفمبر 2022، أدانت النقابة تصرفات صحيفة “إل تيمبو” وطالبت بتصحيح المقالة المتعلقة بقضية شعوان جبارين. وبعد مرور عامين، وبالرغم من كافة التطورات إلا أن نقابة الصحفيين في لومباردي لم تصدر حكمًا بعد، وهو ما يشير إلى عدم الاهتمام الذي توليه وسائل الإعلام الإيطالية نحو مسؤولياتها.

تهدف هذه الملاحقة القانونية إلى محاسبة وسائل الإعلام ودعم الأصوات الفلسطينية، حيث لم يقتصر الأمر على تشويه وسائل الإعلام للأصوات الفلسطينية فقط، بل إن الصحافة الإيطالية السائدة تستمر في عدم توفير تغطية صحفية كافية ودقيقة حول الإبادة الجماعية المستمرة في قطاع غزة، ونظام الفصل العنصري الاستيطاني الإسرائيلي وارتكابه جرائم دولية ضد الشعب الفلسطيني ككل.

هناك حاجة ملحة للكشف ومناقشة جودة المعلومات في إيطاليا وحق الوصول إلى معلومات محايدة ومهنية ومن مصادر موثوقة ودقيقة. إن هذه القضية تسلط الضوء على الأساليب المختلفة التي تستخدمها إسرائيل لتشويه سمعة المدافعات والمدافعين عن حقوق الإنسان، كما تسلط الضوء على تواطؤ وسائل الإعلام الإيطالية، التي يجب أن تحترم حق الجمهور الإيطالي في الوصول إلى معلومات دقيقة وموثوقة حول الفظائع التي تُرتكب في فلسطين.

سيقوم المدير العام لمنظمة الحق،شعوان جبارين ، بالتبرع بكامل مبلغ التعويض الذي أمرت به المحكمة لمنظمة الحق والأونروا.

***

ادعمونا في الدعوة إلى حق الفلسطينيين في الوصول إلى الأماكن العامة وشاركوا هذه الرسالة على إنستغرام وتويتر.

[ITA]

Il Corriere della Sera paga 15.000 euro di risarcimento a Shawan Jabarin, direttore di Al-Haq, nota organizzazione per i diritti umani palestinese. 

Il Corriere Della Sera, uno dei più importanti quotidiani italiani, ha pagato circa 15.000 euro di danni a Shawan Jabarin, il direttore generale di Al-Haq, per averlo diffamato nel 2021 accusandolo falsamente di essere un terrorista e un assassino, cosa che ha gravemente danneggiato la sua reputazione.

Cosa è successo?

 Il 20 dicembre 2021, la deputata Laura Boldrini ha invitato i rappresentanti di due organizzazioni palestinesi, Al-Haq e Addameer, a un’audizione in videoconferenza presso la Camera dei Deputati del Parlamento italiano. L’audizione è stata organizzata in risposta alla designazione da parte di Israele di sei ONG palestinesi, tra cui Al-Haq e Addameer, come “organizzazioni terroristiche” nell’ottobre 2021. Questa designazione è stata ampiamente respinta e condannata dagli Stati e dalle istituzioni dell’UE, tra cui l’Italia, nonché dalle Nazioni Unite e da varie organizzazioni internazionali.

Tuttavia, due giorni dopo l’udienza, Il Corriere della Sera, Libero Quotidiano e Il Tempo hanno pubblicato articoli contenenti dichiarazioni inattendibili, imprecise, false e diffamatorie nei confronti di Addameer, Al-Haq e del suo Direttore Generale, Shawan Jabarin, etichettandolo come “terrorista”. Inoltre, i giornali hanno omesso informazioni contestuali essenziali riguardo alla pretestuosa designazione di ad Al Haq e Addameer come organizzazioni terroristiche, violando così il diritto dei lettori di accedere a un’informazione libera e imparziale.

Il nostro risultato:

In seguito alla citazione a giudizio, Il Corriere Della Sera ha accettato un accordo transattivo che prevede il risarcimento dei danni subiti da Shawan Jabarin e la pubblicazione di un articolo che ritrattava le affermazioni diffamatorie. Nell’articolo di rettifica, pur descrivendo la vicenda, il giornale non ha riconosciuto che erano state le sue stesse pagine a diffamare Jabarin. Questo caso evidenzia la necessità cruciale di un giornalismo responsabile, non solo per quanto riguarda il caso palestinese, ma anche per quanto riguarda i pregiudizi razzisti e la sottorappresentazione delle minoranze in Italia.
Già a dicembre 2022, come ELSC, avevamo inviato un esposto all’Ordine dei Giornalisti del Lazio e della Lombardia, segnalando le violazioni agli obblighi deontologici di verità e accuratezza a cui sono tenuti i giornalisti professionisti. Il primo si è espresso a novembre 2022 condannando l’operato de Il Tempo e chiedendo la rettifica dell’articolo che riguardava proprio il caso di Shawan Jabarin. Il fatto che, a distanza di due anni, e di due precedenti decisioni, l’Ordine dei Giornalisti della Lombardia non abbia ancora emesso una deliberazione è indicativo della scarsa attenzione dei media italiani rispetto alle proprie responsabilità divulgative. 

Inoltre, qualche settimana fa, gli stessi media hanno lanciato un altro attacco a Shawan Jabarin e all’avvocato che lo rappresenta, citando erroneamente le parole dell’avvocato e accusandolo di antisemitismo. Respingiamo pienamente queste accuse, utilizzate come tattica diffamatoria. Siamo al fianco dei nostri rappresentanti e del loro diritto alla libertà di espressione e rifiutiamo le tattiche usate da Israele e dai suoi alleati per strumentalizzare l’antisemitismo e reprimere il dissenso.

Questo caso è molto importante perché mette in luce le problematiche del giornalismo italiano. Da diversi mesi la stampa mainstream italiana è accusata di non riportare informazioni corrette rispetto al genocidio in corso in Palestina. Questa battaglia legale ha l’obiettivo di rendere i giornali italiani responsabili per il loro lavoro di disinformazione e sottolinea il nostro impegno nel ritenere i media responsabili e nel sostenere le voci palestinesi.

Il direttore generale di Al-Haq, Shawan Jabarin donerà ad Al-Haq e a UNRWA l’intera somma del risarcimento ordinato dal tribunale.
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Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: July 2024

Dear friend,

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

VICTORIES

NETHERLANDS: A VICTORY AGAINST ANTI-PALESTINIAN RACISM IN THE WORKPLACE 

The Dutch Human Rights Board (College voor de Rechten van de Mens) ruled that software company Speakap discriminated against N. A., an IT specialist from Gaza, when it fired him for condemning Israel’s crimes on LinkedIn. N. A. reached out to the ELSC, and we connected him with lawyer Şeyma Arikan. The Human Rights Board found that Speakap directly discriminated against N. A. based on political affiliation. This decision is an important step towardsholding companies accountable that silence and deploy punitive measures against employees speaking out for Palestine. 

BRITAIN UPDATE: KAMNA PATEL RESIGNS FROM UKRI 

ELSC proudly supported Dr Kate Sang of Heriot-Watt University, and Kamna Patel of UCL, throughout the UKRI’s shameful suspension and investigation procedure, which was concluded in March 2024.

Last month, in June 2024, Dr Patel resigned as Chair of UKRI’s Expert Advisory Group on equality, diversity and inclusion, taking a firm stance against the UK government’s authoritarian attacks on academic freedom and shameful attempts to silence dissenting voices. She writes:

I’m mindful that in all this what is lost are my original words (misquoted by the Secretary of State), which I said from a deep sense of civic responsibility and rooted in postcolonial scholarship – there is an ongoing genocide and practice of apartheid against Palestinians, a reference to a 76-year project of elimination by the Israeli state, now taking a most deadly turn. Since the Secretary of State’s claim these words constitute “extreme views”, the International Court of Justice concluded genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is a plausible risk, a view supported by renowned scholars of genocide, including Israelis. To this I add, it is emboldened by disgraceful efforts by the UK government to silence all dissent, including those rooted in scholarship and evidence. Over the past few months, we have seen the playbook of lobbing unfounded allegations and stoking an investigation into anybody critical of the Israeli state’s policies as a sufficient action to malign and silence them, irrespective of any evidence underpinning the charge or the outcome of any investigation. It is to this playbook that you have (been) played.

Dr Patel resigned

Together with BRISMES Campaigns and London Region UCU Reps, we put together a toolkit for higher education employees in Britain. If you work at a university in Britain and have questions about your rights, or concerns when advocating for Palestine, this guide will offer some helpful answers!

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TOOLKIT

STUDENTS IN AMSTERDAM GOT THEIR SANCTIONS WITHDRAWN

In February 2024, Amsterdam University College (AUC) imposed sanctions (including suspension and formal warnings) on six students for their involvement in Palestine student protests on campus. The Public Interest Litigation Project (PILP) and ELSC assisted these students with sending objections to the university’s management. AUC has now informed the students that all sanctions have been withdrawn. This is an important move for the broader student movement. Freedom to demonstrate and freedom of expression do not stop at the entrance to the university building!

READ MORE HERE

ONGOING CASES YOU CAN SUPPORT

LLOYDS CASE UPDATE: EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL

We are proud to have supported prominent activist Michel Legrand (President of ECCP and treasurer of CPJPO) in his case creating a promising precedent for the freedom of speech of Palestinian rights defenders in Luxembourg.

We are proud to be supporting Afra Sohail and Aunngbeen Khalid, who are now standing their ground at the Employment Tribunal. The hearings will continue until 17 July. Follow us for more updates on the hearings soon

SUPPORT THEIR IMPORTANT BATTLE

OUR COLLECTIVE PUSH BACK AGAINST THE DEFUNDING OF PALESTINIAN ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR ALLIES 

One of our missions at ELSC is to support organisations whose funding is cut or restricted. Together with EuroMed Rights we provide an insight into the European context in a new FAQ published on our website

READ MORE

The defunding of Palestinian organisations is a deliberate tactic to suppress Palestinian voices and shield Israel from accountability for its genocidal onslaught on Gaza and continuous attacks against Palestinian life and land. We at ELSC are committed to monitoring the working of this tactic and supporting defunded Palestinian organisations. If you’ve faced similar issues, contact us elsc.support/intake

BOOKING: MAJOR ORGANISATION TERMINATES ITS BOOKING.COM SPONSOR DEAL 

Last month, the COC, the oldest interest group for the LGBTI+ community in the world, has officially terminated its Booking.com sponsor deal, due to Booking.com’s continued profiteering from illegal Israeli settlements.

Amplify on X & Instagram 

Your support of our legal action, along with other recent initiatives to raise awareness against Booking.com’s illegal practices, has had a notable impact, and the pressure on Booking.com is mounting. Together we can end the corporate impunity and complicity with Israel’s colonial enterprise

SUPPORT OUR CASE AGAINST BOOKING.COM

NO MORE WEAPONS FOR GENOCIDE: FURTHER LEGAL ACTION AGAINST GERMANY’S WAR WEAPONS DELIVERIES TO ISRAEL

The Lawyers Collective (Anwält:innenkollektiv) supported by the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Law for Palestine, Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD) and  Forensis (Forensic Architecture Berlin) has paved the way for further legal action against Germany’s deliveries of war weapons to Israel. We will now dedicate our resources to prevent Germany from illegally selling weapons to Israel. 

Using legal avenues implies huge financial costs for the solidarity movement. Legal fees are unfortunately infamously sky high; we ask you to please consider putting aside whatever amount you’re able to contribute to the steadfast movement’s efforts to hold Germany accountable. Funds raised will be used to cover court and lawyer fees amongst other administrative costs related to how the case progresses.

DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR LEGAL ACTION

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HELP US BUILD OUR MONITOR DATABASE

All forms of repression that are reported to us helps us in developing our legal and communication strategies to defend the Palestine solidarity movement. Your story is important, we cannot allow these patterns of repression to be normalised. Let’s expose those responsible for our repression and hold them accountable together!

REPORT REPRESSION

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 unprecedented all-time-high number of repression cases. We cannot do this alone and we need your help to continue supporting the movement! 

As a member of our community of supporters, you will also get early access to ELSC volunteer opportunities and community events and an opportunity to brainstorm with us in the future about how to scale up the ELSC and better serve the Palestine solidarity movement.Click here to join our community of supporters with a monthly contribution! 

JOIN THE ELSC COMMUNITY OF SUPPORTERS

MORE VICTORIES FOR THE MOVEMENT

MORE AND MORE CITIES CUTTING TIES

Last month, new localities made steps to comply with their obligations to uphold international law. Following the City Council of Bologna, the Legislative Assembly of the Emilia-Romagna Region also voted for the adoption of an ethical procurement policy to exclude contracts with companies involved in violations of human rights and international law. This paves the way to target companies complicit in Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza and its crimes all over Palestine.

The Municipality of Copenhagen cut ties with companies involved in Israeli settlements, including Booking.com, Expedia Group and Airbnb. Mayor Sophie Haestorp Andersen stated: “As a large investor, we have a responsibility for things like human rights. That’s why I don’t think we should invest in companies that have to do with illegal settlements.” 

Lasty, the Province of Utrecht decided not to award their profitable contracts to Dutch company EBS Public Transportation. ELSC, among others – including BDS activists – had called on the province to cut such ties because of the involvement of its parent Israeli company (Egged) in serious human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

ELSC IN THE MEDIA

Widespread media coverage on our criminal complaint against Booking.com continues, with a recent piece published by ABC News Australia where our Senior Legal Officer Daan recalls that colonies established in the West Bank are war crimes and that Booking.com is profiting from war crimes by listing accommodations in these settlements: “So our argument is that any money derived from those settlements is also indirectly derived from those war crimes”.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Our Monitor Project Officer for Germany Tobias provided research and commentary on the policing of solidarity with Palestine during the Euros 2024.

One of our Germany lawyers and expert on migration law, Alexander Gorski, talks about the most recent developments in Germany’s racist legislation and their implications with regards to surveillance and attacks on freedom of expression. Read more about it in German here, and here.

Share the related AlarabyTV reportage on X 

ELSC EVENTS

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS SESSION AT UNIVERSITY OF MILAN 

In June, we held our first ‘Know You Rights’ session in Italy at the university of Milan. Two lawyers from our legal network provided Palestine solidarity activists with advice on how to protect themselves from increasing repression as they continue to mobilise for divestment and an end to complicity with Israel’s most recent genocidal onslaught on Gaza and the ongoing colonisation of Palestine.  

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS SESSION WITH STUDENTS IN BERLIN  

Together with three lawyers from our Solidarity Lawyers Network in Berlin, we organised a Know Your Rights Session with about 40 students mobilising at universities in Berlin. We provided legal advice and strategies to collectively move against the growing repression of student activism in Germany.  

COMMUNITY EVENT IN BERLIN  

We held our second Berlin Community Event on Saturday, 22nd June, at Haus der Demokratie, to collectively reflect on the current political context and to think through strategic collaborations and needed priorities for the ELSC to effectively support the Palestine solidarity movement in Germany. The event was attended by over 50 activists including student activists, journalists, and movement lawyers.

At our event this year we also presented our unique, extensive Monitoring Database on anti-Palestinian repression across Europe which is soon to be launched. In the past years, our Monitor Team has collected, documented and exposed forms of repression, policies, legislation and case law related to the criminalisation of the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe. 

PALESTINE SOLIDARITY ONLINE  

Watch our Germany Senior Legal Officer Nadija speak at the United Nations about the intensifying repression against Palestine solidarity in the country and the importance of continued collective mobilisation (12min40):  

……….

Our Senior Legal Officer Kiran and Advocacy & Communications Manager Alice gave a workshop to the “community of practice” of Systemic justice where we presented our work and our vision for Movement lawyering in the context of the Palestinian struggle for liberation

USEFUL RESOURCES

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, trial support or financial aid. You are not alone in this, and we will not let the state repression get us down.   

CLICK HERE FOR MORE 

For more recourses of support, get in touch with Palestine at the Forefront: Fighting Repression in Germany

BRITAIN: PROTESTING AT UNIVERSITY? Here’s what you need to know

Video
SHARE & MOBILISE

EXPOSING TIES BETWEEN THE FILM INDUSTRY AND THE ISRAELI STATE & MILITARY 

Camera4Palestine, a film industry initiative investigating links between the film industry and the Israeli state, has published a new report, which investigates the international supply routes for Israeli state propaganda. Read More

CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS

Would you like to join our team? We are currently seeking an Advocacy & Communications Officer for the Netherlands. The deadline for applications is 18 July 2024. For more details about the position and how to apply, please follow the link below!  

APPLY NOW!

Our comrades at The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD) are seeking an Advocacy & Campaigning officer. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Find out more here

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,   

Categories
Press Release

Dutch Human Rights Board: Firing of IT Specialist from Gaza who Condemned Israel’s Crimes was Discrimination

PRESS RELEASE – DUTCH BELOW

Amsterdam, 18 June 2024

On June 11, 2024, the Human Rights Board, a state-sanctioned institution in the Netherlands that rules on discrimination cases, ruled that Dutch software company Speakap B.V. discriminated on the basis of political affiliation when it fired N.A. for posts on LinkedIn condemning Israel for committing genocide and war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. A case for back payment is still pending with the Court of Amsterdam.  

The Ruling

The Board ruled that Speakap directly discriminated on the basis of political affiliation because, according to the termination letter, it fired N.A. because of discomfort that his prospective colleagues would experience at the “strong personal views” he expressed on LinkedIn. The Board agrees with N.A. that “views” refer to his posts about Gaza on LinkedIn. In the eyes of the Board, the company could not prove that it did not discriminate. 

A huge impact on N.A.’s life

N.A. is from Gaza. Several of his relatives and friends had been killed by Israeli attacks at the time of his firing; more have since been killed. His wife and family are still stuck there.

Speakap fired N.A. during his probationary period, just days after hiring him as a software developer. The company went ahead with his dismissal, even though he had expressed a willingness to engage in conversation about his posts.

Forced to apply for asylum

At the time of his firing, N.A. had already given up his job and apartment in Turkey and was forced to fly to the Netherlands to apply for asylum there.  Because of Speakap’s unfair dismissal of N.A., his process to get a residence permit in the Netherlands has been highly impacted, which seriously compromises N.A.’s ability to find a new job in the Netherlands and evacuate his family from Gaza.  

N.A. states the following:

No one should endure such enormous consequences for practicing their legal and internationally recognized right to free speech. No one should be concerned about their ability to aid themselves, their families and their children when standing against what they perceive to be very obviously an immoral, inhumane treatment of others.

Şeyma Arikan, N.A.’s lawyer, says:  

The Board accepts as common knowledge that the convictions of N.A. are widely shared by the public, in particular by people of Palestinian descent. Additionally, the Board notes that the situation pertaining to the human rights of the inhabitants of Palestinian areas has drastically worsened.

Itaï van de Wal, legal officer at the European Legal Support Center, says:  

This is an important victory, both because it is sadly no isolated case and because this moment is so crucial for the Palestinian people. It shows that nobody should be punished for denouncing the genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians by Israel.

Zakaria Boufangacha, vice chair of the largest Dutch labor union federation, FNV, adds:

The union’s position is that we need to fight prohibited discrimination on the basis of political conviction playing a role in terminating employment as much as possible. It hopes that this ruling by the Board contributes to preventing employees being discouraged from exercising their right to freedom of speech.

Read the decision of the Human Rights Board here.

College voor de Rechten van de Mens: ontslag IT specialist uit Gaza die misdaden van Israël veroordeelde was discriminatie. 

Op 11 juni oordeelde het College voor de Rechten van de Mens dat het Nederlandse softwarebedrijf Speakap B.V. discrimineerde op basis van politieke overtuiging toen zij N.A. ontsloeg wegens posts op LinkedIn waarin hij Israël veroordeelt voor het plegen van genocide en oorlogsmisdaden tegen Palestijnen in Gaza. Een loonvorderingsprocedure ligt nog voor bij de Rechtbank van Amsterdam. 

Uitspraak 

Het College oordeelt dat Speakap direct onderscheid maakte op basis van politieke overtuiging omdat het, volgens de ontslagbrief, N.A. ontsloeg vanwege ongemak dat zijn aanstaande collega’s zouden ervaren bij de “sterke persoonlijke opvattingen” die hij uitte op LinkedIn. Het College is het met N.A. eens dat “opvattingen” verwijst naar zijn posts over Gaza op LinkedIn. Het bedrijf kon volgens het College niet aannemelijk maken dat het geen verboden onderscheid maakte. 

Grote impact 

N.A. komt zelf uit Gaza. Meerdere van zijn familieleden en vrienden zijn ten tijde van zijn ontslag gedood door Israëlische aanvallen, inmiddels zijn dat er meer. Zijn vrouw en familie zitten daar nog altijd vast. 

Speakap ontsloeg N.A. in zijn proeftijd, enkele dagen na hem aangenomen te hebben als softwareontwikkelaar. Dit ondanks het feit dat hij zich voor zijn ontslag bereid toonde om over zijn posts in gesprek te gaan met het bedrijf en om eventueel ongemak weg te nemen door posts te verwijderen die dat zouden veroorzaken.  

Gedwongen asielaanvraag 

Op dat moment had N.A. zijn baan en appartement in Turkije al opgezegd en zag hij zich gedwongen om alsnog naar Nederland te vliegen om hier asiel aan te vragen. Als Speakap hem later had ontslagen had hij door een geldige verblijfsvergunning nog een kans gehad om ander werk te zoeken in Nederland en zijn familie uit Gaza te evacueren.  

QUOTES 

N.A. zelf zegt het volgende over het oordeel

Niemand zou zulke enorme gevolgen moeten doorstaan omdat ze hun recht op vrijheid van meningsuiting gebruiken. Niemand zou bang moeten zijn om voor zichzelf, hun familie of hun kinderen op te komen, of om op te staan tegen wat die ziet als de overduidelijke immorele en onmenselijke behandeling van anderen.

 Şeyma Arikan, Advocaat N.A.:

Het College neemt als feit van algemene bekendheid aan dat de opvattingen van cliënt door velen wordt gedragen, in het bijzonder door mensen van Palestijnse afkomst.  Verder merkt het College op dat de mensenrechtelijke situatie van de inwoners van Palestijnse gebieden, met name in Gaza, drastisch is verslechterd.

Itaï van de Wal, juridisch medewerker, European Legal Support Center:  

Dit is een belangrijke overwinning én omdat dit helaas geen op zichzelf staan incident is én omdat dit moment cruciaal is voor Palestijnen. Niemand zou straf moeten krijgen omdat ze zich uitspreken tegen de genocide en misdaden tegen de menselijkheid die Israël pleegt tegen de Palestijnen.

Zakaria Boufangacha, vicevoorzitter FNV, said:  

Wat FNV betreft dient verboden onderscheid op grond van politieke gezindheid bij het beëindigen van een arbeidsovereenkomst zoveel mogelijk bestreden te worden. Zij hoopt dan ook dat dit oordeel van het College ertoe bijdraagt dat werknemers niet ontmoedigd worden om in de toekomst gebruik te maken van hun vrijheid van meningsuiting. 

Categories
Media Coverage

Dozens of cases dropped in Germany: Failed attempts at intimidation   

Deutsche Übersetzung unten / النسخة العربية أدناه

Since October of last year, in a wave of escalating state repression, countless criminal charges and misdemeanours have been brought against the Palestine solidarity movement. But as we expected, dozens of cases have since been dropped.  

This should not surprise us, as most of the slogans and expressions that are criminalised, are fully covered by freedom of expression. Nevertheless, statements such as “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free‘’, ‘’Stop the Genocide‘’, ‘’Germany (or Baerbock, Scholz etc.) is complicit in Genocide‘’, or similar statements were reported as incitement [§130 StGB], rewarding and approving of criminal acts [§140 StGB] or symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organisations [§86a StGB]. This repeatedly led to unlawful arrests and in some cases to (racist) police violence.

The outcome of the legal proceedings shows that the repression serves primarily to intimidate the Palestinian movement. This intimidation particularly affects people financially and/or legally at risk in residency status. This is a form of structural racist violence.  

Nevertheless, the Palestine solidarity movement has not allowed itself to be intimidated and continues to grow. The movement will not abandon individuals and will constantly expand solidarity. We are on the right side of history and will continue to fight for justice, freedom and return!  

If you have also been affected by these attempts at intimidation and repression, please report the incident to us at: https://elsc.support/intake  

What to do in case of a criminal complaint?   

Were you at a demonstration or were you reported or even arrested by the police somewhere else? Have you received criminal charges from other parties in connection with activism for Palestine? Was your home searched by the police or was a demonstration banner confiscated? Or have you had any other contact with the police and have questions about this?  

If you live in Berlin, there are the following advice centers that we would like to recommend to you as ELSC. We work closely with them and have found them to be trustworthy.  

1. legal advice in the red Lilly, Emser Straße 114 in Berlin-Neukölln. Legal advice is available here every second Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. with a focus on criminal law, https://gegenmacht.jetzt/events/categories/neukoelln/?loc=neukoelln.   

2. counseling of the Rote Hilfe, with counseling services at four different locations and different times, which you can look up here: https://www.berlin.rote-hilfe.de/kontakt-sprechstunde/. Rote Hilfe is a traditional left-wing association (of which you can and should of course become a member) that has been supporting political activists and workers in their struggles for many decades.  

3. advice from KOP – campaign for victims of police violence. Here you can get advice, especially if you have witnessed or been a victim of police violence and would like specific advice on this topic. The special thing about KOP is that you can get psycho-social counseling here, as police violence can be very bad! You can also find answers to questions relating to criminal law here: https://kop-berlin.de/uber-kop   

Dutzende Verfahrenseinstellungen: Gescheiterte Einschüchterungsversuche  

In einer Welle der Repression wurden seit Ende letzten Jahres unzählige Strafanzeigen und Ordnungswidrigkeiten gegen die Palästina Solidaritätsbewegung verhängt. Wie zu erwarten, wurden schon dutzende Verfahren inzwischen eingestellt.   

Das ist wenig überraschend, da die meisten angezeigten Slogans und Aussagen vollständig von der Meinungsfreiheit gedeckt sind. Dennoch wurden Aussagen wie “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free”, ”Stop the Genocide”, ”Germany is complicit in Genocide”, oder vergleichbare Aussagen als Volksverhetzung [§130 StGB], Belohnung und Billigung von Straftaten [§140 StGB] oder Kennzeichen verfassungswidriger und terroristischer Organisationen [§86a StGB] angezeigt. Es kam dabei immer wieder zu rechtswidrigen Verhaftungen, und auch zu (rassistischer) Polizeigewalt.

Die Einstellungen der Verfahren zeigen: die Repression dient vorrangig zur Einschüchterung der Palästinabewegung. Diese Einschüchterung trifft insbesondere Menschen, die finanziell und/oder aufenthaltsrechtlich gefährdet sind. Dies ist eine Form struktureller rassistischer Gewalt.  

Gleichwohl hat sich die Palästina Solidaritätsbewegung nicht einschüchtern lassen und wächst stetig weiter. Die Bewegung wird Einzelne nicht im Stich lassen und konstant Solidarität aufbauen. Wir stehen auf der richtigen Seite der Geschichte und werden weiterhin für Gerechtigkeit, Freiheit und Rückkehr kämpfen! 

Solltest auch du von diesen Einschüchterungsversuchen betroffen sein, melde den Vorfall bitte an uns, unter: https://elsc.support/intake 

Was tun bei einer Strafanzeige?  

Warst du bei einer Demonstration oder wurdest woanders von der Polizei angezeigt oder sogar festgenommen? Hast du im Zusammenhang mit Aktivismus für Palästina Strafanzeigen von anderer Seite erhalten? Wurde deine Wohnung von der Polizei durchsucht, oder wurde ein Demo-Transparent beschlagnahmt? Oder hast du irgendwie anders Kontakt mit der Polizei gehabt und hast hierzu fragen? 

Wenn du in Berlin lebst, dann gibt es folgende Beratungsstellen, die wir dir als ELSC gerne ans Herz legen wollen. Wir arbeiten eng mit ihnen zusammen, und haben sie als vertrauenswürdig kennen gelernt. 

1. Rechtsberatung in der Roten Lilly, Emser Straße 114 in Berlin-Neukölln. Hier gibt es jeden zweiten Freitag von 17 bis 19:00 Uhr eine Rechtsberatung mit Fokus auf Strafrecht, https://gegenmacht.jetzt/events/categories/neukoelln/?loc=neukoelln.  

2. Beratung der Roten Hilfe, mit Beratungsangeboten an vier verschiedenen Standorten und verschiedenen Zeiten, die du hier nachgucken kannst: https://www.berlin.rote-hilfe.de/kontakt-sprechstunde/. Die Rote Hilfe ist ein traditionsreiche linker Verein (bei dem man natürlich auch Mitglied werden kann und soll), der seit vielen Jahrzehnten politische Aktivist*innen und Arbeiter*innen in ihren Kämpfen unterstützt. 

3. Beratung von KOP- Kampagne für Opfer von Polizeigewalt. Hier kannst du vor allem Beratung bekommen, wenn du Zeug*in oder Opfer von Polizeigewalt geworden bist, und dich speziell zu diesem Thema beraten lassen möchtest. Das besondere an KOP ist auch, dass du hier eine psycho-soziale Beratung bekommen kannst, da Polizeigewalt ja sehr schlimm sein kann! Auch zu Fragen, die das Strafrecht betreffen, findest du hier antworten: https://kop-berlin.de/uber-kop  

إسقاط العشرات من الدعاوى في ألمانيا: محاولات ترهيب فاشلة

منذ أكتوبر  العام الماضي، في موجة من القمع  المتصاعد الذي تمارسه الدولة، تم توجيه العديد من التهم الجنائية والجنح ضد أفراد حركة التضامن مع فلسطين. لكن كما توقعنا، تم إسقاط العشرات من هذه القضايا منذ ذلك الحين

هذه النتيجة لا تفاجئنا ابدا، فمعظم الشعارات والتعابير التي تم محاولة تجريمها، تحميها تمامًا حرية التعبير. ومع ذلك، عبارات مثل “من النهر إلى البحر، فلسطين سوف تتحرر”، “أوقفوا الإبادة الجماعية”، “ألمانيا (أو بيربوك، شولتس، إلخ) متواطئة في الإبادة الجماعية”، أو عبارات مشابهة تم الإبلاغ عنها على أنها تحريض (المادة ١٣٠ من القانون الجنائي الألماني StGb), مكافأة و موافقة على أعمال إجرامية (المادة١٤٠ من القانون الجنائي الألماني ) أو على أنها رموز لمنظمات غير دستورية  وإرهابية (المادة ٨٦ من القانون الجنائي الألماني). هذا الأمر أدى مرارًا وتكرارًا إلى اعتقالات غير قانونية وفي بعض الحالات إلى عنف (عنصري) من قبل قوات الشرطة

 تُظهر نتيجة هذه الإجراءات القانونية أن القمع الذي تمارسه الدولة يهدف في المقام الأول الى ترهيب الحركة الفلسطينية. يؤثر هذا الترهيب بشكل خاص على الأشخاص المعرضين للمخاطر المالية و/أو القانونية المتعلقة بوضع الإقامة. ما يشير الى أننا نواجه نوع من العنف العُنصري البنيوي

ومع ذلك، لم تسمح حركة التضامن مع فلسطين لهذه المحاولات بترهيبها بل على العكس انها ما زالت تستمر في التوسع والنمو. لن تتخلى الحركة عن الأفراد وستواصل توسيع نطاق التضامن. نحن نقف على الجانب الصحيح من التاريخ وسنواصل الكفاح من أجل العدالة والحرية و الحق في العودة

إذا كنت قد تأثرت أيضًا بهذه المحاولات من الترهيب والقمع، يرجى ابلاغنا عن الحادثة على

https://elsc.support/intake

ماذا تفعل في حال تلقيت شكوى جنائية ؟

هل كنت في مظاهرة أو تم الابلاغ عنك أو تم اعتقالك من قبل الشرطة؟ هل تلقيت تهمًا جنائية من أطراف أخرى فيما يتعلق بنشاطك الداعم لفلسطين؟ هل تم تفتيش منزلك من قبل الشرطة أو تم مصادرة لافتة كنت تحملها في مظاهرة؟ أو هل كنت على أي اتصال آخر مع الشرطة ولديك أسئلة حول هذا الموضوع؟

إذا كنت تعيش في برلين، المراكز الاستشارية التالية هي بعض المراكز التي نعمل معها عن كثب ونوصي بها كمراكز موثوقة

الاستشارة القانونية في “ليلي الحمراء”، تتوفر الاستشارات القانونية هنا كل ثاني نهار جمعة من الساعة 5 إلى 7 مساءً مع التركيز على القانون الجنائي

https://gegenmacht.jetzt/events/categories/neukoelln/?loc=neukoelln

Rote Lilly, Emser Straße 114 in Berlin-Neukölln

“Rote Hilfe” استشارات

مع خدمات استشارية في أربعة مواقع مختلفة وأوقات مختلفة، يمكنك العثور عليها هنا

هي جمعية يسارية تقليدية (يمكن ويجب عليك بالطبع أن تصبح عضوًا فيها) التي تدعم النشطاء السياسيين والعمال في نضالاتهم منذ عقود عدة

https://www.berlin.rote-hilfe.de/kontakt-sprechstunde

KOP استشارات

 حملة لضحايا عنف الشرطة. هنا يمكنك الحصول على استشارة، خاصة إذا كنت قد شاهدت أو كنت ضحية عنف الشرطة وترغب في الحصول على استشارة محددة حول هذا الموضوع. ما يميز هو أنك تستطيع الحصول ايضا على استشارات نفسية اجتماعية، لأن عنف الشرطة يمكن أن يكون له تأثيرات سلبية جدًا! يمكنك أيضًا العثور على إجابات على أسئلة متعلقة بالقانون الجنائي الألماني على هذا الرابط

KOP: https://kop-berlin.de/uber-kop

Categories
Case Update

Erfolg für Palästina Aktivistin Yasemin Acar 

ENGLISH BELOW

Pressemitteilung – Berlin, 24. Mai 2024

Das Landgericht Berlin hat zugunsten Yasemin Acar gegen den Tagesspiegel entschieden. Das Gericht hat eine einstweilige Verfügung verhängt, welche die Tageszeitung mit Sitz in Berlin zwingt, gleich mehrere Falschbehauptungen über die Aktivistin zurückzunehmen und zukünftig zu unterlassen. Yasemin hatte mit Unterstützung der Rechtsanwältin Ingrid Yeboah und dem ELSC gegen einen Anfang März erschienenen Artikel geklagt.

Rechtsanwältin Ingrid Yeboah kommentiert:

Bei dem Artikel handelt es sich um eine beschämende Diffamierung der Berliner Aktivistin und ihres Engagements gegen Rassismus und für Menschenrechte. Darin wurde die Aktivistin mehrfach falsch zitiert, ihre Aussagen und Sachverhalte grob verzerrt dargestellt und aus dem Kontext gerissen. So entstand ein Bild einer von Hass zerfressenen Extremistin, welches auf die Entwürdigung und Entmenschlichung der Aktivistin zielt.

Bei diesem Angriff auf Yasemin Acar handelt es sich nicht um einen Einzelfall. Die im Artikel bedienten, rassistischen Klischees sind typisch für die Berichterstattung deutscher Medien. Insbesondere in den letzten Jahren wurde ein schockierendes Level an anti-palästinensischem Rassismus in deutschen Medien sichtbar. Dieser äußert sich, unter anderem, immer häufiger auch in verleumderischen Beiträgen. Diese zielen häufig auf die gesamte Palästina-solidarische Bewegung, bestimmte Palästina-solidarische Gruppen und auf einzelne Aktivist*innen ab.  

Unter dem Schlagwort ”Israelhass” wird weder davor zurückgeschreckt Namen, Gesichter und Arbeitgeber der Aktivist*innen zu veröffentlichen, noch ihre Aussagen grob falsch wiederzugeben. Deutsche Medien gehen dabei zunehmend skrupelloser vor. Die BILD etwa veröffentlicht mittlerweile regelmäßig Listen, die in ihrer hemmungslosen Hetze an dunkelste Zeiten der deutschen Presse erinnern. Der Fall ist damit typisch für ein allzu oft vorkommendes Muster deutscher Medien. Das Kulturzentrum Oyoun setzte sich erst vor kurzem vor Gericht erfolgreich gegen die Diffamierungen des Tagesspiegel durch.

Karim Bohnhoff Advocacy and Communications Officer bei ELSC sagt:

Das häufig verwendete Label ”Israelhass” offenbart eine völlige Missachtung der Lebensrealität und politischen Anliegen palästinensischer, muslimischer oder rassifizierter Menschen nicht nur in Deutschland, sondern weltweit. Mit dem Begriff “Israelhass” wird versucht jegliche Kritik an den systematischen Verbrechen an Palästinenser*innen durch den Staat Israel zu diffamieren. Scharfe Kritik an dem Völkermord an Palästinenser*innen, Protest und Solidarität sind legitim!

Ironischerweise hatte der Tagesspiegel Yasemin einst für ihr Engagement gelobt. Als überzeugte Antirassistin setzt sich Yasemin bereits seit Jahrzehnten unermüdlich für die Rechte aller Menschen ein. Sie ist besonders in der Geflüchtetenhilfe tätig. Zuletzt wurde sie für ihre Arbeit für die Rechte der Geflüchteten aus der Ukraine öffentlich gewürdigt. Vielen ist sie auch durch ihren Einsatz gegen Armut und Obdachlosigkeit bekannt.

Erst seit sie sich für Palästina einsetzt, wurde sie zur Zielscheibe der rassistischen Diffamierung durch deutsche Medien. Die Attacke auf Yasemin offenbart noch ein weiteres Problem deutscher Medien: struktureller Sexismus. Auffällig häufig richten sich entsprechende Hetzkampagnen gegen von Rassismus betroffene Frauen, insbesondere muslimische und arabische Frauen.

Und die Hetze bleibt nicht ohne Folgen: Yasemin erhält seit Monaten regelmäßig Morddrohungen und wird immer wieder verbal, aber auch physisch attackiert. Unter diesen Angreifern sind häufig auch Journalisten, welche Yasemin mit Kamera auflauern und versuchen, sie durch Beleidigungen und Handgreiflichkeiten zu provozieren. 

Die Polizei weigert sich jedoch beharrlich, bei derartigen rassistischen Angriffen weiter zu ermitteln. Die deutsche Polizei selbst agiert zunehmend autoritär gegen Palästina Aktivist*innen. Das vollkommen rechtswidrige Vorgehen gegen die Palästina-Kongress hatte zuletzt internationales Aufsehen erregt. Vorangegangen war eine beispiellose mediale Hetze gegen die Veranstalter*innen, zu denen auch Yasemin gehört. 

Es besteht kein Zweifel, dass deutsche Medien rassistische und autoritäre Tendenzen stärken und anfeuern. Sie schaffen so wesentlich ein Klima, in der rassistische Gewalt durch Staat und Rechtsradikale zunehmend eskaliert. 

Trotz dieses gewalttätigen Klimas ließ sich Yasemin nicht einschüchtern und ging dagegen vor. Ihr Erfolg gegen den Tagesspiegel ist deshalb ein Erfolg für die gesamte Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung. Er beweist einmal mehr, dass wir illegale rassistische Diskriminierung nicht dulden und uns erfolgreich wehren werden!

Für Presseanfragen an Yasemin Acar und ELSC wenden Sie sich bitte an Karim Bohnhoff: karim@elsc.support   

Victory for Palestine Activist Yasemin Acar

Press release – Berlin, 24 May 2024

Berlin Regional Court has ruled in favour of Yasemin Acar against the Tagesspiegel. 

The court issued a restraining order forcing the Berlin-based daily newspaper to remove and not publish again several false allegations about the activist. With the support of lawyer Ingrid Yeboah and the ELSC, Yasemin had taken legal action against an article published at the beginning of March.

Lawyer Ingrid Yeboah shares:

The article constituted a shameful defamation of the Berlin activist and her commitment against racism and for human rights. In the article, the activist was misquoted several times, her statements and political positions were grossly distorted and taken out of context. The result was an image of an extremist consumed by hate, aiming at ultimately degrading and dehumanising the activist.

This attack on Yasemin Acar is not an isolated case. The racist clichés used in the article are typical of reporting in German media. In recent years in particular, a shocking level of anti-Palestinian racism has spread in German media. Among other things, this is increasingly expressed in defamatory articles. These often target the entire Palestine-solidarity movement, certain Palestine-solidarity groups and individual activists.  

Evoking the buzzword “Israelhass” (hatred of Israel), journalists do not shy away from publishing the names, faces and employers of activists, nor from grossly misrepresenting their statements. German media are becoming increasingly unscrupulous in their approach. BILD, for example, now regularly publishes lists that are reminiscent of the darkest times of the German press in their unrestrained agitation. The case is thus typical of an all too common pattern in the German media. Oyoun cultural center in Berlin was also recently defamed in the Tagesspiegel and successfully challenged the newspaper in court.

Karim Bohnhoff, Advocacy & Communications officer at the ELSC says:

The frequently used label “Israelhass” reveals a complete disregard for the lived reality and political aims of Palestinian, Muslim or racialized people, not only in Germany but worldwide. It is used in an attempt to silence criticism of the systematic crimes committed against Palestinians by the state of Israel. Sharp criticism of the genocide against Palestinians, protest and solidarity are legitimate!

Ironically, the Tagesspiegel once praised Yasemin for her commitment. As a staunch anti-racist, Yasemin has been tirelessly campaigning for the rights of all people for decades. She is particularly active in helping refugees. Most recently, she was publicly recognised for her work for the rights of refugees from Ukraine. She is also known to many for her work against poverty and homelessness.

It is only since she began campaigning for Palestine that she has become the target of racist defamation by the German media. The attack on Yasemin reveals yet another problem in the German media: structural sexism. Such smear campaigns are conspicuously often directed against women affected by racism, and particularly Muslim and Arab women.

And the incitement is not without consequences: Yasemin has been receiving regular death threats for months and is repeatedly harassed, verbally or sometimes physically. Journalists are often among these attackers, ambushing Yasemin with cameras and attempting to provoke her with insults and violence. 

However, the police stubbornly refuse to investigate such racist attacks any further. The German police themselves are acting in an increasingly authoritarian manner against Palestinian activists. The completely unlawful action against the Palestine Congress recently caused an international stir. It was preceded by unprecedented media agitation against the organisers, including Yasemin.

There is no doubt that the German media strengthen and encourage racist and authoritarian tendencies. They are essentially creating a climate in which racist violence by the state and right-wing extremists is increasingly escalating.

Despite this violent climate, Yasemin remained undeterred and pushed back. Her success against the Tagesspiegel is a success for the entire Palestine solidarity movement in Germany. It shows we are able to successfully push back against anti-Palestinian media! We will not tolerate any further illegal racist discrimination!

For press inquiries to Yasemin Acar and ELSC please contact Karim Bohnhoff: karim@elsc.support 

Categories
Statement

Solidarity With Students & Allies Protesting For Palestinian Rights 

The ELSC stands in solidarity with, and endorses the principled demands of, student protestors in Europe to disclose, divest and cut all ties with Israeli universities, corporations and all those complicit in the state of Israel’s crimes of genocide, colonisation, occupation and apartheid against Palestinians. 

We have seen among the most extreme police violence against students and university staff, as well as the supporting local community. Often with the implicit support of university executives and in cooperation with the police and city mayors. In the Netherlands, for instance, an army of riot police, attack dogs, bulldozers, pepper spray and batons have been used against protestors, and we also documented police violence in France, Germany and Austria. The ELSC firmly believes that protestors have a right to defend themselves from police violence. 

The political establishment, from elected politicians to the unaccountable police force, are giving rise to an increasingly hostile environment that allows for repression not just from the state but the far-right who are emboldened and given free rein to attack Palestine protesters. 

University administrations, who instead of showing a duty of care to their students, are acting as enforcers of repression. In doing so they are showing a complete disregard for the health, rights and just demands of their students and staff. Their complicity in the wholly disproportionate punishment of students is matched with their complicity in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. It also fully exposes such bodies, not as institutions of free thought and public learning, but as protectors of the state.  

More than 35.000 Palestinians have been confirmed killed by Israel – but the healthcare infrastructure to record the death toll has collapsed, meaning the real death toll is likely far higher. Rafah has been invaded, displacing at least 450.000. The border crossing to Egypt is closed, preventing evacuations and the entry of humanitarian aid. Forced hunger leading to famine is rising and Gaza has become completely unlivable. A large number of European universities insist on maintaining ties with research institutions and companies who are deeply embedded and complicit in the Israeli state and industrial complex that drive genocide. 

We call on everyone to support Palestinians and their allies as they continue to fight for justice, despite all odds to see liberation in our lifetime. 

Please make sure to: 

  • Report all incidents of repression and request legal support here: Report an incident (elsc.support) and see here why it is important to report repression to the ELSC 
  • Stay safe by consulting our ‘know your rights’ resources for Palestinian rights advocates, including protesters, in the Netherlands, in the UK and Italy here. 
  • See more ‘know your rights’ resources for other countries/ contexts here 
Categories
Case Update

VICTORY FOR DR GHASSAN ABU SITTAH: ELSC and ICJP overturn Schengen-wide travel ban 

May 15, 2024 

Berlin, Administrative court Potsdam slams German Federal Police: Schengen-Information-System entry for Prof. Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah has no legal basis and is to be revoked immediately after an emergency appeal by ELSC lawyer Alexander Gorski with support from lawyers from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP). This effectively ends the Schengen-area travel ban imposed on Prof. Dr. Abu Sittah by German authorities. He was previously prevented from entering Germany, France and most recently the Netherlands. 

The court’s ruling follows ELSC lawyer Alexander Gorski’s arguments in all points and recognizes the urgency of the case vis-a-vis developments in Gaza. The court rejects all accusations by German Federal Police against Dr Abu Sittah and holds that the Federal Police provided no grounds according to the legal basis provided by Art. 24 EU-Verordnung 2018/1861 and § 30 Abs. 5 BundespolizeiG. 

“This victory cannot be overstated“

Alexander Gorski shares: “German police delivered a surprisingly weak reasoning for the entry ban issued against Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta in front of the court. By rejecting it as lacking any substantial evidence, the court affirms our case and calls the entire investigation into question. Professor Ghassan worked tirelessly to help Palestinians in Gaza, in dreadful conditions, and yet he has faced such unfair treatment upon his return.  
 
This decision means that Ghassan’s freedom of expression and freedom of movement are no longer under threat, and he can speak out about what he witnessed in Gaza. This victory cannot be overstated.” 

This victory highlights the illegality of Germany’s increasingly authoritarian anti-Palestinian state repression and should encourage everyone to speak up against the ongoing genocide on Gaza. We thank Prof. Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah for his courage in speaking up against the crimes he has witnessed first handedly and against the shameful attempt by the German state to silence critics of the genocide it is funding. Abu Sittah is due to speak on the 17th May 2024 to Dutch MPs and in public events organised by civil society organisations and at the University of Amsterdam. 

The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) is the first and only independent organisation defending and empowering the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe through legal means. We provide free legal advice and assistance to associations, human rights NGOs, groups and individuals advocating for Palestinian rights in mainland Europe and the United Kingdom. 

  1.  For press inquiries for Alexander Gorski and the ELSC, please contact Karim Bohnhoff karim@elsc.support
  2. For press inquiries for ICJP, please contact press@icjpalestine.com

Sieg für Dr GHASSAN ABU SITTAH: ELSC und ICJP kippen Schengen-weites Einreiseverbot  

15. Mai 2024  

Berlin, Verwaltungsgericht Potsdam rügt deutsche Bundespolizei: Die Schengen-Einreise für Prof. Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah entbehrt jeder rechtlichen Grundlage und ist sofort zu widerrufen. Das Urteil folgt auf einen Eilantrag des ELSC Anwalts Alexander Gorski mit Unterstützung von Anwälten des International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP). Damit ist das von den deutschen Behörden gegen Prof. Dr. Abu Sittah verhängte EU-Einreiseverbot nichtig. Zuvor war er an der Einreise nach Deutschland, Frankreich und zuletzt in die Niederlande gehindert worden.  

Das Gericht folgt den Argumenten des ELSC-Anwalts Alexander Gorski in allen Punkten und erkennt die Dringlichkeit des Falles angesichts der Entwicklungen in Gaza an. Das Gericht weist alle Vorwürfe der deutschen Bundespolizei gegen Prof. Dr. Abu Sittah zurück und stellt fest, dass die Bundespolizei keinerlei Begründung gemäß der Rechtsgrundlage des Art. 24 EU-Verordnung 2018/1861 und § 30 Abs. 5 BundespolizeiG vorweisen kann. 

“Dieser Erfolg kann nicht hoch genug geschätzt werden“

Alexander Gorski kommentiert: „Die Bundespolizei hat vor Gericht eine überraschend schwache Begründung für das gegen Prof. Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta erlassene Einreiseverbot geliefert. Indem das Gericht sie als nicht stichhaltig zurückweist, bekräftigt es unser Anliegen und stellt die gesamten polizeilichen Ermittlungen in Frage. Professor Ghassan hat Palästinenser*innen in Gaza unter schrecklichsten Bedingungen unermüdlich geholfen, und dennoch wurde er nach seiner Rückkehr so ungerecht behandelt.   

Diese Entscheidung bedeutet, dass Prof. Abu Sittah Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung und Freizügigkeit nicht mehr bedroht ist. Er kann wieder frei darüber sprechen, was er in Gaza erlebt hat. Dieser Erfolgkann nicht hoch genug geschätzt werden.“  

Dieser Erfolgverdeutlicht die Rechtswidrigkeit der zunehmend autoritären anti-palästinensischen Repression durch den deutschen Staat und sollte jeden ermutigen, seine Stimme gegen den anhaltenden Völkermord in Gaza zu erheben. Wir danken Prof. Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah für seinen Mut, sich gegen die Verbrechen auszusprechen, die er mit eigenen Augen miterlebt hat. Ebenso ächten wir den beschämenden Versuch des deutschen Staates, Kritiker*innen des von ihm finanzierten Völkermords zum Schweigen zu bringen.  Abu Sittah wird am 17. Mai 2024 mitniederländischen Abgeordneten und vor zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisationen an der Universität Amsterdam sprechen.  

Das European Legal Support Center (ELSC) ist die erste und einzige unabhängige Organisation, die die Palästina-Solidaritätsbewegung in Europa mit rechtlichen Mitteln verteidigt und stärkt. Wir bieten Verbänden, Menschenrechts-NGOs, Gruppen und Einzelpersonen, die sich für die Rechte der Palästinenser*innen auf dem europäischen Festland und im Vereinigten Königreich einsetzen, kostenlose Rechtsberatung und -hilfe an.  

  1. Für Presseanfragen an Alexander Gorski und ELSC wenden Sie sich bitte an Karim Bohnhoff: karim@elsc.support
  2. Für Presseanfragen zu ICJP wenden Sie sich bitte an press@icjpalestine.com
Categories
Press Release

Anti-Palestinian Surveillance in Germany: New Hearing in the Case of Dr Anna Younes

GERMAN VERSION BELOW/DEUTSCHE ÜBERSETZUNG UNTEN

Today 12 April 2024, Dr Anna-E. Younes is challenging anti-Palestinian organisations RIAS Berlin and MBR (Mobile Beratungsstelle gegen Rechts) in the Berlin District Court (Landgericht Berlin) with the support of the ELSC.

Dr Anna Younes is a German Palestinian scholar working on the ‘New Antisemitism’ discourse, race critical theories and settler-/colonial theories. Like many others she has already been subjected to several disinformation campaigns, publicly defamed, censored and unfairly excluded from public and academic spaces way before 2019. In 2019, however, Dr Younes discovered that a secret dossier which selectively draws on certain publications of hers and takes them out of context, was written up and distributed  by RIAS/MBR  in order to get her disinvited from public speaking engagements. Said dossier had been privately passed on to people in die Linke and distorted her work or articles to make defamatory statements about her, including by framing her as an anti-Jewish racist and sexist terrorist sympathizer. Subsequently, Dr Younes was disinvited from a panel discussion on right-wing extremism and anti-Muslim racism organised by the Berlin chapter of Die Linke where she was supposed to present her work on anti-Muslim racism and right-wing networks in Germany.

In violation of European data protection law, Dr Younes was surveilled for her scholarship and activism, causing her loss of employment, reputational damage, as well as an uncanny repetition of surveillance strategies as known from German history. Dr. Younes, the ELSC and her lawyers argue that the creation and circulation of RIAS’ secret dossier – without Dr. Younes’ knowledge or consent – gravely infringed upon her right to privacy, freedom of expression, and academic freedom and amounts to digital surveillance. More importantly, her case does not stand in isolation; it rather unmasks the multiple layers of systematic repression that have been silencing and criminalising Palestinian voices in Germany for a long time. Beyond that, this case is also crucial as it testifies to the importance of halting further infringements on the right to privacy and to free political expression of political minorities, such as anti-war and anti-capitalist movements or climate activists.

Concerned about the consequences of this repressive surveillance for herself and other academics, activists or journalists, Dr Younes reached out to the ELSC and took legal action. 

Nearly two years ago, the Berlin District Court upheld Dr Younes’ claims and ordered VDK – the German state-funded organisation that legally represents RIAS Berlin and MBR – to give Dr Anna Younes access to the data that the two organisations had secretly gathered and disseminated. The information released by VDK revealed that RIAS Berlin and MBR had been collecting people’s personal data based on their ‘positions on Israel and BDS’. 

Dr Younes and her lawyer now expect the court to order RIAS/MBR to pay damages for the harm suffered by Dr Younes for more than two years. Not only should RIAS/MBR pay damages for having violated Dr Younes’ right to information, as confirmed by the first instance court, but also for the unlawful collection and dissemination of a dossier aiming to damage her reputation.

Dr Younes’ lawyer, Alexander Gorski, said: 

This legal battle is about making sure that state-funded organisations such as RIAS Berlin and MBR are held accountable for their repressive practices which have extreme consequences for individuals’ reputation and fundamental rights and freedoms. This must stop.

In March 2024, RIAS (the federal organisation whereof RIAS Berlin forms the local Berlin branch) released their report on ‘Anti-Semitism within BDS’, which enacts yet another targeted attack against the BDS movement and its supporters. Furthermore, RIAS also continues to use unfounded allegations of antisemitism and support of terrorism to further repress Palestine solidarity as well as turning the important category of anti-Jewish racism to mean nothing but “critical of Israeli politics” thereby enabling a dangerous and deeply racist hollowing out of what we mean by anti-Jewish racism. Finally, within that vein, RIAS also confirms its use of the harmful and widely criticized ‘IHRA definition of antisemitism’ to assess incidents of antisemitism.

It is obvious that organisations like RIAS are instrumentalizing the fight against anti-Jewish racism to platform a discourse aimed at repressing and erasing Palestinian voices and anti- or de-colonial narratives, especially at a moment when a wide range of individuals and groups in German civil society are raising their voice against the ongoing genocide and against Germany’s support of Israel’s settler violence. – said Dr Younes.

The decision from the judge is expected within a few weeks.

Read more about the case

Antipalästinensische Überwachung in Deutschland: neue Anhörung im Fall von Dr. Anna Younes

Heute, am 12. April 2024, klagt Dr. Anna-E. Younes mit Unterstützung der ELSC gegen die antipalästinensischen Organisationen RIAS Berlin und MBR (Mobile Beratungsstelle gegen Rechts) vor dem Landgericht Berlin.

Dr. Anna Younes ist eine deutsch-palästinensische Wissenschaftlerin, die sich mit dem “Neuen Antisemitismus”-Diskurs, rassenkritischen Theorien und Siedler-/Kolonialtheorien beschäftigt. Wie viele andere war sie bereits vor 2019 mehreren Desinformationskampagnen ausgesetzt, wurde öffentlich diffamiert, zensiert und zu Unrecht aus dem öffentlichen und akademischen Raum ausgeschlossen. Im Jahr 2019 entdeckte Dr. Younes jedoch, dass ein geheimes Dossier, das sich selektiv auf bestimmte Veröffentlichungen von ihr stützt und diese aus dem Zusammenhang reißt, vom RIAS/MBR erstellt und verbreitet wurde, um sie von öffentlichen Auftritten auszuladen. Dieses Dossier wurde privat an Personen in der Partei Die Linke weitergegeben und verfälschte ihre Arbeit oder Artikel, um diffamierende Aussagen über sie zu machen, unter anderem indem sie als antijüdische, rassistische und sexistische Terroristensympathisantin dargestellt wurde. In der Folge wurde Dr. Younes von einer Podiumsdiskussion über Rechtsextremismus und antimuslimischen Rassismus ausgeladen, die von der Berliner Sektion der Partei Die Linke organisiert wurde und auf der sie ihre Arbeit über antimuslimischen Rassismus und rechte Netzwerke in Deutschland vorstellen sollte.

Unter Verstoß gegen das europäische Datenschutzrecht wurde Dr. Younes wegen ihrer wissenschaftlichen Arbeit und ihres Engagements überwacht, was zum Verlust ihres Arbeitsplatzes und zur Schädigung ihres Rufes führte und eine unheimliche Wiederholung der aus der deutschen Geschichte bekannten Überwachungsstrategien darstellt. Der Fall, den Dr. Younes, die ELSC und ihre Anwälte aufgebaut haben, argumentiert, dass die Erstellung und Verbreitung des geheimen Dossiers des RIAS – ohne Dr. Younes’ Wissen oder Zustimmung – ihr Recht auf Privatsphäre, freie Meinungsäußerung und akademische Freiheit schwerwiegend verletzt hat und einer digitalen Überwachung gleichkommt. Noch wichtiger ist, dass ihr Fall nicht isoliert dasteht, sondern vielmehr die vielen Ebenen der systematischen Unterdrückung aufdeckt, die palästinensische Stimmen in Deutschland seit langem zum Schweigen bringen und kriminalisieren. Darüber hinaus ist dieser Fall auch deshalb so entscheidend, weil er zeigt, wie wichtig es ist, weitere Verstöße gegen das Recht auf Privatsphäre und freie politische Meinungsäußerung von politischen Minderheiten wie Antikriegs- und antikapitalistischen Bewegungen oder Klimaaktivisten zu unterbinden.

Besorgt über die Folgen dieser repressiven Überwachung für sie selbst und andere Akademiker, Aktivisten oder Journalisten wandte sich Dr. Younes an die ELSC und erhob rechtliche Schritte. 

Vor fast zwei Jahren gab das Landgericht Berlin den Klagen von Dr. Younes statt und ordnete an, dass der VdK – die deutsche staatlich finanzierte Organisation, die RIAS Berlin und MBR rechtlich vertritt – Dr. Anna Younes Zugang zu den Daten gewährt, die die beiden Organisationen heimlich gesammelt und verbreitet hatten. Die von der VdK herausgegebenen Informationen enthüllten, dass RIAS Berlin und MBR personenbezogene Daten von Personen auf der Grundlage ihrer “Positionen zu Israel und BDS” gesammelt hatten. 

Dr. Younes und ihr Anwalt erwarten nun, dass das Gericht den RIAS/MBR zur Zahlung von Schadenersatz für den Schaden verurteilt, den Dr. Younes mehr als zwei Jahre lang erlitten hat. Der RIAS/MBR sollte nicht nur Schadensersatz dafür zahlen, dass das Recht von Dr. Younes auf Information verletzt wurde, wie das erstinstanzliche Gericht bestätigt hat, sondern auch für die unrechtmäßige Sammlung und Verbreitung eines Dossiers, das darauf abzielt, ihren Ruf zu schädigen.

Dr. Younes’ Anwalt, Alexander Gorski, sagte: 

In diesem Rechtsstreit geht es darum, sicherzustellen, dass staatlich finanzierte Organisationen wie RIAS Berlin und MBR für ihre repressiven Praktiken zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden, die extreme Auswirkungen auf den Ruf und die Grundrechte und -freiheiten des Einzelnen haben. Das muss aufhören.

Im März 2024 veröffentlichte RIAS (die Bundesorganisation, deren Ortsgruppe in Berlin RIAS Berlin ist) ihren Bericht über “Antisemitismus in BDS”, der einen weiteren gezielten Angriff auf die BDS-Bewegung und ihre UnterstützerInnen darstellt. Darüber hinaus nutzt RIAS weiterhin unbegründete Vorwürfe des Antisemitismus und der Unterstützung des Terrorismus, um die Solidarität mit Palästina weiter zu unterdrücken und die wichtige Kategorie des antijüdischen Rassismus auf nichts anderes als “kritisch gegenüber israelischer Politik” zu reduzieren, wodurch eine gefährliche und zutiefst rassistische Auslöschung dessen ermöglicht wird, was wir unter antijüdischem Rassismus verstehen. Schließlich bestätigt RIAS in diesem Zusammenhang auch die Verwendung der schädlichen und weithin kritisierten “IHRA-Definition von Antisemitismus”, um Vorfälle von Antisemitismus zu bewerten.

Es ist offensichtlich, dass Organisationen wie RIAS den Kampf gegen antijüdischen Rassismus instrumentalisieren, um einem Diskurs eine Plattform zu bieten, der darauf abzielt, palästinensische Stimmen und anti- oder de-koloniale Narrative zu unterdrücken und auszulöschen, insbesondere zu einem Zeitpunkt, an dem ein breites Spektrum von Einzelpersonen und Gruppen in der deutschen Zivilgesellschaft ihre Stimme gegen den anhaltenden Völkermord und gegen Deutschlands Unterstützung der israelischen Siedlergewalt erhebt

– so Dr. Younes.

Die Entscheidung des Richters wird in den nächsten Wochen erwartet.

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Updates & Recent Victories for the Defence of Palestinian Rights Advocacy in Europe

Dear Friend,   

In the past weeks and months, we have joined forces with many of you who are mobilising tirelessly for an end to Israel’s heinous crimes against Gaza. In the first 2 months of 2024 alone, we’ve fought some crucial battles and secured a number of victories for the movement – which we bring to you in this month’s newsletter.   

JUSTICE & ACCOUNTABILITY 

Accountability Now: Palestinians Sue German Government Officials for Enabling the Genocide in Gaza  

Last month, we supported a group of German lawyers – representing families of two Gazans – who filed a criminal complaint against German Government officials, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for the crime aiding and abetting genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza by providing Israel with weapons and other material support. We continue to make clear that the time for impunity is over.  

READ MORE ABOUT IT IN GERMAN & IN ENGLISH  

Share on X and Instagram  

Freedom for Palestine! Democracy for Germany!  

 We have joined forces with activist groups and organisations coming together in the Kufiya Network in a collective call against the repression of the Palestine solidarity movement in Germany. Together, we reject the construction of a ‘reason of state’ that forces on us ‘an unconditional solidarity’ with war crimes, and the criminalisation of any resistance to the occupation.  

READ THE STATEMENT HERE

Accountability for EU Complicity with Israeli Illegal Settlements: A New Legal Victory Highlights the EU Commission’s Shortcomings  

After discovering that the European Commission (EC) was violating its own rules around the funding of projects involving Israeli entities, an activist with ICAHD Finland, with the support of the ELSC, recently got the EU Ombudsman to issue an important decision which confirmed that any entity established in the Israeli illegal settlements in the OPT should be excluded from EU cooperation projects. It highlights the failure of the EC in making sure that those responsible for violating these principles are properly held accountable.  

Share this legal win!

READ MORE

Help us keep up our battles! 

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FIGHTING REPRESSION IN THE UK

Science Secretary withdraws allegations against members of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for expressing solidarity with Palestinians and will be forced to pay damages! Professor Kate Sang and Dr Kamna Patel of UKRI were baselessly accused by the Science Secretary Michelle Donelan of sharing ‘extremist views’ for reposting a Guardian article about the aftermath of 7 October and for expressing concern over Israel’s actions in Palestine on their social media, solely drawing from smears published by lobby group Policy Exchange. They reached out to the ELSC and we connected them with lawyers on the ground who helped them take legal action against the Science Secretary for her unfounded and outrageous allegations. UKRI has now concluded they were not in breach of the terms of their appointment. 

READ MORE & AMPLIFY

These are not isolated attacks.   

Jewish Chronicle is once again forced to apologise to Palestinian scholar Nimer Sultany for publicly smearing him! Dr Sultany’s emblematic victory back in December 2023 continues to expose the ongoing pattern of character assassinations aimed at silencing Palestinian and allied voices. The Jewish Chronicle rectified the article that drummed up false allegations against Dr Sultany and were forced to apologise to him after he filed a complaint to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) with ELSC support.   

In this difficult moment, our collective mobilisation is more crucial than ever.  

Toolkits to empower the UK solidarity movement! Together with the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) and University and College Union (UCU) representatives, we have produced a toolkit to ensure safeguarding your rights as employees in Higher Education in England and Wales.  

Amena El Ashkar’s struggle against the UK government! Join us in solidarity with Amena, a third-generation Palestinian refugee and highly respected journalist, who is challenging the Home Secretary’s denial of her student visa. Despite receiving a full scholarship to continue her PhD studies at LSE, her visa denial was  “certified personally” by Suella Braverman on the basis that her presence in the UK would not be in the public interest.   

Amena shared that her acceptance into the PhD programme at LSE ‘was a source of immense pride, not just my family and friends, but for the entire community in the camp’.

Shatila Camp drawn by Matt Chun. For more see: http://mattchun.com.

But on 30 January 2024, a High Court judge publicly “rebuked” the Home Secretary’s ‘grave’ and ‘shockingly poor’ conduct in handling the visa challenge of Amena. We are now waiting for the UK Home Secretary to issue a fresh decision.   

SOLIDARITY WITH SHAHD!

FIGHTING REPRESION IN THE NETHERLANDS AND SWITZERLAND  

Support two Palestine activists arrested in The Hague! Two activists of the solidarity movement in the Netherlands who were recently arrested by Dutch police during a sit in at The Hague train station are challenging their chargeswith the help of a lawyer. One of them, a Palestinian woman, was arrested for criticising the police as they tried to take away her megaphone. The other activist was stopped when shouting “Free Palestine” as she walked through the station. By challenging their charges, we send a message to The Hague’s police department that they cannot interfere with our right to speak up and protest genocide! 

DONATE HERE

NGO worker is challenging his unfair dismissal after denouncing ethnic cleansing on X! After speaking out via a X (formerly Twitter) on his personal capacity, posting in support of Palestinians in Gaza during the first days of Israel’s genocidal campaign, Ousman Noor’s employment contract was terminated. The reasons for dismissal were never clarified. Ousman has now filed a lawsuit against his former employer. Share his call. Ousman is almost there with crowdfunding the necessary funds to cover his legal fees but needs a last little push. If you want to help him, donate here – the crowdfunding expires on 18 March!  

MORE VICTORIES FOR OUR MOVEMENT  

Our rallying cry “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” is once again unable to be suppressed! In Prague, activists won another legal battle against the attempts to censor “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” (see here about attempts in Germany and recent victories). In December 2023, the City of Prague banned a demonstration because the slogan would be used, but activists pushed back and went to court. The court has since ruled that this slogan cannot be understood as violent and antisemitic, and that the Municipality had no right to ban the demonstration. Read their statement here.  

The Netherlands forced to stop export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel! Last month, the Court of Appeal in The Hague ordered the State to stop the export of F-35 fighter jet spare parts to Israel. This is a big win for the tireless advocacy of organisations like The Rights Forum, PAX for peace, and Oxfam! The court ruled that the State should have revoked the export license in light of Israel’s violations of basic principles of humanitarian law in its assault on Gaza. Importantly, the Court also held that political or economic considerations cannot play a role in assessing the revocation of such export licenses.  

READ MORE

TRACKING AND DOCUMENTING REPRESSION  

Let’s connect our monitoring efforts to build strong and effective advocacy strategies across countries! In the past years, the ELSC has established a monitoring database that tracks and reveals all forms of anti-Palestinian repression in numbers, patterns, mechanisms, actors, and detrimental effects. It builds on a comprehensive glossary of terms, definitions and concrete examples, as well as a developed methodology for analysis to expose patterns and scandalise anti-Palestinian racism, colonial narratives, and Zionist disinformation. Let’s Join forces across countries! 

Protest photo credits: Rasha Al Jundi. For more on Al Jundi’s work see here: https://www.rashajundi.com.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

ELSC EVENTS

Know Your Rights Series – Germany  

We have been running a series of Know Your Rights online sessions for people in Germany, featuring our Germany Legal Officer and lawyers from our network. Hundreds of people across Germany joined us to learn collectively about our rights when it comes to protests, the use of Palestine solidarity slogans, police violence, residency status and more. 

‘A land without peace’ – University of Milan  

We have participated in a seminar organised by the University of Milan on the 5th of March, where we presented our legal work within the wider context of the Palestine solidarity movement and the growing repression across Europe post 7 October.   

Palestine solidarity events – Online   

In the past months, we have participated in a number of solidarity events with Palestine organised across Europe, in which we have spoken about countering discrimination and intimidation, international solidarity and activism for a ceasefire, censorship in Germany or legal responses to the colonial assault on Gaza with Catalan organisations, including the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights IRÍDIA.

ELSC IN THE MEDIA

No country for Palestinians: a chronicle of suppression and resistance in Germany  

German state and police response to Palestinian solidarity protests since 7 October, especially in the first weeks, has been unabashedly severe. From 11 to 20 October alone, we counted 600 detentions in Berlin, including of minors among those showing solidarity with Palestine, alongside a series of criminal and administrative proceedings.   

The historical and systematic censorship of Palestinian narratives and lived realities is often framed in the language of individual and isolated cases. In collaboration with our Monitor Project, Untold Stories Media has visualised our data to shed light on colonial and orientalist roots of anti-Palestinian repression in Germany, and (hi)stories of Palestinian resistance and steadfast defiance. Written by Nora Ragab.   

 READ THE ARTICLE HERE IN ENGLISH 
& IN ARABIC  

Share on Instagram & X  

Rai News: Spotlight. Affairs, politics and rights in the West Bank  

Our empower work has appeared on the Italian TV programme RaiNews ‘Spotlight’, where our legal officer spoke about the ‘Don’t buy into Occupation’report and the complicity of European financial institutions in colonies in the West Bank.

tune in

SUPPORT OUR WORK

JOIN THE ELSC COMMUNITY OF SUPPORTERS

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  

Categories
Urgent call

UK Government Must Stop Crackdown on Freedom of Expression, Warn 46 NGOs including ELSC

ELSC is among 46 NGOs calling on the Prime Minister to stop the recent crackdown on fundamental rights to freedom of expression. The open letter has also been covered in the Guardian. 

8 March 2024

To the Prime Minister, 

RE: Government proposals to crack down on the right to protest and free expression 

We, the undersigned, write with great concern about recent proposals that will further restrict the rights of everyone in the UK. It is the responsibility of any government to ensure that all people can fully exercise their rights, and that fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly are only interfered with when strictly necessary and in a lawful, proportionate way. 

That is why we are greatly concerned by the ‘Defending Democracy Policing Protocol’, published a few days ago, which would further add to a chaotic patchwork of repressive legislation and policing powers that has placed undue restrictions on the right to protest in this country. The protocol outlines new restrictive proposals, some of which relate to protest locations. Many locations listed, such as the Palace of Westminster, outside constituency offices, town halls or the venue of a political event are perfectly normal locations for protest. Existing legislation already governs if violent or other criminal activity occurs, but the words used by senior politicians suggest these locations are in and of themselves no longer to be treated as acceptable locations of protest. The Protocol misrepresents the law and risks having a chilling effect on individuals’ ability to exercise their right to protest in this country. 

In addition, we have wider concerns about the manner in which your government has come to discuss protesters and others that engage in legitimate political activity on important issues of the day. Our organisations have emphasised the necessity of using considered language in recent months. Yet the deployment of certain terms, such as ’extremism’, ‘radical’, ‘hate mobs’, by your government creates division and exacerbates existing fears amongst minoritised communities. For some, such as neurodiverse people and Muslims, they will be greatly worried by announcements to redouble support for the Prevent duty, which infringes on freedom of expression, association, assembly and the right to non-discrimination. 

As an open society, we should value engagement with all, including our critics and those who see the world differently from us. That is why proposals from Ministers on the definition of extremism or Government Advisors on banning engagement with certain groups is deeply worrying. There have already been concerns that the current definition of extremism is too broad, including from the former Head of Counter-Terrorism Policing.  

There is a different path to the above, one where your government facilitates the right of everyone to have their voices heard. It is our collective responsibility to set a reasoned tone for any discussion; the language that has been used in recent weeks and months has not met this important bar.  Instead, the government has sought to demonise an overwhelmingly peaceful movement of individuals calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel, who are concerned and outraged by the catastrophic loss of life that we are all witnessing. 

We strongly urge the government to: 

  • Reverse the recent crack-down on the right to protest and stop conflating protests with extremism; 
  • Abandon the expansion of the definition of extremism and proposals to bar MPs from engaging with certain groups; 
  • Refrain from amplifying divisive language which could inflame tensions within and between communities. 

Signed 

  1. Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive Officer, Amnesty International UK 
  2. Chris Rose, Director, Amos Trust  
  3. Article 19 
  4. Dr Sara Husseini, Director, British Palestinian Committee  
  5. CAGE  
  6. Leo Ratledge and Lianne Minasian, Co-Directors, Childrens Rights International Network  
  7. Christian Aid 
  8. Nick Gardham, Chief Executive Officer, Community Organisers  
  9. Jennifer Nadel, Co-Director, Compassion in Politics  
  10. Chris Doyle, Director, Council for Arab-British Understanding  
  11. Tim Livesey, Chief Executive, Embrace the Middle East 
  12. Daniel Gorman, Director, English PEN  
  13. Giovanni Fassina, Programme Director, European Legal Support Centre  
  14. Hugh Knowles and Miriam Turner, Co-Executive Directors, Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)  
  15. Sarah Mann, Chief Executive Officer, Friends Families and Travellers  
  16. Eva Tabassam, Director, Gender Action for Peace and Security  
  17. Nick Dearden, Director, Global Justice Now 
  18. Will McCallum and Areeba Hamid, Co-Executive Directors, Greenpeace UK  
  19. James Harrison, Director, Institute of Employment Rights  
  20. Liz Fekete, Director, Institute of Race Relations  
  21. Sarah Castell, Chief Executive Officer, Involve 
  22. Tareq Shrourou, Executive Director, Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights  
  23. Akiko Hart, Director, Liberty 
  24. Aimee Shalan, Director, Makan  
  25. Raheel Mohammed, Director, Maslaha  
  26. James Skinner, Co-Director, MedAct  
  27. Raghad Altikritti, Chairperson, Muslim Association of Britain 
  28. Zara Mohammed, Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain  
  29. Azhar Qayum, Chief Executive Officer, Muslim Engagement and Development  
  30. Naomi Magnus and Ros Edwards, Directors, Na’amod  
  31. Kevin Blowe, Campaigns Coordinator, Netpol  
  32. Northern Police Monitoring Project 
  33. Mark Kieran, Chief Executive Officer, Open Britain  
  34. Jim Killock, Executive Director, Open Rights Group  
  35. Oxfam GB  
  36. Ben Jamal, Director, Palestine Solidarity Campaign 
  37. Layla Aitlhadj, Director, Prevent Watch  
  38. Paul Parker, Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain  
  39. Michael Buraimoh, Chief Executive Officer, Race on the Agenda  
  40. Shabna Begum, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Runnymede Trust  
  41. The Democracy Network  
  42. John Cooper, Director, The Fellowship of Reconciliation  
  43. Clare Farrell, The Humanity Project  
  44. Katrina Ffrench, Founder and Managing Director, UNJUST  
  45. Tessa Khan, Founder and Executive Director, Uplift  
  46. Asad Rehman, Executive Director, War on Want 
Categories
Statement

Justice for Palestine: we will not be deterred nor silenced 

In light of the heinous actions of the State of Israel against the Palestinian people, and the extension of its oppressive structures onto Palestinians and their supporters in Europe, the ELSC expresses its unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for liberation and justice against colonial oppression and apartheid. As a legal organisation supporting the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe, we stand alongside all those who are carrying the cause, taking a stand and challenging the violent complicity of European states and institutions that enables Israel’s ceaseless colonial violence and its seemingly ever-lasting impunity.  

As we stand witness to the most atrocious crimes against humanity, with our Palestinian partners and independent experts warning of the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people, we are witnessing a serious increase of anti-Palestinian racism in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK). 

The large demonstrations taking place in many European cities, despite outrageous attempts to ban and repress solidarity in many places with extreme force, have shown that people are undeterred and refuse to be silenced. Now as ever, we reiterate our support to all advocates for Palestinian rights in the EU and the UK who are facing censorship, smear campaigns, sanctions, racist attacks and despicable police brutality. 

We recall that the right to resist and struggle for freedom from colonialism, apartheid and foreign occupation, and to speak up against decades-long human rights violations, is fundamental and protected by law. 

At the ELSC, we are currently devoting all our efforts to monitoring all forms of repression against the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe, including the UK. We are receiving numerous reports and requests but due to our limited resources (human and financial), we are intervening in support of the most urgent cases and connecting those facing incidents of repression to our network of lawyers. All communication is registered and we are coordinating support.  

At this critical moment, we urge you to: 

  • Report all incidents of repression and request support here: https://elsc.support/intake
  • Stay safe by consulting the ‘know your rights’ resources below if you are engaging in protests, direct actions or posting online. Follow along for the ELSC’s ‘know your rights’ resources
  • Send any footage or video showing repression to info@elsc.support, including the location and date of the incident
  • Report anti-Palestinian content online to 7amleh here in Arabic and here in English 
  • Donate to Medical Aid for Palestinians, which is responding to the current emergency in Gaza 
  • If you can support our work with a financial contribution, please donate to the ELSC
  • If you would like to volunteer with us, please complete this form
  • For translators and interpreters, please apply here to volunteer

‘KNOW YOUR RIGHTS’ RESOURCES 

Germany:

UK:

The Netherlands:

Italy:

France:

ONLINE

If you are threatened or harassed online, check this guide by CrimethInc on Prevention and Aftercare for Those Targeted by Doxxing and Political Harassment

10 things to remember when reporting on Palestine by PIPD 

Categories
Case Update

VICTORY: “From the river to the sea” is protected speech, Dutch court rules! 

At a time when expressions of support for the Palestinian cause are facing criminalisation at utterly unprecedented levels across Europe, we draw attention to the Dutch court ruling: “From the river to the sea” fully legitimate!

What happened? 

After a Dutch activist gave a speech at a Palestine solidarity rally in May 2021 in Amsterdam, he was reported to the police by a supporter of Israel for ‘inciting hatred and violence against Jews’ by shouting ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ and expressing support for ‘Palestinian resistance’. 

The Dutch public prosecutor, however, refused to prosecute the activist, saying that the pro-Palestinian slogans he used are ‘are subject to various interpretations’ rather than calls for illegal conduct. The prosecutor added that they found the expressions ‘to relate to the state of Israel and possibly to people with Israeli citizenship, but do not relate to Jews because of their race or religion’.  

What was the role of the ELSC?  

After the prosecutor refused to prosecute the activist, the pro-Israel individual complained to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal against the prosecutor’s decision. This is when the ELSC stepped in and helped the activist find a lawyer from our network, Willem Jebbink. We also provided an academic expert to assist the lawyer in writing a defence statement. After more than two years, on the 15th of August, the court confirmed that the activist had not committed a criminal offence when chanting the slogan ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’. The court’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. 

Why is this an important victory? 

Some European states have weaponised the events of October 7th, 2023, enforcing unprecedented levels of repression against the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe. We are witnessing extraordinary restrictions being imposed on virtually all expressions of solidarity: Palestinian flags and kuffiyeh scarves are being banned and protest rallies are being systematically prohibited. The slogan ‘from the river to the sea’ is also increasingly being used as justification for repression on the false premise that it incites violence against the Jewish people. 

The strategy behind portraying this slogan as antisemitic is to equate anti-Zionism with antisemitism and silence discussion around and advocacy for the Palestinian cause. ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ holds incredible significance to all Palestinians because it reaffirms the right of return, the liberation of Palestine and freedom for the Palestinian people. It represents a political manifesto increasingly recognised around the world: justice for all Palestinians in historic Palestine and in exile.  

In view of Professor Marc Lamont Hill’s dismissal from U.S.-based news network CNN for expressing this very slogan, as well as the prosecution of several activists in Germany for chanting it, which is prohibited under a very limited reading of its significance, we welcome the Dutch court’s decision to protect human rights and political freedoms over Western states’ interests in repressing solidarity!  

With our help, this activist won this important legal battle. Both the public prosecutor and the court concluded that the slogan is not punishable and thus not worth prosecuting. This is a victory for all Palestinians and Palestinian rights activists, especially in these times of unprecedented anti-Palestinian racism and repression. 

Through collective action, we can succeed. This was only made possible thanks to your continuous support and deep dedication!  

SHARE THIS VICTORY 

As attacks against Palestinian rights advocacy continue in The Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, we invite you to join us in supporting the Palestinian struggle for liberation. Help us defend the right to advocate for justice! 

DONATE 

Any donation, large or small, will make a huge difference. We are stronger together! 

In solidarity, 

The ELSC team 

 

Categories
Press Release

New Report Highlights Major Free Speech Issues in UK Universities

Report published today reveals breaches of fundamental rights in UK Higher Education through the use of the ‘IHRA definition of antisemitism’

London, 13 September 2023

A controversial definition of antisemitism that conflates criticisms of Israel with antisemitism has been used on campuses, leading to restrictions on the freedom of speech of staff and students, the new report reveals. This is the first study to expose the harmful implications of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism following its adoption in UK universities. It was conducted by the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES), the largest academic association in Europe focused on the study of the Middle East and North Africa, and the European Legal Support Center (ELSC). The report demonstrates that the definition is not fit for purpose and is infringing on academic freedom and freedom of speech, while also harming the mental health, reputation and career prospects of students and staff.

The report is based on an analysis of 40 cases, recorded between 2017 and 2022, in which university staff and students were accused of antisemitism based on the IHRA definition. In all instances, except in two ongoing cases, the accusations of antisemitism have been rejected. The final two have yet to be substantiated. 

The findings demonstrate that the IHRA definition is undermining academic freedom and freedom of expression in relation to discussions of Israel and Palestine and risks being used in a way that discriminates against Palestinians and others on campuses who wish to teach, research, study, discuss, or speak out against the oppression of Palestinians.

The accusations have, in some cases, led to the cancellation of events that discuss the situation in Palestine and/or take a critical stance on Zionism, or the imposition of unreasonable conditions on the format of events. A common feature across several cases is the occurrence of significant and sustained levels of monitoring and surveillance by complainants including recording student speeches and staff lectures; monitoring student or staff social media posts; and reviewing academic publications, course syllabi and reading lists.

Staff and students who were subject to investigations and, in some cases, disciplinary hearings registered varying levels of stress and anxiety caused by these processes, despite being exonerated.

The reflections of one academic who went on leave due to stress are illustrative:

When you are in the process, you don’t understand how stressed you are. My nerves made me hyper vigilant for two years. The impact of the cases, continual media coverage, and constant communication to deal with the case resulted in chronic stress. 

Another targeted academic expressed concerns about their reputation and career:

I feel like I’m on this emotional roller-coaster. I feel like I won’t get a job anywhere else. If I apply for another job, they might not hire me. Not that they would think that I’m antisemitic but because they would want to avoid controversy. That’s the reality for me now. It’s different for the people whose investigations didn’t go public. Reputation is everything for academics.

One student explained how the accusations interfered with their studies and threatened their future education:

It was really difficult to hear that you might be kicked out of university. It was very hard for me to focus on my studies. I had to do re-sits in the summer, so I didn’t graduate until recently. I nearly didn’t get into Oxford. I missed the deadline by two months. If it wasn’t for Oxford being really flexible, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.

These cases are creating a chilling effect among staff and students, deterring individuals from speaking about or organising events that discuss Palestine out of fear that they will be subject to complaints, or else will face considerable bureaucratic hurdles and even costly legal action. Academics employed on temporary contracts and students are particularly susceptible to self-censorship out of fear that any sort of accusations, even if not upheld, could jeopardise their future ability to obtain permanent employment or impact their mental health.

The authors of the report recommend that UK higher education institutions should rescind the adoption of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism.

Neve Gordon, the Chair of BRISMES’s Committee on Academic Freedom and a professor of human rights law in the School of Law at Queen Mary University of London said: 

What has been framed as a tool to classify and assess a particular form of discriminatory violations of protected characteristics, has instead been used as a tool to undermine and punish protected speech and to punish those in academia who voice criticism of the Israeli state’s policies.

Giovanni Fassina, Director of the ELSC added: 

Not only does the documented pattern call into question the compliance of UK universities with their legal obligation to protect academic freedom and freedom of expression, but it is leading universities away from their core mission of nurturing critical thought, facilitating unhindered research, and encouraging wide-ranging debate.

Background

In 2016, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) adopted a working definition of antisemitism (‘the IHRA definition’), to which was appended a list of examples of antisemitism, several of which mention Israel, thereby conflating criticisms of the State of Israel, its policies, practices and political ideology with antisemitism. In practice, these examples have been used in UK higher education institutions to delegitimise points of view critical of Israel by making false accusations of antisemitism. 

As pointed out by one of the main drafters of the IHRA definition, Kenneth Stern, writing in The Guardian in 2019, “It was never intended to be a campus hate speech code”. 

While antisemitism exists within UK society and incidents of anti-Jewish prejudice occur in higher education institutions, just as in other institutional contexts, the findings of this new report provide concrete evidence that the IHRA definition of antisemitism is not fit for purpose. The history and instrumentalisation of the IHRA definition of antisemitism should be understood in a wider context of attacks on advocates for Palestinian rights, as explained in a previous report published by the ELSC. Additional resources produced in the USA and Canada demonstrate similar harmful consequences for the rights of advocates for Palestine, while several human rights organisations, like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have asked the UN to reject the IHRA definition because its use and implementation “chill and sometimes suppress non-violent protest, activism and speech”. Such misuse has also been criticised by the former UN Special Rapporteur on Racism E. Tendayi Achiume.

In the UK, other efforts are being deployed at the institutional level to try and undermine advocacy for Palestine. In June 2023, the government tabled a bill aimed at preventing public bodies from making investment decisions that align with their human rights responsibilities and obligations. The bill was designed to target, in particular, boycotts, divestment and sanctions of Israel and, therefore, the Palestinian-led BDS movement. In response, a coalition of more than 70 civil society organisations in the UK declared that this bill represents a further attack on freedom of expression. Human Rights Watch called the bill “the latest in a growing list of measures which fundamentally undermine free speech and democratic rights in the country.”

The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) is the largest academic association in Europe focused on the study of the Middle East and North Africa. Through its Committee on Academic Freedom, it is committed to supporting academic freedom and freedom of expression, both within the region and in connection with the study of the region, both in the UK and globally. https://www.brismes.ac.uk/ 

The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) is the only organisation providing free legal support to individuals, groups and organisations advocating for Palestinian rights in Europe, including the UK. ELSC also documents incidents of repression and analyses and challenges the restrictive policies that result in shrinking space. https://elsc.support/

Categories
Newsletter

Summer Updates & Recent Victories for the Defence of Palestinian Rights Advocacy in Europe

Dear friend,
We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people facing mass repression in Jenin and everywhere else in the world. We have been kept very busy these past few months as Europe carried on with its concerted efforts to silence Palestine, and would now like to share with you some updates covering the period from April to July. The movement perseveres, and we have many victories to report!

HELP US KEEP UP OUR WORK

Don’t forget to sign up to receive our monthly newsletter in your inbox!

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VICTORIES & CASE UPDATES

DOCUMENTA FIFTEEN CHARGES OF ANTISEMITISM DROPPED

In April 2023, Kassel’s Public Prosecutor dropped the charges of antisemitism concerning some artwork presented at the 15th edition of the renowned documenta art festival in Kassel, specifically targeted Palestinian artists and one artwork of an Indonesian artist displaying a pig and an Israeli Mossad agent.  

Documenta fifteen, which was curated by Jakarta-based artists’ collective Ruangrupa and largely featured artists from the Global South, faced months of major smear campaigns for hosting Palestinian collectives and exhibits of Palestine solidarity. 

The Prosecutor balanced the allegations with artistic freedom and context. To read the full declaration of the Prosecutor, contact us.

READ MORE

MAJOR UK ART CENTRE APOLOGISES AFTER ASKING SPEAKER TO AVOID TOPIC OF ‘FREE PALESTINE’

After asking Palestinian speaker Elias Anastas, a co-founder of the Palestine-based Radio Alhara, to avoid discussing ”free Palestine” at length during a livestreamed talk on the radical possibilities of radio, the Barbican Centre has now apologised for its intervention calling it an “unacceptable and a serious error of judgement”. The ELSC has advised Artists for Palestine UK, a network of pro-Palestinian artists and culture workers, who have successfully defended this crucial case against the silencing of Palestine! 

GERMAN BROADCASTER DEUTSCHE WELLE TO COMPENSATE JOURNALIST FARAH MARAQA FOR UNLAWFUL DISMISSAL

German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW), which fired seven Arab journalists in February 2022 based on allegations of antisemitism, will compensate journalist Farah Maraqa for unlawful dismissal and cover the legal fees, following the Court’s decision on 28 June. More will follow on the DW cases and the legal ramifications of the judgement. Stay tuned! 

SUPPORT BDS AUSTRIA’S BRAVE BATTLE AGAINST THE MUNICIPALITY OF VIENNA  

BDS Austria is still fighting the Municipality’s unjust Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation (SLAPP) targeting them for posting a picture of the famous “Visit Apartheid” poster stuck on a billboard along with the City’s logo in 2021.  

FIND OUT MORE

What happened in court on 14 July? After the Municipality of Vienna sent a scandalous settlement offer to the activist, the activist’s lawyer stated the reasons why they refused this proposal: the Municipality proposed withdrawing its complaint in exchange for payment of € 17,838.81, which is more than the damages requested in the trial. Moreover, the settlement proposal included a gagging clause preventing the BDS Austria activist from claiming that the City of Vienna had filed “SLAPP lawsuits” and/or “abusive lawsuits” against members of BDS! The judgement is expected to be delivered in a couple of months. The activist and their lawyer Elisabetta Folliero are ready to go up to the European Court of Human Rights to protect fundamental rights, and we will be there every step of the way to support them! We will not let this shameful affront to democracy and free speech stand!

DONATE

📣 Join us in solidarity with BDS Austria – against the silencing of voices for justice; for the right to solidarity and freedom of expression!📣

SHARE on Twitter and Instagram

AFFY AND ALIYA’S COURT HEARINGS AGAINST THE FINANCIAL GIANT LLOYDS BANK POSTPONED

Affy and Aliya’s hearings against Lloyds Bank have been postponed to 2024. The two women are fighting Lloyds’ discriminatory treatment after the bank sanctioned them for speaking out in support of Palestinian rights. Although their call for justice has been delayed, we will not let it go unanswered! 

Join us and our dedicated supporters like James and Nicola in reaffirming Affy and Aliya’s unity and hope as they continue to fight the violation of their rights and institutionalised racism!

DONATE

⚖️ Will you help us win more cases? ⚖️

Consider a monthly donation to the ELSC. Every donation, no matter how small or large, makes a difference.

DONATE

ELSC NEW REPORT

In June, while the US Administration was releasing its strategy to combat antisemitism and the UN working on its own, we launched our new report exposing the harmful impacts of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism (IHRA WDA) – which conflates antisemitism with criticism of Israel – on the freedoms of expression and assembly in the EU and the UK. The report is the first case-based account of human rights violations resulting from the institutionalisation and application of the controversial IHRA definition by the European Union and the UK.

Our case studies unmask the biased arguments of the European Commission which has ignored and concealed the the repressive realities of the IHRA WDA for years.  

READ MORE HERE

It is time for EU institutions to recognise that the use of the IHRA WDA is infringing fundamental freedoms, causing real harmful effects for individuals and groups exercising their right to free speech in the name of justice! 
 

📣 SHARE on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook and see more in our toolkit 📣 

RIGHT TO BDS

THE RIGHT TO BOYCOTT COALITION TO PUSH BACK AGAINST ANTI-DEMOCRATIC BILL IN THE UK 

The ELSC has joined a coalition of civil society organisation made up of trade unions, charities, NGOs, faith, climate justice, human rights, cultural, campaigning, and solidarity organisations, in opposing the UK government’s proposed law to stop public bodies from advocating for or participating in boycott.  

WATCH THE VIDEO

After a first vote in Parliament, the bill will be debated again in September. What can you do to help protecting our collective rights? 

SIGN THE PETITION

Do you live in the UK? Write to your MP and ask your Councillors to sign this open letter.

Are you a student in the UK? Check here how the bill would affect your activities and organise to oppose it! 

Check all the materials prepared by the UK Palestine Solidarity Campaign here!

BARCELONA OMBUDSMAN RECOMMENDS BREAKING TIES WITH TEL AVIV: A HISTORICAL PRECEDENT LEADING TO CONCRETE POLITICAL ACTION  

In a ground-breaking resolution, the Office of Barcelona’s Ombudsman recommended in December 2022 that the city revokes its Twinning Agreement with Tel Aviv over concerns about human rights violations committed by Israel against Palestinians. He emphasised that maintaining links with Israel constituted complicity in the commission of the crime of apartheid against Palestinians, thus setting an historical precedent among European public institutions in the denunciation of Israel’s crimes.  

Few months later, Mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau suspended relations with Israel. 

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ELSC EVENTS

ELSC-SAOT PANEL DISCUSSION 

As part of this year’s SAOT Palestine Solidarity Festival in Berlin, the ELSC organised a panel discussion together with Palestinian activists and journalists, which provided insight into the political context surrounding our struggles and critically assessed the ever-growing anti-Palestinian racism in Germany. 


In line with the festival’s 2023 theme of victory, the discussion opened a conversation on how to successfully push back against these increasing attacks and empower the artist, activist, scholar, journalist, and all those who advocate for freedom and justice.

ELSC ONLINE

ELSC-FMEP PODCAST EPISODE ON THE IHRA DEFINITION 

The ELSC was invited to the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) podcast to talk to Lara Friedman about our new report on the suppression of Palestinian rights advocacy through the IHRA definition of antisemitism. 

TUNE IN

ELSC NEW REPORT IN BELGIAN NEWS

Our new report on the IHRA definition was featured in an oped published in Le Soir by our partners from Association belgo-palestinienne (ABP), Union des progressistes juifs de Belgique (UPJB), Een Andere Joodse Stem (EAJS) and Palestina Solidariteit. This comes at a time in which Belgian municipalities face increasing backlash for suspending relations with Israel until it respects international law. 

ELSC’S STATEMENT AGAINST THE NAKBA DEMONSTRATION BANS IN GERMANY ON MONDOWEISS

Read Hebh Jamal’s piece on Mondoweiss referencing our statement against Germany’s criminalisation of Palestinian existence in light of the repeated bans of Nakba commemoration and numerous arrests of anyone and anything visibly Palestinian.  

CHECK OUR FULL STATEMENT

ELSC FEATURED ON THE NEW ARAB: TOGETHER AGAINST THE UK’S ANTI-BOYCOTT BILL

We spoke with the New Arab on the coalition of more than 70 organisations in the UK who have come together to oppose this bill. Read the article here.  

USEFUL RESOURCES

NEW UN REPORT RAISING SERIOUS CONCERNS ON THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE IHRA DEFINITION ON FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS

A new UN report affirms restrictions and harassment of Palestinian civil society through intensified coordination between the Israeli government and pro-Israel groups globally and through the instrumentalisation of the harmful IHRA definition of antisemitism.

READ THE REPORT

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REPRESSION IN GERMANY

Watch this short documentary by The New Arab on how Germany’s history of antisemitism is used to silence pro-Palestine activism. The ELSC has published a related short video, exposing how the Berlin police normalised their racist aggression against Palestinians and their allies in Germany in light of the repeated Nakba bans.  

Thank you for your continued support!

In solidarity, 

The ELSC team

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

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.

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Categories
Press Release

BREAKING-New Report Reveals Human Rights Violations Resulting from IHRA Definition of Antisemitism 

Amsterdam, 6 June 2023 

Today, the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) launches its new report “Suppressing Palestinian Rights Advocacy through the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism – Violating the Rights to Freedom of Expression and Assembly in the European Union and the UK”. The report is the first case-based account of human rights violations resulting from the institutionalisation and application of the controversial IHRA definition by the European Union and the UK. The growing concerns about the negative human rights impact of the IHRA definition, have so far been ignored by the EU. 

The ELSC report is based on 53 recorded incidents between 2017 and 2022 in Germany, Austria and the UK, in which individuals, groups and organisations were accused of antisemitism based on the IHRA definition. All of the accused were targeted for advocating for Palestinian rights, denouncing Israel’s practices and policies and/or criticising Zionism as a political ideology. When legally challenged, most of these allegations of antisemitism were dismissed as unsubstantiated. 

Analysis of the cases reveals a highly problematic pattern in which the IHRA definition is being implemented. Although it is advertised and promoted as “non-legally binding”, the definition is increasingly used by public and private bodies as if it was law. As a result, the IHRA definition chills free speech and curtails freedom of assembly, resulting in self-censorship of individuals afraid to face allegations of antisemitism.  

As confirmed by the ELSC report, allegations of antisemitism invoking the IHRA definition are overwhelmingly aimed at Palestinians, Jewish activists and organisations advocating for Palestinian rights. This suggests the definition is being implemented in a discriminatory manner. Individuals who are targeted suffer a range of unjust and harmful consequences, including loss of employment and reputational damage. 

Dr Younes, Independent Researcher and (Policy) Writer in Germany, said: 

With the uncritical adoption at the political and academic level across Europe, it has become impossible to voice any critical opinion about Israeli policies in public or in academia without the risk of losing your job, contract, funding or future employment opportunities.

A student activist in a UK university reflected: 

I found that the IHRA definition was deployed as a distraction tactic, where routinely I felt burnt out defending the right to freedom of expression and solidarity with Palestine […] I had crippling anxiety of who I could even trust, as it felt like the IHRA definition was a mode of surveillance in my day-to-day life.

The ELSC report also criticises the European Commission for consistently ignoring and dismissing the growing human rights concerns about the IHRA definition, and for failing to take measures to prevent any adverse impact of it on fundamental rights. 

Giovanni Fassina, director at the ELSC, commented: 

It is time for the European Commission to acknowledge and address that the policy it has been promoting and implementing on the basis of the IHRA definition, both at EU and member state level, is highly detrimental to fundamental rights and that it is fostering anti Palestinian racism.

The ELSC urges the European Commission, as well as the governments, parliaments and public institutions in the EU Member States and the UK, to cease and revoke the endorsement, adoption, promotion and implementation of the IHRA definition. While addressing and enforcing policies to combat antisemitism, the legal obligation of public actors to respect and protect freedom of expression and freedom of assembly must be upheld. 

Currently, the United Nations is finalising its “Action Plan on monitoring antisemitism and enhancing a system-wide response”. Recently, the ELSC joined a letter of more than a hundred civil society organisations, urging UN Secretary-General Guterres and High Representative Moratinos not to adopt and apply the IHRA definition. In November 2022, 128 leading scholars in antisemitism, Holocaust Studies and related fields, warned the UN in a public statement against adopting the IHRA definition. In October 2022, the UN Special Rapporteur on Racism released a report sharply criticising the IHRA definition. 

——-

READ THE REPORT

Media coverage

The Intercept

Al Jazeera

Carnegie Middle East Center (DIWAN)

+972 Magazine

Mondoweiss

Middle East Eye

The Left Berlin

ELSC in FMEP’s podcast Occupied Thoughts

Op-ed in Al-Jazeera by Majed Abusalama

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: April 2023

Dear friend,

Today, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ongoing Nakba, we want to reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people fighting for justice, liberation and return. 

Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter!

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CASE UPDATES

TIME TO ACT! 3 WEEKS LEFT UNTIL THE HEARINGS AGAINST ONE OF THE UK’S BIGGEST BANKS

22 days left until the hearings in which Lloyds employees Affy and Aliya will face the financial giant in court! The two women are fighting Lloyds’ discriminatory treatment after the bank sanctioned them for speaking out in support of Palestinian rights. 

READ MORE

It is only with your help that we have managed to reach this far, meeting almost 50% of our fundraising goals to cover the fees for this important legal battle! Join us in reaffirming Affy and Aliya’s hope and unity as they embark on the last three weeks before resisting this violation of their rights in court!  

Help us reach our £30K goal to support the two brave women standing up against one of the UK’s biggest banks. 

DONATE

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VICTORY IN THE UK: TRADE UNION ACTIVIST REINSTATED AFTER BEING SUSPENDED FOR UNFOUNDED ACCUSATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM

In November 2021, Victor, an advocate for Palestinian rights and trade union activist was suspended as a trade union representative for allegedly posting antisemitic comments online. The alleged incriminating messages were largely about criticism of the policies of the state of Israel by former Labour Party members and included a reference to Palestinian revolutionary and poet Ghassan Kanafani.

In support of its decision to suspend Victor as senior representative, the union referred to an ‘expert opinion’ authored by a person known for his pro-Israel stance. After our lawyers rebutted the controversial opinion by submitting our own expert opinion, exposing the bias and proving that the allegations against our client were unfounded, we managed to get Victor reinstated and rehabilitate his reputation inside the respective trade union. After a significant period of suspension, following the internal hearing in September 2022, Victor was immediately reinstated to his elected and appointed positions with immediate effect. Action pays off! 

✊ SHARE THIS VICTORY! ✊

LUXEMBOURG CRIMINAL COURT UPHOLDS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION OF PALESTINIAN RIGHTS DEFENDER 

We are proud to have supported prominent activist Michel Legrand (President of ECCP and treasurer of CPJPO) in his case creating a promising precedent for the freedom of speech of Palestinian rights defenders in Luxembourg.

READ MORE

⚖️ Will you help us win more cases? ⚖️

Consider a monthly donation to the ELSC. Every donation, no matter how small or large, makes a difference.

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INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

OPEN LETTER TO THE UNITED NATIONS: RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM 

More than 100 civil society organisations, including the ELSC, signed an open letter to Secretary-General António Guterres and the High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos, initiated by Human Rights Watch. 

Read more about this important action on Middle East Eye 

ELSC EVENTS

ITALY: ELSC ORGANISED EVENT ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION & THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN PALESTINE

On the 18th of April, the ELSC with the support of VoiceOver Foundation and PIPD organised a conference on “Shrinking spaces, freedom of expression and the protection of human rights in Palestine” at the University of Milan. We were glad to be joined by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian occupied territories.  

It was a key opportunity to develop critical thinking on the Palestinian narrative in Italy. Thanks to our speakers, we had the chance to explore issues related to the censorship of Palestinian voices and the increasing limitation of the space for those who support Palestinian rights and action.

SEE MORE HERE

ELSC PARTICIPATES IN THE 2023 PALESTINE DIGITAL ACTIVISM FORUM

We are excited to join 7amleh’s 2023 Palestine Digital Activism Forum! Our colleague Alice Garcia will facilitate a session on 24 May 2023, discussing how to push back against smear campaigns and racist speech against Palestinians and supporters of the cause. Register today!

ELSC ONLINE

ELSC gave an interview following censorship in Austria

Our colleague Layla Kattermann spoke to Salma Shaka about the intensifying attacks against Palestinian rights advocates in Europe, after the Museumsquartier Vienna cancelled an event with BDS Austria and the ELSC. 

ELSC gave two interviews on the #NakbaDay arrests in Berlin in May 2022 and the new bans in April 2023 

Our colleague Safaa Moussa spoke to Perspektive Online about the #NakbaDay arrests in Berlin last May, when the Berlin Police detained and fined dozens of individuals for walking in the street and peacefully showing solidarity with Palestine following a city-wide ban on commemorations of the 74th anniversary of the Nakba. 

Especially with regard to Palestine, there is an increasing tendency to impose restrictions, the illegality of which is then repeatedly established by the courts.

The Berlin police continues to ban Palestinian protests this year, and this criminalisation of speech and right to protest is already underway in other German cities. In light of the 75th commemoration of the Nakba, the ELSC has reaffirmed its solidarity with the nakba_75 campaign that is fighting to end Germany’s attempts to criminalise solidarity with Palestine.

WATCH OUR VIDEO MESSAGE

USEFUL RESOURCES

30+ U.S. states have compromised the First Amendment of the Constitution to shield Israel from accountability, paving the way for an attack on climate action, gun control, reproductive rights, & more. Learn how the attack on the #RightToBoycott in the U.S. started and how it is evolving in this new visual from Visualizing Palestine with Palestine Legal and Just Vision Media, featuring 443 anti-boycott bills introduced since 2014 at the state and federal level.

Just Vision has produced the free accessible movie Boycott, which provides rich context on the rapid spread of anti-boycott bills in the United States. The film follows the personal journeys of three protagonists as they defend freedom of expression and lays bare what is at stake if they are defeated: the constitutionally protected right to boycott.  

BRILL has published Landmark Al-Haq book, “Prolonged Occupation and International Law” on Palestinian Land Day.  

Read Rasha Jundi’s article on resisting the systemic silencing of Palestinian voices in Germany. A portrait on collective anger and hopes for a future of justice and freedom:

Cacti have traditionally surrounded Palestinian lands. They remain silent witnesses of depopulated villages and to the continued colonisation of our home. They symbolise beauty, continuation and tough resistance. When one Palestinian voice is raised, it echoes and spreads like cacti. It shall never be silenced. In spite of forces like those in Germany.

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

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.

DONATE
Categories
Statement

ELSC Statement: No to the Nakba Demo Bans, End Germany’s Criminalisation of Palestinian Existence 

In another act of state repression, the Berlin police banned all events commemorating 75 years of ongoing Nakba. Following the demonstration ban from 2022, the police disrupted a Palestinian cultural event on 13 May in Neukölln, banning any political public speech, attempting to stop the distribution of books on Palestine on a discretionary basis, and preventing attendees from dancing the traditional Dabka, claiming that it was a form of “political expression”. One of the banned speeches was to be delivered by a member of the ELSC and a partner scholar, Anna Younes (PhD), with the purpose of informing people on their legal rights. Other events that were banned were scheduled for 13, 14 and 20 May 2023: these demonstrations wanted to demand justice for the Palestinian people by remembering the displacement and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the course of the founding of the state of Israel. At least 11 demonstrations on the Nakba have been banned in Berlin since April 2022. 

The justification for the bans is informed by a systematic pattern of anti-Palestinian racism criminalising solidarity with the Palestinian cause for freedom and return, as well as expressions of Palestinian identity. May 2022 already saw immense state repression against Palestinians and their supporters, when the Berlin police preventively banned five registered events commemorating 74 years of ongoing Nakba and honouring Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was murdered by Israeli Occupation Forces while reporting on their invasion of Jenin refugee camp. When individuals peacefully took to the streets to express their solidarity, the Berlin police unleashed a campaign of harassment arresting and beating activists for wearing the Palestinian scarf known as the Kuffiyeh or for being dressed in the colours of the Palestinian flag.  

These anti-democratic measures are enacted as a form of collective punishment directed at anything visibly Palestinian, extending to any expression of collective memory and rights advocacy as seen through the recent bans of demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners in Berlin and beyond. Palestinians in exile commemorating their tragedy, and more generally Arab participants in the demonstrations are dehumanised and framed in the colonial tradition as ”highly emotionalised men” who would “glorify violence” and are “difficult to control”. Neukölln is placed under general suspicion and depicted as a harbour of violence, based on the racist criminalisation of its predominantly migrant, particularly Arab population. The allegations and language used in the prohibition orders, both in 2022 and in 2023, express blatant racism and, in particular, constitute Anti-Palestinian racism – a form of anti-Arab racism that aims to silence, exclude, erase, stereotype, or defame Palestinians and their narratives – towards the Palestinian community in Germany. 

Attacks against the Palestine solidarity movement are ever-growing as Germany upholds its unconditional support for the Israeli occupation and continues to whitewash crimes of apartheid and settler violence. The Berlin government’s actions around Nakba Day reflect Germany’s complicity in the continuing oppression of the Palestinian people, and further constitute a wider assault on the fundamental rights of free speech and assembly. This must be read as a dangerous precedent for further arbitrary curtailments of basic democratic rights. 

These bans are an attack on all of us. The ELSC stands in solidarity with all Palestinians and supporters of the Palestinian cause. As further Palestine solidarity events are planned in the coming days in Berlin, we call on all stakeholders to join us in demanding the protection of the most fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly, and to support the campaign launched in defence of these rights for Palestinians and their supporters in Germany. 

If you, your group, organisation or otherwise have been intimidated, slandered, repressed, censored or banned from speaking out or participating in Palestine advocacy, or if you have questions about your rights, please reach out to us and complete the incident form. 

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: March 2023

Dear friend,

We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people facing mass repression. As Europe carries on with its concerted efforts to silence Palestine, the movement perseveres, and we nonetheless have victories to report!

HELP US KEEP UP OUR WORK

Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter!

SUBSCRIBE

UK UPDATES: WOMEN CHALLENGE REPRESSION IN COURT

NEW CASE: WE ARE TAKING LLOYDS BANK TO COURT TO PROTECT PALESTINIAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY!

Two Muslim women, Affy and Aliya are suing their employer Lloyd’s Bank, one of the UK’s biggest banks, for discrimination. In May 2021, both posted statement in support of Palestine on the bank’s internal chat for employees. Affy and Aliya were investigated and subsequently sanctioned for breaching the bank’s policies on discrimination, harassment, abusive and offensive content. In addition to unimaginable consequences for their personal and professional lives, they both lost their annual bonuses and received written warnings that could remain on their records indefinitely while Affy lost a prestigious graduate role.

The ELSC launched a crowdfunding campaign to help both employees cover the costly legal fees of their lawsuit against Lloyds.

We need at least £30 000 to support Affy and Aliya in Court!

DONATE

Join our fight against all types of racism and support Affy and Aliya’s claim by sharing this campaign across all platforms! 

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SHAIMA DALLALI RESISTING NUS DISMISSAL

Following Shaima Dallali’s summary dismissal from her role as President of the National Union of Students (NUS) after an investigation accusing her of antisemitism based on her beliefs concerning the Palestinian struggle, she is now taking legal action!

In bowing to political pressure, the NUS has undermined its own commitment to anti-racism, including the fight against antisemitism, and has abandoned its duty of care to its elected President Shaima Dallali. She has been subjected to the most intense public scrutiny and horrifying abuse, including death threats.

The ELSC signed a joint statement with other organisations in the UK to condemn Shaima Dallali’s dismissal by the NUS.

Read more about the NUS repressing Palestine advocacy here

DR SHAHD ABUSALAMA CONTINUES THE FIGHT AGAINST THE REPRESSION FROM SHIEFFIELD UNIVERSITY
 
Dr Shahd Abusalama has been countlessly targeted with intensified anti-Palestinian smears by pro-Israel groups, outlets, and social media trolls, which culminated after her enrolment at Shieffield Hallam University (SHU).
 
After successfully fighting two investigations and the suspension of her teaching, SHU launched a third investigation. Dr Shahd Abusalama was cleared but decided to leave this hostile environment.
 
The fight now continues as SHU decided to violate Shahd’s employment rights and disclosed misleading information to the pro-Israel ‘Jewish Chronicle’, which instigated a further round of brutal smears in the media. Dr Shahd Abusalama is fighting back and pursuing legal action to hold SHU accountable!

✊ SUPPORT SHAHD’S ESSENTIAL FIGHT ✊

As a Palestinian woman, I want to be able to articulate my story and political views without being harassed and subject to discrimination. But this is not just my lawsuit. With this legal fight, we will make sure that no other individual faces persecution or harassment for their legitimate beliefs from our employers. This case will challenge systemic issues, including the oppressive IHRA definition, the rights of workers to fair treatment, and legitimate protest and free expression.

Shahd

NEWS FROM GERMANY

DR ANNA YOUNES’ SURVEILLANCE CASE: THE FIGHT CONTINUES WITH TWO NEW LAWSUITS

On 2 November 2022, exactly three years after she discovered RIAS’ covert surveillance of her activities and after two legal victories, German Palestinian scholar Dr Anna Younes launched two new lawsuits. She requests the Administrative Court of Berlin to find the preparation and transmission of the secret dossier on her unlawful, and acknowledge that RIAS/MBR’s surveillance and false labelling of Dr Younes as an anti-Jewish racist violated her right to privacy and right to reputation. In addition, she requests compensation for the ensuing harm inflicted by RIAS/MBR for over two years.

Read more about the case and watch this video.

⚖️ Donate to support Dr Younes in her legal battle as she reclaims her rights in court ⚖️

DEUTSCHE WELLE CASE: THE FIGHT GOES ON

After the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) fired seven Arab journalists in February 2022 based on allegations of antisemitism, we witnessed two victories last year as the dismissals of Maram Salem and Farah Maraqa were found unlawful.
 
A year later, on 24 February 2023, journalist Zahi Alawi also won his lawsuit! A Labour Court found his dismissal by DW unlawful and ordered his reinstatement. 
 
But the fight goes on! In a last-minute gambit, Deutsche Welle appealed the decision issued by the Berlin Labour Court in favour of Farah Maraqa. A new hearing is taking place on 10 May 2023, but Farah is confident and stands firm.

✊ SUPPORT FARAH’S ONGOING FIGHT! ✊

BERLIN: FIRST VICTORY AT THE TRIALS OF THE 2022 NAKBA DAY ARRESTS

READ MORE

Following a city-wide ban on commemorations of the 74th anniversary of the Nakba, the Berlin Police detained and fined dozens of individuals for walking in the street and peacefully showing solidarity with Palestine, such as through wearing the Kuffiyeh or the colours of the Palestinian flag. Some of them were beaten. Read more about our urgent letter to UN Special Rapporteurs and request for accountability in relation to unjustified repression and violence from the Berlin police.

9 months later, several protesters are challenging the fines in German courts. Stay tuned as more hearings will happen in the coming weeks and support!

SIGN the call to stop Germany’s attempt to criminalise solidarity with Palestine & DONATE to help with the legal proceedings’ fees

For more information on the bans and repression, read Human Rights Watch statement by Omar Shakir.

THE MOVEMENT PERSEVERES

We have published many of our legal victories in the UK, in Germany, in Austria, and in The Netherlands on our website. Pushing back is possible when we stand together!

READ MORE

⚖️ Will you help us win more cases? ⚖️

Consider a monthly donation to the ELSC. Every donation, no matter how small or large, makes a difference.

DONATE

RESISTING THE ISOLATION OF PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETY

As part of our work at ELSC, we monitor and support European and Palestinian organisations facing attacks and incidents in the EU and the UK leading to defunding by donors, the implementation of policies restricting funding and/or de-risking by financial institutions.

These incidents happen in a context of coordinated smear campaigns led by pro-Israeli groups and the Israeli government, which form part of a larger strategy to shut down Palestine advocacy while shielding Israel from accountability.  

Do you want to know more? Check our twitter thread!

ELSC ONLINE

ELSC gave an interview on Antisemitism, Palestine and academic freedom

We spoke to Dr Sevgi Doğan for Security Praxis blog about the impact of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism on academic freedom and unfounded allegations of antisemitism in academia. Read it here.
 
Read ELSC comments given to Hebh Jamal in +972 Magazine on the chilling effects on free expression of Palestinian rights advocacy and legitimate demands for accountability as Germany takes drastic steps toward further criminalising Palestinian activism.
 
ELSC was hosted by Lina Hadid and Lamia Bazzari to speak on defending and empowering advocates for Palestinian rights across Europe on their Free Palestine Podcast. Tune in!

USEFUL RESOURCES

Visualizing Palestine introduces the system and actors involved in suppressing speech critical of the Israeli regime and Zionism in its recent visual #SystemofSilencing. This is the first of five visuals that will be published in the next months, highlighting attacks on freedom of expression aimed at shielding Israel from accountability. Follow along!

UK-based organisation CAGE published two expert reports signed by leading scholars, Professor John Dugard SC and Professor Avi Shlaim on the notion of “Israel’s right to exist”. As observed in several cases of suppression of Palestinian rights advocacy, this concept is often very broadly interpreted by pro-Israel actors and raised to purport allegations of antisemitism and target Palestinian rights advocates.

Thank you for your continued support!

In solidarity, 

The ELSC team

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

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.

DONATE
Categories
Urgent call

Human Rights and other Civil Society Groups Urge United Nations to Respect Human Rights in the Fight Against Antisemitism

The United Nations should respect human rights in its efforts to combat antisemitism, more than 100 human rights and civil rights organisations, including the ELSC, said in an open letter to Secretary-General António Guterres and the High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos initiated by Human Rights Watch.

Note: Since its release on April 3, this letter has been updated to reflect additional signatories now totaling 104 organizations. The updated list of organizations is appended.

Joint Letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Under Secretary-General Miguel Ángel Moratinos

20 April 2023

Dear UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Under Secretary-General Miguel Ángel Moratinos:

Our coalition of 104 civil society organizations is writing to you to voice our strong support for the United Nations’ commitment to combatting antisemitism in line with international human rights standards. Antisemitism is a pernicious ideology that poses real harm to Jewish communities around the world and requires meaningful action to combat it. Our organizations call on world leaders to condemn antisemitism and to take steps to protect Jewish communities, including holding perpetrators of hate crimes accountable.

As the UN develops its own action plan towards a coordinated and enhanced response to antisemitism rooted in human rights, we are aware that a number of Member State governments and organizations aligned with some of those governments, as well as the former Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Ahmed Shaheed, have been advocating that the UN adopt and use the “working definition of antisemitism” of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). We urge the UN not to do so.

The IHRA definition was originally developed to guide research and law enforcement data validation before being used by the IHRA in its work, which includes education about the Holocaust and antisemitism. Adoption of the definition by governments and institutions is often framed as an essential step in efforts to combat antisemitism. In practice, however, the IHRA definition has often been used to wrongly label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress, non-violent protest, activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism, including in the US and Europe. Such misuse has also been criticized by the former Special Rapporteur on Racism E. Tendayi Achiume.

Ken Stern, the main drafter of the IHRA definition, recently reiterated his concerns about the institutional adoption of the definition in light of its proposed inclusion in an American Bar Association (ABA) draft resolution on antisemitism. Stern’s concern stems from the IHRA definition’s repeated use as “a blunt instrument to label anyone an antisemite.” In the end, ABA members adopted a resolution on antisemitism that did not reference the IHRA definition. Stern’s message to ABA applies equally to the UN.

Those who use the IHRA definition in this way tend to rely on a set of eleven “contemporary examples of antisemitism” attached to the definition by the IHRA in 2016. Seven of those examples refer to the state of Israel. These examples, which are presented as possible illustrations and indicators to “guide the IHRA in its work”, include:

  • “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination; e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour” and
  • “applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.”

The wording of the first example above on “racist endeavour” opens the door to labeling as antisemitic criticisms that Israeli government policies and practices violate the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the findings of major Israeli, Palestinian and global human rights organizations that Israeli authorities are committing the crime against humanity of apartheid against Palestinians. This example could also be used to label as antisemitic documentation showing that Israel’s founding involved dispossessing many Palestinians; or arguments, also made by some Members of the Israeli Knesset, to transform Israel from a Jewish state into a multiethnic state that equally belongs to all of its citizens – that is, a state based on civic identity, rather than ethnic identity.

The example on “applying double standards” opens the door to labeling as antisemitic anyone who focuses on Israeli abuses as long as worse abuses are deemed to be occurring elsewhere. By that logic, a person dedicated to defending the rights of Tibetans could be accused of anti-Chinese racism, or a group dedicated to promoting democracy and minority rights in Saudi Arabia could be accused of Islamophobia. This example suggests also that it is antisemitic to evaluate Israel as anything but a democracy, also when assessing its actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, where it has for more than half a century governed millions of Palestinians who have no say on the most consequential issues affecting their lives and who are deprived of their basic civil rights.

The IHRA qualifies the examples by noting that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic” and that any finding of antisemitism must “[take] into account the overall context.” However, in practice, these disclaimers have failed to prevent the politically motivated instrumentalization of the IHRA definition in efforts to muzzle legitimate speech and activism by critics of Israel’s human rights record and advocates for Palestinian rights.

The targets of accusations of antisemitism based on the IHRA definition have included university students and professors, grassroots organizers, human rights and civil rights organizations, humanitarian groups and members of the US Congress, who either document or criticize Israeli policies and who speak in favor of Palestinian human rights. If the UN endorses the IHRA definition in any shape or form, UN officials working on issues related to Israel and Palestine may find themselves unjustly accused of antisemitism based on the IHRA definition. The same goes for numerous UN agencies, departments, committees, panels and/or conferences, whose work touches on issues related to Israel and Palestine, as well as for civil society actors and human rights defenders engaging with the UN system.

After the United Kingdom’s government adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism at the national level, at least two UK universities in 2017 banned certain activities planned for “Israel Apartheid Week.” One of them, the University of Central Lancashire, banned a panel planned by Friends of Palestine on boycotts of Israel. A university spokesperson stated, “We believe the proposed talk contravenes the [IHRA] definition” of antisemitism “formally adopted” by the government.

In February 2020, Israel advocacy groups in the US challenged Pitzer and Pomona College’s support for a film screening about Palestinian protests in Gaza against Israeli repression and a panel on “Perspectives on Colleges and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” featuring the prominent Jewish commentator Peter Beinart and Palestinian-American Yousef Munayyer, hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The Israel advocacy groups claimed that SJP’s positions, such as its support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, are “clear indicators of anti-Semitism under the examples listed by the IHRA.” In January 2020, Israel advocacy groups called for the University of Michigan to review the agenda for a “Youth for Palestine” conference focused on student activism and community organizing on Palestine, and to “compare it to the IHRA definition,” and consider canceling it over concerns that it will feed antisemitism.

Some advocates of the IHRA working definition have presented it as a non-controversial “consensus definition”. However, many leading antisemitism experts, scholars of Jewish studies and the Holocaust, as well as free speech and anti-racism experts, have challenged the definition, arguing that it restricts legitimate criticism of Israel and harms the fight against antisemitism.

Since 2021, at least two alternative definitions have been put forward: the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism by hundreds of scholars of antisemitism, Holocaust studies, Jewish studies and Middle East studies, as well as the Nexus Document by a task force affiliated with Bard College and the University of Southern California. While acknowledging that criticism of Israel can be antisemitic, these alternative definitions set out more clearly what constitutes antisemitism and provide guidance surrounding the contours of legitimate speech and action around Israel and Palestine.

As an international organization committed to the universal promotion of the rule of law and human rights, the UN should ensure that its vital efforts to combat antisemitism do not inadvertently embolden or endorse policies and laws that undermine fundamental human rights, including the right to speak and organize in support of Palestinian rights and to criticize Israeli government policies.

For these reasons, we strongly urge the UN not to endorse the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

We look forward to assisting the UN’s efforts to combat antisemitism in a way that respects, protects and promotes human rights.

Sincerely,

Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel*

Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Mankind

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Amnesty International*

B’Tselem

Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement

Human Rights Watch

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)

Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH)

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel

Joined by:

11.11.11

7amleh – The Arab Center for Social Media Advancement

A Different Jewish Voice (Netherlands)*

Academia for Equality*

Africa4Palestine (AFP)

American Friends Service Committee

American Humanist Association*

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)*

Americans for Peace Now*

Arab Canadian Lawyers Association*

Association “Pour Jérusalem”

Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine (AUDRIP)

Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS)

BDS Netherlands

Belgian Academics & Artists for Palestine (BAA4P)

Bisan Center for Research and Development*

Breaking the Silence*

British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES)*

Broederlijk Delen

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)*

Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)*

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

Catholics for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land (CJPHL)*

CCFD-Terre Solidaire

Charity & Security Network*

CIDSE

CNCD-11.11.11

Collectif Judéo Arabe et Citoyen pour la Palestine (CJACP)

Combatants for Peace

Comhlamh Justice for Palestine

Defending Rights & Dissent*

Defense for Children International – Palestine

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)

EuroMed Rights*

European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP)*

European Jews for a Just Peace

European Legal Support Center (ELSC)

European Middle East Project (EuMEP)

Finnish-Arab Friendship Society

Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP)*

Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)*

gate48 – critical Israelis in the Netherlands*

Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ

Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church

Human Rights Defenders Fund (HRDF)*

IfNotNow*

Independent Australian Jewish Voices (IAJV)*

Independent Jewish Voices Canada

International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)*

Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC)*

Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (Finland)

Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (UK)

Jahalin Solidarity*

Jewish Network for Palestine (UK)

Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East (Germany)

Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL)*

Jewish Voice for Peace – Twin Cities*

Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)*

Jews against the Occupation Australia*

Jews for Palestine-Ireland

Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste*

Kairos Ireland

La Cimade (France)

Law for Palestine*

Le Comité de Vigilance pour une Paix Réelle au Proche-Orient (CVPR PO)

Medico international

Mennonite Church Canada Palestine-Israel Network*

Middle East Peace Now*

Minnesota BDS Community*

Mouvement de la paix France

Nederlands Palestina Komitee

One Justice

Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK*

Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO)

Parents Against Child Detention (PACD)

Pax Christi USA

Plateforme des ONG françaises pour la Palestine

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Project South*

Promise Institute for Human Rights*

Sadaka – The Ireland-Palestine Alliance*

The Rights Forum

Trinity College Dublin BDS*

Tzedek Collective*

Une Autre Voix Juive (France)

Union Juive Française pour la Paix (UJFP)

United Jewish People’s Order of Canada

United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI)*

University Network for Human Rights

Women Against Military Madness (WAMM)*

Women in Black (Vienna)

* Post-launch signers that joined this letter after its initial release on 3 April 2023

Picture: CC UN Photo/Rick Bajornas Flickr

Categories
Press Release

Two Muslim Women Take Lloyds Bank to Court for Discrimination

16 March 2023, London and Amsterdam

After being sanctioned for posting messages in support of Palestine on their internal work portal, two Muslim women are suing their employer for discrimination. Lloyds Bank PLC (“LBP” or “Lloyds”) is one of the biggest banks in the UK.

In May 2021, Affy and Aliya posted messages in support of the Palestinian people and criticising illegal Israeli policies on their internal online portal, a platform where social issues are often discussed between employees. At the time, the Israeli army was bombing the occupied Gaza Strip, an attack that resulted in the killing of 236 Palestinian civilians. Affy also expressed her desire for LBP to boycott HP, a company that provided servers to run the ID systems that Israel uses to restrict Palestinian movement, and raised concerns on the impact of this on LBP’s ethical business activity.

Lloyds decided to investigate Affy and Aliya about the posts. Findings of ‘gross misconduct’ were made against both women for breaching the Lloyds’ policies on professional integrity, personal integrity – which include rules about discrimination, harassment and abusive content – and doing business responsibly. They received written warnings which could remain on their records indefinitely and were both reported to the Financial Conduct Authority for failing ‘to act with due skill, care and diligence’.  

This has had serious consequences in Affy and Aliya’s personal and professional lives. Affy, was 21 at the time, lost a prestigious graduate role with a £60,000 starting salary as a result of Lloyds’ sanctions. Affy and Aliya both lost their annual bonuses. Both are anxious about their future careers and now fear reprisal for raising concerns about socially responsible business or speaking about Palestine.

To get these sanctions removed, and to defend the right to speak about Palestine, Affy and Aliya are taking LBP to court for discrimination.

We should all be freed from discrimination based on our beliefs or our opinions about a just cause. We are taking this legal fight to end discrimination in our workplace. said Aliya.

The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) is supporting Affy and Aliya in their legal fight to get their sanctions revoked and their professional reputations restored. Giovanni Fassina, the Director of the ELSC, comments:

We have taken on this case to defend Affy and Aliya’s rights to advocate for Palestinian rights in their workplace, including through education and actions around corporate complicity in human rights abuse. This case is a clear manifestation of anti-Palestinian racism, a form of discrimination that silences, excludes, and defames Palestinians and their allies with slander such as being inherently antisemitic, and a dangerous restriction of free speech.[1]

The ELSC launched a crowdfunding campaign to help both employees cover the costly legal fees of their lawsuit against Lloyds, one of the biggest banks in the UK. The costs are estimated to be at least £30,000.

Affy’s hearing is set to take place in June 2023 at the London Central Employment Tribunal. Aliya is in the process of applying to have her case adjoined to Affy’s.

[1] To read more about anti-Palestinian racism, see ACLA, Anti-Palestinian Racism: Naming, Framing and Manifestations, April 2022, available at: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61db30d12e169a5c45950345/t/627dcf83fa17ad41ff217964/1652412292220/Anti-Palestinian+Racism-+Naming%2C+Framing+and+Manifestations.pdf

Visual: CC Commons

Categories
Fundraising Campaign

Help us carry on our fight for justice for Palestinian rights advocates

We have just launched our year-end campaign to gather the funds we need to continue our work in 2023!

We have until the end of this year to raise €20,000 to fund our legal battles for next year! Without the generosity of our supporters, our work in the defence of Palestinian rights advocates is at risk.

HELP US PROTECT OUR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO ADVOCATE FOR PALESTINE

Throughout 2022, we have grown our team and now boast 10 professional staff members giving their all into tackling cases of repression, mostly in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, and providing legal support to Palestinian civil society organisations. Owing to donations, we were able to win more cases than any year before: more than 80 individuals and organisations had their fundamental rights upheld after the ELSC intervened.

Throughout 2022, we have helped secure victories in court for our community

With our assistance, Dr Anna-Esther Younes challenged German institutions in court and the two organisations responsible for surveilling, smearing and censoring her were held accountable. Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Farah Maraqa also won her lawsuit against German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, which had dismissed her for alleged antisemitism in an attempt to silence her.

In the UK, our team helped Gazan scholar Shahd Abusalama recover her teaching position after she was suspended by Sheffield Hallam University and brutally smeared in the public sphere.

I am indebted to the ELSC. The support they have provided has really helped me in challenging the mainstream media. They provide a crucial service.

— UK activist supported by the ELSC

Some people do a great job for Palestine and the ELSC are at the top of the list.

— Football Against Apartheid

I would have probably not written about Palestine without your support and the positive outcome.

— British academic supported by the ELSC
LET’S WIN MORE CASES

In order to tackle the growing climate of repression across Europe with even more might in 2023, we urgently need the resources.

Will you join our movement for justice? Become an ELSC supporter today to ensure that defenders of Palestinian rights keep receiving free legal support by making a monthly donation to the ELSC.

DONATE

Thank you, from the whole ELSC team, for your deep dedication and solidarity.

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

If you are a legal practitioner or a volunteer who wants to be part of our movement in support of Palestinian rights advocates, please contact us at info@elsc.support.

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: October 2022

Throughout the past month, we’ve succeeded in empowering and defending freedom of expression and the right to advocate against repression and injustice in Palestine.

HELP US KEEP UP OUR WORK

Before all else, the ELSC wishes to draw attention to the urgent situation engulfing Palestine in recent weeks. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people facing mass repression. As Europe carries on with its concerted efforts to silence Palestine, the movement perseveres and we nonetheless have victories to report!

Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter!

SUBSCRIBE

AUSTRIA: FOUR UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT ANTI-BDS LEGISLATION AND SUED BDS ACTIVIST SECURES FIRST VICTORY IN STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE

UN Special Rapporteur (SR) on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, SR on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, SR on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and SR on the situation of human rights defenders have sent a communication to Austrian authorities. They demand clarification on the City of Vienna’s anti-BDS resolution and the lawsuit filed by the City against a BDS Austria activist.

The SRs expressed “concern that the City of Vienna’s filing of a lawsuit against a member of BDS Austria may hinder the peaceful activities of human rights defenders committed to monitor and denounce human rights violations in occupied Palestine, shrinking the civic space available to them to express legitimate grievances“.

📝 Amplify BDS Austria’s statement 📝

read more

The BDS activist in question has secured a victory on October 22 as the administrative authority at the City of Vienna drops its proceedings! We’re hopeful that this decision pushes the civil court to dismiss the SLAPP still pending against the activist.

Back in April, a judge upheld the SLAPP lodged by the City of Vienna against the activist over the same post. The City’s argument? The sarcastic “Visit apartheid” statement associated with the City’s logo constitutes defamation and BDS “incites to hatred against Israeli people”.
 

But this latest victory may mark a turning point in the judicial saga. The activist’s lawyer, Elisabetta Folliero, is hopeful that the civil court will now follow suit:

“It is very positive that the administration of the City of Vienna has reaffirmed the importance of the exercise of freedom of opinion. […] We hope that the civil proceedings still pending will also have the same outcome. It is vital to reiterate that freedom of opinion, and freedom of boycott as its component, are essential in order to safeguard democracy.“

read our press release

📣 Share the good news on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook 📣

SUPPORT FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS – TAKE ACTION  

  • Support the activist’s legal battle and donate 
  • Sign the petition to demand the Municipality of Vienna ends its lawfare against legitimate BDS action

⚖️ Will you help us win more cases? ⚖️

Consider a monthly donation to the ELSC. Every donation, no matter how small or large, makes a difference.

donate

UK: WHILE ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY REJECTS IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM, UKLFI DEFENDS TEACHER’S ANTISEMITIC COMMENTS

We congratulate Aberdeen University’s move to reject the IHRA working definition of antisemitism!

We encourage students to continue to resist the adoption and the use of the flawed IHRA definition at university with this toolkit. Combat racism, hold the Israeli government accountable, and reject the IHRA definition of antisemitism!

read more

We encourage students to continue to resist the adoption and the use of the flawed IHRA definition at university with this toolkit. Combat racism, hold the Israeli government accountable, and reject the IHRA definition of antisemitism!

📣 Amplify our Twitter thread 📣

Meanwhile, a member of UK Lawyers for Israel has provided an “expert witness” testimony in support of a teacher sanctioned for antisemitism. The teacher is a supporter of Israel and began posting antisemitic content on social media under a pseudonym in a futile attempt to “bait” Palestine solidarity organisations into endorsing racism. The UKLFI member testified in support of the teacher in an attempt to defend his actions as a supporter of Israel, stating that “the IHRA definition had never been intended for use as a tool to sanction people nor as a means to take away their livelihood or free speech, or indeed to effect discipline.”

Contrasting with UKLFI’s usual stance that anti-Zionism constitutes antisemitism and its strong campaigning for the implementation of the IHRA definition, this case reveals manipulation and insincerity in how the IHRA definition is used by pro-Israel organisations: it is not a tool to combat antisemitism but, rather, a tool to censor Palestinian rights advocacy.

📣 Share the news on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter 📣

READ MORE

Stay updated on our UK cases with our brand-new country-specific website!

GERMANY: PROGRESS IN CHALLENGING THE BUNDESTAG’S ANTI-BDS LEGISLATION AS NEXT HEARING IS CONFIRMED

The Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) suing the German federal parliament for the anti-BDS resolution adopted in 2019 mark a new step against resisting the legislation: the next hearing at the Higher Administrative Court Berlin-Brandenbur has been announced for the first half of 2023!

Eight decisions have already affirmed the illegitimacy of anti-BDS law in Germany: the Munich Regional Court, the administrative courts of Lower Saxony, Cologne, Hesse, Bavaria and, most recently Leipzig, have convicted the cities of Oldenburg, Bonn, Frankfurt and Munich for violating the constitutional rights to equality, freedom of expression and assembly.

READ MORE

✊ Support this crucial legal battle against shrinking civic space in Germany ✊

UN: 65 ORGANISATIONS SEND A LETTER TO THE NEW HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, URGING FOR CONCRETE MEASURES TO ENSURE JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

On 17 October 2022, 65 Palestinian, regional and international organisations sent a joint letter to the new High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Türk, welcoming him in his new position and highlighting some of the recent alarming Israeli policies and practices imposed against Palestinians.

READ MORE

ONGOING CAMPAIGNS IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINE 

Meta, Let Palestine Speak!

Hold Meta accountable for censoring Palestinian content on social media.

READ THE JOINT STATEMENT

#StopSettlements

Sign the ECI petition to demand an end to European trade with illegal settlements. Please add your signature and share it with your family and friends!

SIGN THE PETITION

#JusticeForSalah

Take action for Salah Hammouri, the Palestinian-French lawyer imprisoned in administrative detention.

TAKE ACTION

#FreeAhmadManasra

Support the campaign for the release of the young Ahmad Manasra, detained in Israeli jails and suffering from serious consequences to his mental health.

SUPPORT

EVENTS

Check out the second panel on “Anti-Zionism as taboo” organised by 
Judeobolschewienerinnen with Palestine Speaks, JID Leipzig, Dr. Sarah El-Bulbeisi and Dr Anna-Esther Younes. This discussion is essential in a context such as the German and Austrian, where censorship is widespread. Freedom of expression and of assembly are continuously at risk. Dr. Anna-Esther Younes’ and Walaa Alqaisiya’s cases are clear examples of this climate.

ELSC was proud to participate in the 2022 edition of the Festival des Libertés in Brussels, attending a panel on the criminalisation of solidarity. Listen to the discussion here (French). 

USEFUL RESOURCES

Take a look at the new publication on the growing Israeli repression of Palestinian civil society and the crime of apartheid by Palestine Studies and Al Haq.

Read Hebh Jamal’s overview of anti-Palestinian racism, including of the use of the IHRA definition to repress artistic and political expression and the role of mainstream media in amplifying the racist vitriol.

You can find resources on challenging the IHRA definition here.

Read the new report by the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on ecological crisis climate justice and racial justice. Here, the SP analyses how the IHRA definition risks being weaponised to restrict freedom of expression, demonstration and the press.

Thank you for your continued support!

In solidarity, 

The ELSC team

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

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.

DONATE

If you are a legal practitioner or a volunteer who wants to be part of our movement in support of Palestinian rights advocates, please contact us at info@elsc.support.

Categories
Press Release

First step towards justice for Palestinian rights activist in Vienna sued over social media post

European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Amsterdam and Vienna, November 9, 2022

The Viennese administrative authority has discontinued proceedings brought against the BDS Austria activist, including a fine of up to 3.500€, which accused the activist of committing an administrative offence. The activist and their lawyer are hopeful that this verdict will compel the civil court to dismiss the pending SLAPP and lead to a full vindication of the activist’s rights.  

On 20 October 2022, in a positive turn of events, the administrative authority dismissed the proceedings brought against a BDS activist for posting a third-party photo of the famous “Visit apartheid” poster parodically emblazoned with the City of Vienna logo. The charges were initially brought on the grounds of the improper use of the City’s logo, a violation of the Administrative Offences Act which warranted a fine of up to €3.500.

The administrative authority based its sudden halt of the proceedings on section 45(1) of the Administrative Offences Act 1991 (VStG), which allows for a dismissal of proceedings where, among other things: the defendant is innocent, the offence is not reprehensible or the harm raised by the claim is not severe enough to justify the proceedings. Although the administrative authority was unable to specify any one of the reasons listed in section 45(1), the fact that it relied on this provision in the first place clearly shows that it understood the claim to be baseless.

In the meantime, the City of Vienna’s SLAPP against the activist for defamation is still ongoing.

Back in April 2022, a judge contestably upheld the SLAPP lodged by the City against the activist over the same post. In the submission, the City of Vienna complained that the sarcastic “Visit apartheid” statement associated with the City’s logo would amount to defamation and that the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement “incites to hatred against Israeli people”. The activist has appealed this decision.

In a letter sent in May 2022 to the Austrian authorities, four UN Special Rapporteurs had also expressed concerns about the City of Vienna’s anti-BDS resolution and the lawsuit that “may hinder the peaceful activities of human rights defenders committed to monitor and denounce human rights violations in occupied Palestine, shrinking the civic space available to them to express legitimate grievances”.

The latest victory may mark a turning point in this judicial saga. 

The activist’s lawyer, Elisabetta Folliero, welcomes the decision dated 20 October 2022:

It is very positive that the administration of the City of Vienna has reaffirmed the importance of the exercise of freedom of opinion, thus demonstrating that Viennese institutions still have willpower to tackle violations of fundamental human rights. We hope that the civil proceedings still pending will also have the same outcome. It is vital to reiterate that freedom of opinion, and freedom of boycott as its component, are essential in order to safeguard democracy.

The judgment on the appeal against the interim decision has not yet been issued, and a hearing for the civil lawsuit is yet to be set.

TAKE ACTION

Categories
Case Update

Dr Anna Younes Surveillance’s Case: the Fight Continues with Two New Lawsuits

On 2 November 2022, exactly three years after she discovered RIAS’ covert surveillance of her activities and after two legal victories, Dr Anna Younes launches two new lawsuits. She requests the Administrative Court of Berlin to find the preparation and transmission of the secret dossier on her unlawful, and she requests compensation.

On November 1 2019, RIAS/MBR shared a secret dossier it had compiled on Dr Anna Younes with the head of Die Linke/The Left, framing her as an anti-Jewish racist, sexist, and terrorist sympathizer. This led to her hasty disinvitation from a panel discussion held the next day by the political party Die Linke/The Left. Three years later, the scholar is continuing her legal battle against this surveillance and censorship.

Dr Younes has already two legal victories to her credit since the Berlin District Court ordered RIAS/MBR to provide Dr Younes access to the secret dossier and the Berlin Data Protection Authority (DPA) ruled that RIAS/MBR violated European data protection law. However, the DPA found the preparation and transmission of the dossier by RIAS/MBR lawful on the basis of their ‘legitimate interest’ in influencing political actors. In doing so, the DPA failed to motivate its decision and to take into consideration the fundamental rights, freedoms, and interests of the scholar.

Today, Dr Younes demands that the administrative court review the controversial DPA’s decision and acknowledge that RIAS/MBR’s surveillance and false labelling of Dr Younes as an anti-Jewish racist violated her right to privacy and right to reputation.

In addition, she is filing a new civil lawsuit so that judges finally find the preparation and transmission of the dossier unlawful and order RIAS/MBR to cease the collection of her personal data. Dr Younes will also request compensation for the ensuing harm inflicted by RIAS/MBR for over two years.

“The two lawsuits are of paramount importance to challenge the repressive practices exercised by state-funded organisations such as RIAS Berlin and MBR. As long as German courts do not confirm their unlawfulness, those methods would become common-practice, unfettered and conducted without consideration of the individuals’s reputation and fundamental rights and freedoms. This is a crucial and collective legal battle.”

Giovanni Fassina, Director of the ELSC.

Indeed, Dr Younes is not alone in facing smears, repression and censorship for exercising her freedom of expression and bringing the Palestinian narrative into the public discourse around racism. For this reason, third parties will also intervene in the administrative lawsuit to portray the extent of the harm inflicted by such surveillance practices.

TAKE ACTION

Read more about the case and watch this video

Read and sign the support letter

Listen to the podcast featuring Dr Younes, Inna Michaeli and Alice Garcia (Advocacy and Communications Manager at ELSC

Donate to support Dr Younes in her legal battle as she reclaims her rights in court

Categories
Statement

Joint Statement in Response to Dismissal of NUS President Shaima Dallali

The ELSC signed a joint statement with other organisations in the UK to condemn the dismissal of NUS Shaima Dallali.

We are dismayed to see that the NUS’ investigation into their elected president, Shaima Dallali, has been allowed to reach this conclusion.

The disciplinary investigation into Ms. Dallali was triggered after pressure from the Government and the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) which led to a wider investigation into antisemitism within the NUS. We, amongst a range of legal, community, student and rights organisations have raised questions about the credibility of this process as a genuine anti-racist exercise. The dismissal of Ms. Dallali, and the discrimination which we consider that she has been subjected to, only exacerbates these concerns. We understand that Ms. Dallali is considering her right to appeal the dismissal and to bring Tribunal proceedings over the NUS’ treatment and dismissal of her.

We recognise the considerable political pressure put on the NUS to initiate and reach ‘the right result’ in these two investigatory processes. However, in bowing to this pressure, the NUS has undermined its own commitment to anti-racism, including the fight against antisemitism, and has abandoned its duty of care to its elected President. Ms. Dallali has been subjected to the most intense public scrutiny and horrifying abuse, including death threats. This is not the first time a Muslim woman of colour has had her social media trawled, her internet presence scrutinised, and her ability to do her elected role obstructed by a media-stoked outrage that ends up conflating legitimate criticisms of Israel with antisemitism. Unfortunately for Ms. Dallali, her grave concerns over her safety have been completely side-lined.

The refusal to accept Ms. Dallali’s unreserved apology for one tweet from a decade ago when she was a teenager, while publicising a number of spurious allegations around her support for Palestinian rights, speaks volumes about the nature of the NUS’ investigation. The fact that the decision to dismiss Ms. Dallali was leaked and published in the Jewish News and the Jewish Chronicle, and reportedly shared with the Government and the Leader of the Opposition, before she had even been notified, is wholly inappropriate and beggars belief.

From the outset of the dual investigations, we raised fundamental concerns about the framework for investigation and the failure to acknowledge how conflation of antisemitism with legitimate critique of Israeli oppression has been utilised to silence Palestinians and those who support their rights. The inclusion, for example, amongst the published allegations against Ms. Dallali, that she had tweeted ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ and had participated in a protest at KCL against the presence on campus of a former Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, made clear a failure from the outset to distinguish between genuine antisemitism and legitimate advocacy for the rights of Palestinians.

We have also raised concerns about the disproportionate involvement of the UJS, who were given significant authority in the framing of the investigation and the appointment of the Independent Investigator. Whilst we recognise the need for the NUS to consult with a body representing Jewish students in addressing concerns about antisemitism, the degree of prioritisation of a single interested party violates due process.

It also fails to take into account the role the UJS has played in the conflation of antisemitism and legitimate critique of Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people, including promoting resources which suggest that it is inherently antisemitic to advocate for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel or to describe Israel as a state practising the crime of apartheid.

In this regard we note that the formal disciplinary process against Ms. Dallali was, in part, triggered by her public statements criticising Israel for its discriminatory laws and policies, and her calling out of the UJS on social media, prior to being elected president, for its evidenced activities aiming to silence advocacy for Palestinian rights. It is deeply concerning that criticism of the UJS for its overtly political pro-Israel advocacy has been reframed as evidence of hostility to all Jewish students, and thereby seen as grounds for dismissal.

Whilst we await the report into the broader investigation, Ms. Dallali’s dismissal renews our deep concerns that its likely outcome, rather than combatting the very real problem of antisemitism, will instead contribute to anti-Palestinian racism and the silencing of legitimate advocacy for Palestine.

In responding to this situation in this manner, we believe the NUS has made a series of misjudgments and reached an outcome that does precisely the opposite of its purported aim. It needs to embark on the significant task facing it to repair the damage done by this investigation and rebuild trust with students who are doing crucial anti-racism work, including those advocating for Palestinian rights and working to combat Islamophobia and antisemitism.

Signatories:

Palestine Solidarity Campaign

British Palestinian Committee

Diaspora Alliance

European Legal Support Centre

Muslim Association of Britain

Palestinian Forum in Britain

Categories
Case Update Press Release

Four UN Special Rapporteurs Address Their Concerns to Austrian Authorities About Anti-BDS Resolution and Lawsuit Against Activist 

UN Special Rapporteur (SR) on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, SR on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, SR on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and SR on the situation of human rights defenders sent a communication to Austrian authorities, asking clarification on the City of Vienna’s anti-BDS resolution and the lawsuit the City filed against a BDS activist.  

In the communication sent on 20 May 2022, the SR raised their concerns about the resolution adopted in 2018, “which includes undue restrictions to the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and of association”. They further expressed “concern that the City of Vienna’s filing of a lawsuit against a member of BDS Austria may hinder the peaceful activities of human rights defenders committed to monitor and denounce human rights violations in occupied Palestine, shrinking the civic space available to them to express legitimate grievances”.  

The BDS Austria activist published a social media post showing a picture of the famous poster stating “Visit Apartheid” that was stuck on a billboard along with the official logo of the Municipality of Vienna. The post had the sarcastic caption “We are pleased that the City of Vienna also takes note of apartheid and publicly states it”.  In November 2021, the City of Vienna filed a SLAPP (Strategic lawsuit against public participation) against the activist on the grounds of defamation and unlawful use of the City’s logo. It claimed that the BDS movement “incites to hatred against Israeli people” and therefore being publicly associated with BDS would amount to defamation since “the designation of the situation in Israel/Palestine as an “Apartheid” constitutes damage to our reputation”. In a highly contestable decision delivered on 6 April 2022, the Commercial Court of Vienna endorsed the City’s lawsuit and ruled against the BDS activist. 

The SR are worried that “this judgement in the first instance consolidates the City of Vienna’s motion against the BDS movement”. The resolution, which falsely labels the BDS movement as “antisemitic”, was indeed invoked by the City in the lawsuit. As stated in a legal opinion commissioned by the ELSC and authored by Professors Xavier Dupré De Boulois, Eric David, Richard Falk and John Reynolds, the resolution infringes on the fundamental rights of freedoms of expression, association and assembly of Palestinian rights advocates. 

Moreover, the SR recalled the legality and legitimacy of the BDS movement: “we point out that expressing support for, or opposition to, BDS, is fully guaranteed by the rights to freedom of opinion, expression and association” enshrined in articles 19, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and political Rights. They also cited the European Court of Human Rights milestone judgement Baldassi and Others v. France and positive case law confirming the right to BDS in France and Germany. The SR further added that “this is in line with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA)” which “stipulates that ‘boycott, divestment and sanctions are commonplace, non-violent forms of political protest against states’.” 

On 8 July 2022, the Austrian authorities replied to the communication, failing to respond to most of the requests sent by the Special Rapporteurs. Instead, they reiterated their baseless and unfounded claims targeting BDS Austria: “Their movement’s campaigns are often referred to as antisemitic”. They stood firm in a problematic position that was observed in the context of the lawsuit against BDS Austria and that contradicts the freedom of expression and protection of human rights defenders. 

The reply of the Austrian authorities makes the legal battle of the activist even more necessary in order to challenge the suppression of Palestinian rights advocacy in Austria. The BDS activist appealed the Court decision and is ready, if necessary, to stand before the European Court of Human Rights to assert his fundamental right to freedom of expression, a right enshrined in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. 

SUPPORT FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS – TAKE ACTION 

  • Donate to help the activist covering the legal fees 
  • Sign the petition co-sponsored by the ECCP to ask the Municipality of Vienna to stop its lawfare against BDS activists 

Read more about the case.

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: September 2022

Throughout the past few months, the solidarity movement has won several victories in pushing back against repression. Through legal challenge and public advocacy, it is possible to make our critical voices heard!
 
We need your continued support to keep up the crucial fight for freedom of expression and Palestinian rights.

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And don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter!

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GERMANY: TWO SUCCESSFUL LAWSUITS AGAINST DEUTSCHE WELLE

In July 2022, we witnessed the first victory for a journalist involved in the Deutsche Welle (DW) case that began back in February 2022, when the public broadcaster fired seven Arab journalists based on allegations of antisemitism. The Bonn Labour Court found that the dismissal of Palestinian journalist Maram Salem by the German outlet was unlawful. 

Then, in September 2022, the Berlin Labour Court ruled in favour of Farah Maraqa, ordering DW to reinstate her and cover the costs of the legal dispute.

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The ELSC is proud to have supported Farah Maraqa, who stood firm in her convictions and had the courage to take DW to court.

📣 Share the good news on Twitter and Instagram! 📣

However, the DW management seems to have institutionalised its prejudiced stance in a new Code of Conduct that mentions Israel twice, including: “Due to Germany’s history, we have a special obligation towards Israel.” It is unclear what obligations this statement is implying for DW employees or subcontractors. This raises important questions related to press independence.

⚖️ Will you help us win more cases? ⚖️

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NETHERLANDS: A POSITIVE PRESS COUNCIL DECISION FOR PALESTINIAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES

In August 2022, the Dutch Press Council ruled that Dutch daily newspaper Algemeen Dagblad acted carelessly by publishing allegations of antisemitism against The Rights Forum without hearing them.

This is an important achievement considering the Dutch NGO has been facing a harsh smear campaign since the beginning of the year, after it filed a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) seeking to research ties between Dutch universities and pro-Israel advocacy groups as well as Israeli institutions, government agencies and Israeli arms, surveillance and security companies.

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The Rights Forum also achieved a significant victory against disinformation. After the organisation alerted Google about a Google ad sponsored by the Israeli government labelling Amnesty International as antisemitic, Google took down the ad within one day.

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DOCUMENTA FIFTEEN: “WE ARE DETERMINED, WE ARE TOGETHER, WE ARE NOT GIVING UP”

On 25 September 2022, the world’s largest contemporary art exhibition, documenta fifteen, closed after months of brutal and unfounded allegations against the curators ruangrupa, members of the artistic team and participating artists. Palestinian artists and others who expressed solidarity with them faced smears, insults, assaults, death threats, cyber harassment and vandalism.

In the latest development, a committee appointed to investigate antisemitism into documenta fifteen issued a very controversial preliminary report and a statement accusing the lumbung community (ruangrupa and artists) of Israel-related antisemitism. The community responded with a powerful statement denouncing racism, Eurocentrism and censorship.

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📣 Share and express your solidarity on Twitter and Instagram! 📣

VIENNA: NEW COURSE AT VIENNA FINE ARTS ACADEMY SIGNALS FURTHER ERASURE OF PALESTINIAN NARRATIVE

The Austrian institution that censored Palestinian academic Dr. Walaa Alqaisiyia will host a course entitled “Antiantianti – Conflicts about Antiantisemitism and Antiracism in the Politicized Art World” and will be using Walaa’s disinvitation as a case study.

The abstract of the course clearly displays a pro-Israel bias and misrepresents the Palestine solidarity movement. We condemn the holding of a course that is likely to fuel insidious censorship of genuine anti-racist discourse.

READ OUR STATEMENT

📣 Share on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook! 📣

#STOPTRADEWITHSETTLEMENTS: A NEW PARTNER IN THE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO BAN EU TRADE WITH ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS

Avaaz just joined the #StopTradeWithSettlements coalition and calls on everyone to sign the European Citizens’ Initiative to ban EU trade with illegal settlements!

SIGN

📣 Share the campaign on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook! 📣

Friends of the Earth Europe also published a compelling and important blog post over the summer. The largest grassroots environmental network in Europe explains the link between food sovereignty in Palestine and Israeli settlements, highlighting the necessity to stop all EU trade with the latter.

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#STANDWITHTHE6: A NEW PHASE OF REPRESSION AGAINST PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETY

On the morning of 18 August 2022, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) raided the offices of seven Palestinian organisations including the six that were designated as “terrorist” by the Israeli government in October 2021. The IOF confiscated documents and equipment, destroyed material, sealed entrance doors and left military orders ordering the closure of the organisations. Over 150 organisations, including the ELSC, demanded the international community take all the necessary action to support and protect Palestinian human rights defenders.

So far, the EU has remained quiescent on the matter, as it has regarding the protection of French-Palestinian human rights defender Salah Hammouri.  For the past two decades, Salah has been subjected to constant harassment and deprivation of his fundamental rights by Israeli authorities. His three-month administrative detention based on “secret evidence” was again renewed at the beginning of September 2022 and he has now been transferred into solitary confinement. Along with other political prisoners, Salah began a hunger strike on 25 September and has since been deprived of salt. Read more in the urgent letter sent to French President Emmanuel Macron by Salah’s lawyers.

READ OUR JOINT STATEMENT

📣 Join the #JusticeforSalah campaign and amplify it on Twitter and Instagram  📣

Undeterred by these worrying recent developments which contradict the basic principles of international law, the EU continues to tighten its cooperation with Israel by convening the EU-Israel Association Council after 10 years amid widespread protest from Palestinian, European, and international civil society organisations.

RESOURCES & NEWS FROM AROUND EUROPE AND BEYOND

#PromisedLand: the Italian centre for investigative journalism Irpi Media launched a series of reports exposing the links between the Israeli government and far-right parties in Europe. The first piece of “Promised Land”, authored by journalists Christian Elia and Lorenzo Bagnoli, shows how the Italian far-right cultivates relationships with antisemitic figures while strongly supporting Israel’s policies, including silencing pro-Palestine voices.

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📣 Amplify on Twitter 📣

Our Canadian partners, Independent Jewish Voices (IJV), are launching a pivotal report on the suppression of speech concerning Palestine in Canada. Join the report launch event with a panel of brilliant activists and scholars, including Anna-Esther Younes.

REGISTER

📣 Share on Twitter and Instagram  📣

Dr Anna-Esther Younes has herself been facing ongoing attempts to suppress her voice as a Palestinian decolonial scholar. Read more about her case and how you can help us push back against increasing repression in Europe below:

READ MORE

The ELSC recently joined CASE, the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe! We are happy to join other non-governmental organisations united in recognition of the threat posed to public watchdogs by SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). SLAPPs are an abuse of the legal system and an attempt to intimidate and silence public watchdogs, including Palestinian rights advocates, through lengthy and expensive litigation that drains a target’s resources and seeks to dissuade critical voices.

read more about case

With CASE, we will work to expose legal harassment and intimidation, protect the rights of those who speak out and advocate for comprehensive protective measures and reform. As part of this work, the ELSC will join the next European Anti-SLAPP Conference in Strasbourg on 20 October 2022.

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

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.

DONATE

If you are a legal practitioner or a volunteer who wants to be part of our movement in support of Palestinian rights advocates, please contact us at info@elsc.support.

Photo: CC Jan-Hendrik Pelz12, “An Inner Place” talk at the documenta fifteen exhibition.

Categories
Statement

Statement Regarding BSR’s Human Rights Due Diligence for Meta on Palestine & Israel

7amleh, along with 73 of local, regional and international partners – including the ELSC – has issued a joint statement regarding BSR’s Human Rights Due Diligence report on Arabic and Hebrew content on Meta’s platform. Human rights organizations and civil society have been calling for an independent review of Meta’s content moderation policies as they pertain to Palestine for years, so we commend the publication of this report.

Read on 7amleh’s website

We, the undersigned human rights and civil society organizations, commend the publication of Business for Social Responsibility’s (BSR) Human Rights Due Diligence Report of Arabic and Hebrew content on Meta’s platforms in the Israel/Palestine context in May 2021. For years, digital and human rights organizations have been calling for an independent review of Meta’s content moderation policies. These calls came as a result of Meta’s constant and deliberate actions to censor the voices and narrative of Palestinians and those in solidarity with them. Thus, denying Palestinians their right to freedom of expression, affecting their freedom of assembly and freedom to political participation and non-discrimination and further distorting the international community’s understanding of what is happening in Palestine. 

We appreciate and value BSR’s efforts and professionalism through their assessment and independent review. We especially acknowledge their engagement with local, regional and international stakeholders and right-holders throughout the process. Launching this due diligence report is a step in the right direction. importantly, we look forward to Meta’s unequivocal commitment to implementing the recommendations of this report. More generally, we urge Meta to take decisive action to protect the voices of Palestinians among other oppressed peoples and groups around the world. 

BSR’s findings provide further evidence of the over-enforcement of Arabic content compared to Hebrew content, and under-enforcement of content moderation policies on Hebrew language content. The latter was, according to BSR, “largely due to the lack of a Hebrew classifier,” some of these problems have been documented for years by 7amleh, The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media. Furthermore, the report cites adverse human rights implications to Palestinians’ right to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom to political participation, and non-discrimination. BSR also found evidence of Meta’s policies and practices leading to biased outcomes, which negatively impact Palestinian and Arabic speaking users.

Notwithstanding our support for much of BSR’s work, we must provide some important caveats that would help Meta address these problems more systemically. First, BSR distinguishes between intentional and unintentional bias, and states that it only found evidence of unintentional bias in Meta’s policies and practices. However, we have been calling Meta’s attention to the disproportionately negative impact of its content moderation on Palestinians for years. Therefore, even if the bias started out as unintentional, after knowing about the issues for years and not taking appropriate action, the unintentional became intentional. 

Furthermore, though BSR accurately identified many root causes of the over-enforcement of content moderation on Palestinian and Arabic content, they have underestimated the role of the Israeli government. The Israeli cyber unit sends tens of thousands of voluntary content takedown requests annually to Meta, and the company has historically complied around 90% of the time. This is only one example of many that highlights Israel’s special relationship with Meta, despite the extensive documentation and evidence by international, Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups, of Israel’s systematic, multidimensional violation of Palestinian human rights. Israel leverages this relationship to pressure Meta to take down Palestinian content, as Defense Minister Benny Gantz publicly did during the May 2021 uprisings. 

In an effort to ensure Meta fulfills its human rights obligations, BSR recommends a series of steps that also align with civil society’s repeated demands on Meta over the years. BSR stated that Meta should reevaluate certain content moderation policies, take substantial action to increase transparency around their content moderation practices and policies, invest in more precise Hebrew and Arabic language content moderation resources, and establish greater clarification around its legal obligations with regards to Foreign Terrorist Organizations and State Designated Global Terrorists. These recommendations are a step in the right direction, and need to be taken seriously by Meta. We call on Meta to provide complete transparency on voluntary content removal requests from the Israeli government, including its Cyber Unit, as well as where and how automated decision making are being used for content moderation, and about content policies related to the classification and moderation of “terrorism” and “extremism”. 

In addition to the report’s recommendations, 7amleh’s racism and hate speech index between 6th to the 21st May 2021 showed a 15-fold increase in violent speech compared to the same time period of the previous year. Thus, Meta must improve their Hebrew language content moderation by creating a Hebrew hate speech lexicon. 

Finally, these recommendations will only be successfully implemented if Meta truly commits to a co-design process with civil society, as well as if it provides a detailed timeline for exactly how they will commit to, and implement these recommendations in full transparency and in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Meta has stated that it is committed to co-design, therefore, we stand ready to work with them and we urge Meta to start the process as early as possible. 

Signatures 

7amleh- The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media

Access Now

Mnemonic

Just Vision

Makan

SMEX

Fight for the Future

Kandoo

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)

Platform of French NGOs for Palestine

IFEX

Ranking Digital Rights

Visualizing Palestine

The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy – MIFTAH

Kayan Feminist organization

Women Against Violence

Council for Arab-British Understanding

Nederlands Palestina Komitee (NPK)

National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP)

Vigilance for Democracy and the Civic State, Tunisia

Institute for Middle East Understanding

The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO)

The Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center-

Women Media and Development

Al-Haq

Palestinian vision

The Arab Culture Association

Arab Resource & Organizing Center (AROC)

NOVACT

Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership & Rights Activation- PYALARA

Community Media Centre

U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Defence for Children International

Masaar – Technology & Law Community

Palestinian Center for policy research and strategic studies-MASARATtegic

Association Belgo-Palestinienne WB

Agriculture development association

Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS)

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP)

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC POLICIES MONITOR (AL-MARSAD)

H&R Legal Office

The East Jerusalem YMCA

Media Matters for Democracy

The Palestinian Coalition for the Economic, social, and cultural rights – Adala

YWCA-Palestine

Nisaa Broadcasting Radio Company

Pcs

Arab American University

May First Movement Technology

Kairos Palestine

Burj Alluqluq Social Center Society

Jordan Open Source Association

Palestinian Counseling Center (PCC)

The Community Action Center / Al-Quds University

SumOfUs

Center for Constitutional Rights

Eyewitness Palestine

CODEPINK

Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales (R3D)

MediaJustice

Union juive française pour la paix

Adalah Justice Project

Action Center on Race & the Economy

Human Rights Watch

Palestinian Observatory for Fact-Checking and Media Literacy “Tahaqaq”

Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association

Association “Pour Jérusalem”

The Right to Education Campaign – Birzeit University

ECCP – European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine

Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient, Luxembourg

Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Association for Progressive Communications – APC

Categories
Statement

A joint statement on the case of the administratively detained Palestinian-French citizen Salah Hammouri

We call for immediate release and demand Israel rescind the decision to revoke his Jerusalem residency based on “secret evidence.”

ADD YOUR SIGNATURE ON LAW FOR PALESTINE‘S WEBSITE

العربية | Français

We, the undersigned organizations, unions, and institutions, condemn and reject the arbitrary measures taken by the Israeli occupation forces against human rights defender and lawyer at Addameer, violating its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

For many years, Salah Hammouri has been subjected to a continuous harassment campaign by the occupation forces due to his human rights activism. Mr. Hammouri has spent nine years in Israeli occupation prisons as a result of over six arrests. The longest stretch he spent in an occupation prison was seven continuous years between 2005 and 2011, after he was forced to choose between being deported to France for 15 years or imprisoned for 7. Since the beginning of March 2022, the Israeli occupation forces have held Mr. Hammouri in their prisons without charge under the administrative detention system, based on a secret file that even his lawyer is not permitted to view. These actions make his detention arbitrary and illegal under international law.

The occupation forces have taken several additional acts against Mr. Hammouri in attempt to deport him from Jerusalem. Most recently, in October 2021, they issued a decision to revoke his Jerusalem residency for charges of not showing loyalty to the State of Israel, which was also based on “secret evidence.” Thereafter, they have tried to enforce the decision by attempting to deport him to France; where he holds citizenship. Mr. Hammouri’s wife and children currently reside in France because the occupation authorities have prevented them from entering the occupied territories, thus depriving him of his right to have his family reside with him.

When Mr. Hammouri is released, he fears he will be forcibly removed and deported from his home city of Jerusalem. The Israeli Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Mr. Hammouri’s residency revocation case in February 2023.

The harmful actions taken against Mr.Hammouri are important to be understood for two primary reasons:

  • First, revoking his Jerusalem residency for not showing loyalty to the occupying state based on “secret evidence” represents an unprecedented Israeli measure against Arab and Palestinian presence in Jerusalem. This is a community that is already suffering from escalating settlement projects and attempts to Judaize the city by erasing Palestinian presence, despite the occupation’s illegality under international law. Passing this precedent against Mr. Hammouri means opening the door for the Israeli occupation forces to expel any Palestinian Jerusalemite from the city by revoking their Jerusalem residency based on purely “secret evidence.” This will provide a new, powerful tool for Israel to reduce the number of Palestinians in Jerusalem without needing to provide any legal justification.
  • Second, Mr. Hammouri is a target because he is a human rights defender and a lawyer for Palestinian prisoners. This means that Israel is waging a war against human rights defenders, both as individuals and groups, completing what it started by labelling six Palestinian human rights organizations as terrorist groups including Addameer where Mr. Hammouri works. In fact, Israel previously personally targeted Mr. Hammouri for being a human rights worker by hacking his mobile phone and installing Pegasus software developed by Israeli cybersecurity company NSO. Through these practices, Israel seeks to convey a message to all peaceful activists and human rights defenders that they have no immunity and can be subjected to family separation, arbitrary detention, and even expulsion from the country.

In addition, although Mr. Hammouri holds French citizenship, the French government has not played any effective role in pressing for his release from this arbitrary detention. The Israeli government recently placed Mr. Hammouri in a collective isolation confinement as a punishment for sending a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron asking him to help with his release. Since then, the French government has not taken any public action to assist him such as condemning the detention or calling on the Israeli occupation authorities to immediately release him. Instead, they merely visited him and asked the Israeli government to “respect his rights.” These actions are clearly insufficient, not in line with the usual response of French authorities in cases of arbitrary detection of French citizens and does not demonstrate a strong enough political will to hold the Israeli authorities accountable.

Accordingly, the organizations, unions, institutions, and human rights bodies that have signed this statement, alongside the Justice for Salah campaign, affirm the following:

  1. We reject the harassment and arbitrary violations the Israeli occupation forces are subjecting Salah Hammouri to as punishment for his human rights work and to discourage him, and all human rights defenders, from continuing to defend Palestinians and criticize Israeli violations. We specifically:
  • Condemn and reject the practice of administrative detention, emphasizing its violation of provisions of international law. Thus, we call for the immediate release of all administrative detainees, including Salah Hammouri. We affirm that Israel’s administrative detention practices violate the text of Articles 42 and 78 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, permits administrative detention only for necessary and compelling reasons to maintain its exceptional nature. Contrarily, Israel practices administrative detention in a systematic and repeated manner for undisclosed “secret reasons,” making these detentions arbitrary ones. Therefore, this practice also violates Article 75 of Protocol I annexed to the 1977 Geneva Conventions, which is, in itself, part of customary international law.
  • Condemn and reject the Israeli decision to revoke the Mr. Hammouri’s Jerusalem residency based on a secret file and allegations of disloyalty to the occupying power. We emphasize that this is a violation of the international law per Article 43 of the Hague Convention on the Rules of Land War 1907 and Article 64 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibit an occupying power to act as the owner of sovereignty over the occupied territory. Israel’s practices also violate Articles 45 of the Hague Convention and 68 (3) of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibit an occupying power from demanding loyalty from the inhabitants of the occupied territory. Furthermore, this is illegal in international humanitarian law as forcibly deporting inhabitants of an occupied territory is considered a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute. In fact, when forcible deportation is part of a widespread and systemic policy against civilians—as it is in Israel—it also is considered a crime against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute. Furthermore, revoking the residency of human rights defenders and others in Jerusalem violates various rules of international human rights law such as the right to family life, the right to freedom of movement, including the right to leave and return to one’s homeland, and the right of expression and peaceful assembly in accordance with Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These deportation practices also contradict declarations made by the UN Security Council and the General Assembly that it is illegal to change the status quo in terms of demographics in the city of Jerusalem. Finally, emptying the city of its Arab residents is a blatant application of the internationally condemned practice of apartheid.
  1. We demand that the French government act effectively and quickly to help secure the release of French citizen Salah Hammouri, denounce and prevent the revocation of his residency and his forced deportation from Jerusalem, and compensate him for the human rights violations he was subjected to.
  2. We demand that the International Criminal Court move the investigation file as soon as possible and prosecute Israel for its grave violations of international humanitarian and criminal law, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
  3. We call on the United Nations, especially the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Human Rights Council, to take effective steps to stop Israel’s practices of revoking Jerusalem residencies, emptying the city of its Arab residents, and changing its demographic composition in contravention of the existing legal status.
  4. We demand that world governments activate universal jurisdiction in accordance with Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention to ensure that Israel is held accountable and does not enjoy impunity for the grave violations it commits against Palestinians, including arbitrary detention and forced displacement.
  5. We demand that member states of the international community, world parliaments, and civil society institutions work to pressure Israel to respect human rights work. We ask these states and organizations to help provide protection to the Palestinian people and human rights workers, document violations of international law committed by the occupation, and seek international accountability.

Signatories (to add the name of your orgnization/institute among the signatories, Please fill in this form):

  1. Law for Palestine – UK.
  2. Al Haq Organization – Law in the Service of Mankind. Palestine
  3. Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development. ARDD. Jordan
  4. American Center for Justice (ACJ). USA
  5. Jemez Peacemakers. New Mexico USA
  6. Palestine Arab Relief and Development Authority. Palestine
  7. Centre for Human Rights Research & Advocacy (CENTHRA). Malaysia
  8. Geneva International Centre for Justice. Switzerland
  9. L’association des palestiniens d’Ile de France
  10. Union d’Associations Palestiniennes en France
  11. Canadian BDS Coalition
  12. Just Peace Advocates
  13. Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
  14. Bisan Center for Research and Development
  15. Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P)
  16. Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC).
  17. Belgian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BACBI)
  18. Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
  19. BDS Korea
  20. Oakville Palestinian Rights Association
  21. Human Rights for All ( HR4A) Saskatchewan
  22. French Jewish Union for Peace
  23. Association Belgo-Palestinienne WB
  24. Association France Palestine Solidarité 
  25. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
  26. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
  27. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
  28. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
  29. Human Rights and Democracy Media Centers SHAMS
  30. Finnish-Arab Friendship Society, Finland
  31. Comité de Solidaridad con la Causa Árabe, Spain
  32. ICAHD Finland
  33. François GIRODON
  34. US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
  35. International Association of Democratic Lawyers
  36. docP – BDS Netherlands
  37. European Legal Support Center (ELSC)
  38. Nederlands Palestina Komitee
  39. LDH – Ligue des droits de l’Homme France
  40. Palestine House
  41. Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers
  42. International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL)
  43. Comite Dordogne-Palestine
  44. Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine (AURDIP)
  45. SCRIBEST l’édition solidaire

Categories
Statement

Dutch NGOs call upon the international community to take action against Israel for targeting Palestinian human rights organisations 

After the Israeli army violently raided and closed seven prominent Palestinian human rights organisations last Thursday, this weekend it threatened the director of Al Haq (Shawan Jabarin) by telephone and detained the director of Defense for Children International – Palestine (Khaled Quzmar) several hours for questioning. This escalation proves once again that statements by European governments expressing serious concerns are insufficient. This, together with the killing of critical journalists and other Palestinian civilians with impunity, has reached the point where the international community must set a clear boundary. This is the limit, according to a broad representation of Dutch organisations. 

In October last year, 32 Dutch organisations condemned Israel’s decision to designate six organisations (now seven) as terrorist on the basis of Israeli anti-terror laws. On 12 July 2022, the Netherlands and eight other EU countries expressed their support for the organisations. The EU countries have so far not seen any evidence of the terrorist designation and therefore rejected the Israeli allegations, as “no substantial information has been received from Israel that would justify a review of our policy towards the six Palestinian NGOs on the basis of the Israeli decision to designate these NGOs as ‘terrorist organisations'”.

What we warned about in October is happening: in an attempt to suppress the work of human rights defenders, Israel is raiding their offices, confiscating property and documents, then sealing them with metal plates and leaving a military order declaring the organisations illegal. This is a serious violation of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of association and assembly. This ever-increasing restriction on civil society is not in keeping with a country that claims to be a democratic state based on the rule of law.

Several of the seven organisations that have been affected provide evidence of alleged war crimes by Israel to the International Criminal Court. The Netherlands, as host country of the ICC, has an additional responsibility to ensure that civil society organisations, individuals and states can continue to provide the ICC with evidence and information. 

Without significant action, the longstanding pattern of repression and undermining of Palestinian organisations will further deteriorate. This is unacceptable and it has become clear that statements alone are not enough to make Israel change its policy. The international community should immediately take the following actions in the face of the threat to the existence of Palestinian civil society organisations and human rights defenders:

  • Urge at the highest diplomatic level that Israel withdraws the charges against the seven organisations and brings the underlying anti-terror legislation into line with international law;
  • Protect Shawan Jabarin and Khaled Quzmar and other employees from interrogation, arbitrary arrest and detention, and ask Israel to cease all harassment practices and policies, including arbitrary detention, torture and other forms of ill-treatment, institutionalised hate speech and incitement;
  • Add action to it, in line with the 2013 recommendations of the AIV, and attach (diplomatic) consequences to this escalation; 
  • Openly increase financial, political and where necessary logistical support to Palestinian organisations and civil society, guided by the needs of these organisations;
  • Give priority in its policy towards Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to protecting civil society and human rights defenders;
  • Call on the Assembly of States Parties and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to ensure the viability of organisations working to present evidence to the Court.

Signed by:

  • PAX
  • Amnesty International Nederland
  • SOMO
  • The Rights Forum
  • OXFAM Novib
  • European Legal Support Center
  • Defence for Children Nederland
  • ActionAid Netherlands
  • Both Ends
  • Human Security Collective
  • Stichting Aflatoun International
  • Right to Play Netherlands
  • Transnational Institute (TNI)
  • Stichting Kifaia
  • MENA Werkgroep FNV
  • Gate48
  • Plant een Olijfboom
  • Kairos Sabeel Nederland
  • Nederlands Palestina Komitee
  • Een Ander Joods Geluid
  • Grote Midden Oosten Platform
  • Plan International Nederland
  • International Child Development Initiatives
  • Dutch Scholars for Palestine

Photo: DCI-Palestine

Read the statement originally published on the website of PAX.

Categories
Statement

Over 150 Organizations Demand International Community Stand Against Raids and Closures of 7 Palestinian Organizations

The ELSC joined over 150 organisations to condemn the raids and closures of 7 prominent Palestinian organisations and urge the international community to take effective measures. Read below the joint statement originally published on the CIHRS website.

Amid Israel’s escalating attacks targeting their work, a group of more than 150 Palestinian, regional, and international organizations express our full solidarity with the designated seven leading Palestinian civil society organizations, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Al-Haq Law in the Service of Man (Al-Haq), Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P), Health Work Committees (HWC), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC).

On the morning of 18 August 2022, the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) raided and sealed the doorways into the offices of the seven Palestinian organizations. The IOF also confiscated documents and equipment and destroyed items in the offices. On the doors of the organizations, military orders were left behind ordering the closure of the offices under Article 319 of the Emergency Regulations of 1945. This development follows the 19 October 2021, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz designation of six leading Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist organizations under Israel’s Anti-Terrorism Law (2016), which was then extended to the West Bank on 3 November 2021 by a military order that outlawed the same organizations.

We urge the international community to unequivocally condemn Israel’s targeting of Palestinian civil society and tactics to further repress of freedom of expression. States must take all necessary action to support and protect Palestinian human rights defenders and ensure the continuation of their invaluable work.

These raids and closures represent the latest escalation in Israel’s widespread campaign aiming to silence and discredit any Palestinian individual or organization that dares to seek accountability for Israel’s grave human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The “persecution of organizations and persons, by depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms, because they oppose apartheid” is a method used by Israel, amounting to acts of apartheid prosecutable under the Rome Statute, to maintain its domination and oppression over the Palestinian people.

The organizations remain at an additional risk of closure of bank accounts, travel bans and movement restrictions, and the arrest and detention of staff members for their work. Israel’s attacks against these organizations pose an existential threat to independent Palestinian human rights organizations and civil society who work to monitor and document violations of human rights and provide basic services to the Palestinian people.

We call upon the international community to demand that Israel immediately revoke its designations of Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as “terrorist organizations,” reverse the military orders designating the organizations and closing their offices and repeal its Anti-Terrorism Law (2016) as it does not meet basic human rights standards.

Moreover, we call on the international community to take effective measures to end all other actions that deny Palestinians their inalienable human rights.

Lastly, we call on the members of the international community to continue their support and increase funding to the organizations and engage with financial institutions to ensure the transfer of funds to the organizations.

Signatories:

  1. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
  2. 11.11.11
  3. Abductees’ Mothers Association
  4. Academic Program for Studies of Arab and Muslim Communities in Diaspora
  5. ACAT-France
  6. Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
  7. Advokatfirmaet Roli
  8. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
  9. Al-ataa Benevolent Association
  10. Aldameer association for human rights
  11. Al-Haq
  12. Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society
  13. Andalus Institute for Tolerance and anti-Violence Studies
  14. Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)
  15. ARTICLE 19
  16. Artists for Palestine UK
  17. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
  18. Asociacion Palestina Biladi
  19. Association Belgo-Palestinienne
  20. Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine (AURDIP)
  21. Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression
  22. Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS)
  23. Aswat Nissa
  24. Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children’
  25. Australian Centre for International Justice
  26. Basmeh & Zeitooneh for Relief and Development
  27. Baytna
  28. Bds Maroc
  29. BDS Netherlands
  30. BDS Vancouver Coast Salish Territories
  31. Belgian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BACBI)
  32. Bytes For All, Pakistan
  33. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)
  34. Center for Constitutional Rights
  35. Center for Strategic Studies to Support Women and Children
  36. Centre for Global Education
  37. Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales
  38. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
  39. CNCD-11.11.11
  40. Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
  41. Comhlamh Justice for Palestine
  42. Committee for a Just Peace in the Middle East, Luxembourg
  43. Committee for Justice
  44. Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ)
  45. Conectas Human Rights
  46. Cultura è Libertà, una campagna per la Palestina
  47. DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
  48. Een Andere Joodse Stem / Another Jewish Voice (Belgium)
  49. Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms
  50. Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)
  51. Egyptian Human Rights Forum
  52. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
  53. El Nadim Center For Management & Rehabilitation of victims of violence
  54. ESCR-Net, International Network for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
  55. EuroMed Rights
  56. European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine – ECCP
  57. European Legal Support Center (ELSC)
  58. European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine
  59. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
  60. Financial Justice Ireland
  61. Foundation for Middle East Peace (Washington, DC)
  62. Front Line Defenders
  63. Fundación Mundubat
  64. Gaza Action Ireland
  65. Global NPO Coalition on FATF
  66. Herbst Law PLLC
  67. Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”
  68. Human Rights for All (HR4A) Saskatchewan
  69. Human Rights in China
  70. Human Rights Watch
  71. Human Security Collective
  72. ICAHD-USA
  73. International Accountability Project
  74. International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
  75. International Commission to support Palestinian People’s Rights
  76. International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
  77. International Service for Human Rights
  78. International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
  79. Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign
  80. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions – UK
  81. Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement Pour Une Paix Juste
  82. Just Words Limited
  83. Justice for Palestinians Calgary
  84. Justitia Center for legal protection of human rights in Algeria
  85. Kairos Ireland
  86. Kenya Human Rights Commission
  87. League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI)
  88. Local Development and Small Projects Support (LDSPS)
  89. Makan
  90. MakeShiftPublishing
  91. MENA Rights Group
  92. Muslim Peace Fellowship
  93. Mwatana for human rights
  94. Nederlands Palestina Komitee
  95. New Weapons Research Groups
  96. Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine Israel
  97. North Bronx Racial Justice
  98. Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Norway)
  99. Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees
  100. NOVACT Institute for Nonviolent Action
  101. Oakville Palestinian Rights Association
  102. Palestina Solidariteit vzw Belgium
  103. Palestine Solidarity Alliance
  104. Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK
  105. Palestine Solidarity Network – Edmonton
  106. Palestine Solidarity, St. John’s, NL
  107. Palestine Solidary Organisation at Nelson Mandela University
  108. Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU)
  109. Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall)
  110. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
  111. Pan African Palestine Solidarity Network
  112. Paz con Dignidad
  113. Peace and Building Foundation
  114. Physicians for Human Rights Israel
  115. Platform of French NGOs for Palestine
  116. Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED)
  117. Project South
  118. Riposte Internationale
  119. Sadaka-the Ireland Palestine Alliance
  120. Sadaqa
  121. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
  122. Scottish Friends of Palestine
  123. Sexual Rights Initiative
  124. SOLIDAR
  125. Solsoc
  126. South African BDS Coalition
  127. South African Jews For a Free Palestine
  128. STEILAS
  129. Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
  130. Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights
  131. Teaching Palestine: Pedagogical Praxis and the Indivisibility of Justice
  132. The African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies
  133. The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ)
  134. The Association of Norwegian NGOs for Palestine
  135. The Canadian BDS Coalition
  136. The civic coalition for Palestinian rights in jerusalem
  137. The Danish House in Palestine
  138. The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
  139. The Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church USA
  140. The Norwegian Initiative DEFEND INTERNATIONAL LAW
  141. The Palestine Committee of Norway
  142. The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy
  143. The Palestinian Human Rights Organization “PHRO”
  144. The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy – MIFTAH
  145. The Rights Forum
  146. The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
  147. Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA (Australia)
  148. United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI)
  149. University Network for Human Rights
  150. University of KwaZulu-Natal Decoloniality Action Group
  151. US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
  152. Visualizing Palestine
  153. Viva Salud
  154. Vrede vzw
  155. West African Human Rights Defenders Network
  156. Women in Black Vienna
  157. Women Now for Development
  158. Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC)
  159. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
  160. Yemen Future Foundation for Culture & Media Development
Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: June 2022

This month, at least three cases confirmed, again, that public pressure and collective support, sometimes coupled with litigation, constitute a great tool to achieve our rights as advocates for Palestinian rights!

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GERMAN AUTHORITY HOLDS RIAS AND MBR ACCOUNTABLE FOR VIOLATING ANNA YOUNES’ DATA RIGHTS

The Berlin Data Protection Authority (DPA) held German organisations RIAS Berlin and MBR accountable for violating the rights of German Palestinian scholar Dr. Anna-Esther Younes. The two organisations had previously circulated a secret dossier which led to her disinvitation from a public event.

Two years after Dr. Anna Younes filed a complaint to the DPA with our support, the DPA finally found that RIAS/MBR violated European data protection law (GDPR) in refusing to give Dr. Younes access to the data they hold on her. The DPA recognised Dr. Younes’ basic data rights as a European citizen, which comes after another previous success where the civil court affirmed the right of Dr.Younes to have access to her data.

READ MORE

Share this new victory on social media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn

But this is not over yet! RIAS/MBR previously acknowledged that the purpose of the dossier was to identify Dr. Younes’ positions on Israel and BDS. They secretly sent this dossier to a third party to get her disinvited. However, the DPA considered that this was lawful and that RIAS/MBR pursued a legitimate purpose in collecting and transmitting information about Dr. Younes.

We will appeal this decision. Do you want to help us?

DONATE

Read more in the last media articles published about the case:
– See an update by Dania Akkad in Middle East Eye
– this piece by Hebh Jamal in +972 Magazine
– a piece in German by Nidal Thawri in Marx21
– an oped by Abir Kopty in Middle East Eye

EU RESUMES FUNDING TO TWO PALESTINIAN NGOS

After Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq started legal proceedings against the European Commission for suspending its funding in May 2021 based on an Israeli disinformation campaign, the EU recognised there were no grounds to do so and resumed its funding to Al Haq on 28 June 2022.

Read Al-Haq’s statement and share the good news on Twitter.

The EU also resumed unconditionally and with immediate effect its funding to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), which had faced the same suspension as Al-Haq.

READ MORE

MOHAMMED EL KURD V. GOETHE INSTITUTE

The prominent Palestinian activist and poet Mohammed El Kurd faced an attempt of censorship at a conference organised by the Goethe Institute in Hamburg about right-wing extremism and authoritarian regimes’ tactics, where he was invited to speak. Few days before the start of the conference, the institution revoked the invitation, raising social media posts criticizing Israel that they “did not find acceptable”. In solidarity with El Kurd, the curators of the conference Moshtari Hilal and Sinthujan Varatharajah withdrew their participation and denounced the climate of anti-Palestinian racism in German institutions. Thanks to this push back, many other participants of the event withdrew, which led to the entire program being scaled down.

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OTHER CASE UPDATES IN GERMANY

We also celebrate a victory in Stuttgart this month, as the City of Stuttgart decided it will not appeal the decision issued by the Stuttgart Administrative Court on 21 April 2022 in favour of the Stuttgart Palestine Committee. The Court had upheld the Committee’s complaint against the City’s decision to remove their access and details from the Municipality’s website.
 
This incident had happened following a smear campaign launched by the Jerusalem Post against the Committee because of its support to the Palestinian-led BDS movement. The City of Stuttgart had justified its decision citing the Bundestag’s anti-BDS resolution, while the Court had recalled that the BDS movement is protected by freedom of expression and that the Bundestag’s resolution is not binding.

READ MORE

But this time, the City acknowledged the illegality of their decision. One of their spokespersons said:

for purely legal reasons, we have decided not to appeal against it. Based on the current jurisprudence, as it has been elsewhere, we estimate the chances of being successful with an appeal to be very low. That is why we have put the address of the Palestine Committee back on the municipal homepage.

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Palestinian-Jordanian journalist Farah Maraqa, who has been unfairly dismissed by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) along with five other Arab journalists in February 2022, published an update about her court case against DW.

READ MORE

SUPPORT HER CASE

AUSTRIA: THE CASE OF PALESTINIAN SCHOLAR WALAA ALQAISIYA

Dr. Walaa Alqaisiya, Research Fellow at Columbia University, the LSE Middle East Centre and Università Ca’ Foscari, also faced anti-Palestinian racism and censorship from Austrian public institutions when she was disinvited by the Mumok Museum and the Academy of Fine Arts of Vienna from their Spring Curatorial Program at the end of May 2022. The cancellation of her lecture followed a smear campaign on social media and a complaint from pro-Israel advocacy groups. Art media Art Forum and Hyperallergic wrote about the episode.


Hundreds of artists, writers and academics, including Judith Butler, Roger Waters, Angela Davis and Dirk Moses, have voiced their outrage in the wake of the last-minute cancellation, which pushed one of the co-curators to remove the remainder of the program from the premises of the cancelling institutions. Nevertheless, the Fine Arts Academy and the MUMOK still have not stepped back on their statement, nor recognised the damage done to Dr. Alqaisiya’s reputation. She is still waiting for a public apology from the Rector of the Fine Arts Academy and further explanation on the decision making process.

7 MORE MONTHS TO BAN EU TRADE WITH ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS WORLDWIDE!

Join the European Citizens Initiative #StopSettlements to ban EU trade with illegal settlements!
 
With one million EU citizens signing the Initiative, the EU will have to reassess its complicity with illegal settlements. It would be an historical step in realigning the EU with its own rules when it comes to trade and in making Israel accountable for its illegal settlement policy.

SIGN

Send the petition to your friends, family members. Share on your chat groups and social media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

UK: LEGAL ACTION AGAINST TWITTER TROLL AFTER AN ONLINE SMEAR CAMPAIGN

Peter Bolton is a journalist with The Canary, where he writes about Israel-Palestine among other topics. One year ago, Peter Bolton published a piece denouncing the continuous smear campaigns and unfounded allegations of antisemitism made against the Left in the UK.

Following that, Peter Bolton became himself the target of similar unfounded allegations on Twitter. A fake Twitter account started to spread smears against the journalist, which were amplified by other accounts and retweeted many times. Peter Bolton decided to take legal action against the troll to make it accountable and deter others who would spread defaming allegations online against anyone standing for justice with Palestinians and Palestinian rights advocates.

SUPPORT HIS CASE

EVENTS: PANEL DISCUSSION IN THE NETHERLANDS

Last month, the ELSC joined the in-person panel organised in Amsterdam by the Leonhard-Woltjer Foundation (LWS) and Een Ander Joods Geluid (A Different Jewish Voice) on “How Israel lobbies make it harder to speak up against Israel’s policies”.

Our Advocacy and Communication Officer Alice Garcia joined Dina Zbeidy (anthropologist at Leiden University and LWS board member), Peter Beinart (professor of journalism and Editor-at-large of Jewish Currents), as well as Layla Kattermann and Itaï van de Wal (student activists in Leiden and Utrecht universities) in the panel to give an overview of the situation in The Netherlands (see from 45min).

Read our report on the attempt to suppress Palestinian rights advocacy in the Netherlands.

OTHER GOOD NEWS FROM EUROPE

In a milestone decision for accountability and Palestinian rights, Catalonia Parliament became the first Parliament in Europe to recognise that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid, after the approval of a resolution.

READ MORE

Categories
Press Release

Berlin Data Protection Authority Holds RIAS/MBR Accountable for Violating Dr. Younes’ Data Rights

On 16 May 2022, the Berlin Data Protection Authority (DPA) decided in favour of Dr. Anna Younes and issued a warning against VDK, representing RIAS Berlin and MBR. The two organisations had prepared a secret dossier on Dr. Younes, which aimed at identifying “her positions on Israel and BDS”. The dossier also framed her as supporter of terrorism, sexism and anti-Jewish racism and resulted in her disinvitation from a public event on anti-racism organised by Die Linke in November 2019. Furthermore, the DPA rejected RIAS/MBR’s claim and stated that they “did not have a serious scientific purpose” nor a journalistic one when preparing this dossier. After almost two years, the DPA finally found RIAS/MBR violated European data protection law (GDPR) and recognised Dr. Younes’ basic data rights as a German citizen. Further legal action will be taken.

Nearly two years after Dr. Younes filed a complaint to the Berlin Data Protection Authority (DPA), the DPA issued a final decision on RIAS/MBR’s duty to provide access to her data. This decision follows a months-long public media campaign as well as a lawsuit brought against the DPA for its inactivity, both designed to expedite the legal process and obtain reparation for the damage inflicted on Dr. Younes. This decision also comes after a first victory for Dr. Younes in the beginning of May 2022, as a district court ruled in her favour and RIAS/MBR disclosed a part of the information they collected on her – namely, the dossier, which had been leaked to Dr. Younes. RIAS/MBR state in their answer to the DPA that they collected information on Dr. Younes in order to “identify her positions on Israel and BDS”.

The DPA’s decision finally upheld Dr. Younes’ right to obtain access to the personal data collected by RIAS/MBR as ensured by European and German data protection law. In so doing, it rejected RIAS/MBR’s claims that the covert data gathering and sharing pursued journalistic and research purposes, which would have entitled the organisations to an exemption from providing this information.

Indeed, the DPA found that RIAS/MBR failed to follow a scientific methodology and limited itself to creating a “compilation of publicly accessible facts without deriving any new findings on them”. The DPA further rejected the invocation of a journalistic privilege, considering that the dossier was “explicitly not intended for publication and thus cannot represent an indirect contribution to the formation of public opinion”.

For these reasons, the DPA held that RIAS/MBR had violated article 15(1) of the GDPR on the right of access by the data subject. In this regard, Dr. Younes and the ELSC welcome the DPA’s decision.

Nonetheless, the DPA deemed that the framing of the data and its private transmission of the dossier to Die Linke was lawful, without explaining the grounds for said surveillance in the first place. Nor did this decision take into consideration Dr. Younes’ right to reputation, to not be misrepresented as having an “Antisemitic attitude”. 

After more than two years, it is a relief that the DPA held RIAS/MBR MBR accountable, whose conduct amounts to surveillance. We welcome the DPA’s decision that RIAS/MBR cannot legitimate their conduct on pretences of journalism or an ostensible scientific activity. Nevertheless, we deeply disagree with the DPA that RIAS/MBR’s preparation and transmission of the dossier was legitimate, as this resulted in significant damage to Dr. Younes’ professional and personal reputation and sends a clear message to all Palestinians in Germany. We will appeal the decision.

Giovanni Fassina, Director of the ELSC.

Read more about the case and watch this video

Donate to support the case

Read and sign the support letter

Listen to the podcast featuring Dr Younes, Inna Michaeli and Alice Garcia (Advocacy and Communications Manager at ELSC)

Visual: © ELSC. CC Watermelon Emoji Icon on IconScout

Categories
Event

Panel discussion: “How Israel lobbies make it harder to speak up against Israel’s policies”

The ELSC will join the in-person panel organised by Leonhard-Woltjer Foundation & and Een Ander Joods Geluid (A Different Jewish Voice) on “How Israel lobbies make it harder to speak up against Israel’s policies”, in Amsterdam.

When? Thursday 30 June 2022, 19:30-21:30  

Where? Pakhuis de Zwijger, fifth floor, IJ-zaal (Piet Heinkade 179, Amsterdam) 

Entrance is free. To attend the discussion, please register by filling this form OR by sending an email to info@leonhardwoltjer-stichting.nl. 

About the panel

Israel lobbies have made a habit of trying to silence critics of Israel’s policies of oppression, eviction and apartheid vis-à-vis the Palestinians. One silencing tactic consists of intimidating outspoken critics by slandering them as antisemites and calling them other bad names until they lose their credibility and podium. To avoid such a hostile treatment critics might self-censor or take a safe “evenhanded” or agnostic stance on who is to blame for the conflict. Another known tactic of Israel lobbies is to cancel and stifle public discussion about Israel’s policies by lamenting that such discussion makes the Jewish community “feel unsafe”. 

This evening we will take a closer look at how silencing tactics could lead to a “shrinking” public space in which it is becoming increasingly difficult for people and organizations to voice their concerns openly and safely and develop a shared and nuanced understanding of how a just settlement of the conflict can be reached. 

The speakers

1. Peter Beinart, a professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York, will discuss (online) what silencing means more specifically, the various forms it can take, and how detrimental it can be for democratic values and critical discussion. 

2. Alice Garcia will provide a broad overview of the most notable silencing cases from 2015 to 2020 in the Netherlands on the basis of a prolonged research project that she and her colleagues conducted at the European Legal Support Center (ELSC). 

3. Layla Kattermann and Itaï van de Wal will zoom in on an extreme recent silencing case in the Dutch context, which was the attempt to frustrate a legal request of information (“WOB-verzoek”, based on the Dutch Freedom of Information Act) about Dutch-Israeli academic ties. 

The discussion will be moderated by Dina Zbeidy. She is an anthropologist at Leiden University of Applied Sciences and LWS board member. 

Edition, 1st of July 2022: WATCH the video of the event

Categories
Statement

The ELSC Demands Accountability After Police Repression in Berlin on 15th of May 2022

www.montecruzfo.org

Last week, the ELSC sent a letter to UN Special Rapporteurs on contemporary forms of racism, on freedom of opinion and expression, and on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, following its previous communication alerting on urgent threats to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in Berlin ahead of Nakba day.

On 13 May 2022, the Berlin police, with a stamp of approval from Berlin’s Higher Administrative Court, prohibited public gatherings to be held over the weekend in commemoration of the 74 years of the Nakba and in remembrance of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist killed by the Israeli army. The police’s decision was based on unfounded allegations, using a language that amount to Anti-Palestinian racism, and constituted an arbitrary and disproportionate limitation to fundamental freedoms, as stated in our first communication.

On 15 May 2022, individuals spontaneously took to the streets of Neukölln to observe a moment of silence in honour of the slain journalist. In different locations in Berlin, they were met with brutal police repression. Police officers used a kettling technique to encircle and detain groups of people, to collect their personal details and individually photograph them.

Activist Ramsy Kilani, who was manhandled by police officers, recounts:

“Beyond media attacks, anti-Palestinian racism has by now reached a new level of violent repression and crackdowns on anything visibly Palestinian in Germany. As Palestinians, we were not even allowed to commemorate our tragedy, the Nakba, in silence, without being assaulted and having our fundamental rights abolished by the police and official institutions in Berlin. These attacks on us and on me personally have retraumatized me, but they have not succeeded in taking our will to resist this injustice and to continue the struggle for Palestinian human rights”.

The police intervention represents an egregious and targeted limitation of fundamental freedoms enshrined in German basic law, European Human Rights Law and international law.

Against this backdrop, Human Rights Watch also raised concerns about the incidents, designating the pre-emptive ban as “an extreme restriction that effectively works as a collective punishment on those who wish to peacefully assemble, based on speculation over potential unlawful acts of a minority”. Manu Pineda, Member of the European Parliament, asked the EU Commission to determine that the ban on protests violates Articles 10, 11 and 12 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The ELSC, therefore, ask the relevant UN Special Rapporteurs to: a) request an explanation from the competent authorities of the City of Berlin; b) publicly denounce the violations of the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the right of non-discrimination; c) take the necessary steps to ensure that any of the person(s) responsible for the alleged violations are hold accountable.

Read the letter

Photo: cc Montecruz Foto | 14.05.2021 – Free Palestine demo in Berlin

Categories
Case Update Press Release

German Court Rules in Favour of Scholar Dr. Anna Younes in Digital Surveillance Case

European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Amsterdam and Berlin, May 17, 2022

On 6 May 2022, the Berlin District Court upheld Dr. Younes’ claims and ordered VDK – the German state-funded organisation that legally represents RIAS Berlin and MBR – to give Anna Younes access to data that the two civil society organisations had gathered on her and passed on to others. The information released so far reveals that RIAS and MBR have been collecting people’s personal data based on their “positions on Israel and BDS.”

In November 2019, RIAS and MBR created a secret dossier which depicted Dr. Younes as an anti-Jewish racist, terrorist sympathiser and sexist. The dossier was then sent to Katina Schubert, the head of the political party Die Linke/The Left in Berlin. This resulted in Dr. Younes’ exclusion from a public event organised by the party. This conduct infringed upon Dr. Younes’ right to privacy, freedom of expression, and academic freedom. RIAS/MBR’s actions amount to digital surveillance.

In March 2020, Dr. Younes, with the support of her lawyer and the ELSC, requested RIAS provide access to her personal data, based on data rights under EU Data Protection Law. RIAS/MBR refused. Therefore, she brought her case to the Berlin Data Protection Authority (DPA), and then to court. Additionally, she had to file two lawsuits at the beginning of April 2022, due to the non-processing of her case by the DPA.  

However, it was only after a public media campaign was launched and more than 1,000 scholars, organisations, artists, journalists and activists supported her, that the DPA finally acknowledged Dr. Younes’ right to access her data. On 2 May 2022, RIAS/MBR withdrew their original position that Dr. Younes had no right to access her data, released the secret dossier previously disseminated and finally acknowledged the merits of her claim. A few days later, the court also handed down its decision in favour of Dr. Younes.

Most importantly, RIAS/MBR admitted to collecting data on, “Dr. Younes’ positions on Israel and the BDS movement.” The latter is a classification that most likely derives from MBR/RIAS’ use of the contested “IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism”.

Dr. Anna Younes and the ELSC welcome the decision of the District Court and the reconciliatory reaction of the DPA. The ELSC expects the DPA to acknowledge that RIAS and MBR illegally passed the secret dossier on to Katina Schubert, which led to a violation of Dr. Younes’ privacy rights – amongst other things.

Following this victory, Dr. Younes and her lawyer will request damages in court as RIAS/MBR prevented her from accessing her information for approximately two years. It also remains to be clarified whether RIAS and MBR have been storing further data other than those revealed in the disseminated dossier. 

“This is an important victory because organisations using the IHRA definition for the surveillance of Palestinian rights advocates will be required to provide access to the information they collect on individuals. We believe that this is not an isolated case and that there is a structural issue of profiling Palestinians and Palestinian rights advocates in Germany. This is what we intend to challenge further in court. This demeanour creates a chilling effect and limits democratic participation in public debate.” – Giovanni Fassina, Director of the ELSC.

Read more about the case and watch this video

Read and sign the support letter

Donate to support the case

Listen to the podcast featuring Dr Younes, Inna Michaeli and Alice Garcia (Advocacy and Communications Manager at ELSC)

Categories
Release

Urgent Communication: Imminent Threat to the Rights of Freedom of Expression and of Association and the Right of Non-discrimination in Berlin

Last week, the Berlin police prohibited public gatherings organised by civil society organisations in Berlin Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost, Palästina Spricht and Samidoun, planned to take place over the following weekend to commemorate the 74 years of the Nakba (the forced transfer of hundreds of Palestinians from their homeland). In the face of this imminent threat to the rights of freedom of expression and of association and the right of non-discrimination, the ELSC sent an urgent letter to the UN Special Rapporteurs on racism, on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly.

Download the letter

To the kind attention of:

Ms. E. Tendayi Achiume, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

Ms. Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur for freedom of opinion and expression;

Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association..

Excellencies,

I have the honour to address you in my capacity as Programme Director of the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), a human rights organisation that provides free legal advice and assistance to associations and individuals advocating for Palestinian rights in mainland Europe and the United Kingdom.

In this connection, I would like to bring to the attention of your Excellencies, information we have received concerning the prohibition of public gatherings organised by three organisations, Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost, Palästina Spricht and Samidoun, on 13, 14 and 15 May 2022 in Berlin, Germany.

According to the information received:

Public gatherings were planned to take place on 13, 14 and 15 May 2022 in the City of Berlin in commemoration of the 74th anniversary of the expulsion of the Palestinians from their homeland. Three applications for interim measures to suspend the prohibitions were rejected by the Berlin Administrative Court.

The Berlin Police justifies the prohibition by making the claim that an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic atmosphere is likely to occur. It states that the majority of participants in the demonstration will be from the Arab diaspora and from Muslim-influenced groups, and that “experience has shown that this clientele currently has a clearly aggressive attitude and is not averse to violent action”. According to the Police, “gatherings that critically discuss the fate of Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territories are thus likely to mobilise people who, in specific cases, may be tempted to take actions or make statements that are not compatible with German legislation”.

In Europe, where freedom of expression and opinion and freedom of peacefully assemblies are guaranteed, this is a worrisome development. I wish to express my concern that these measures represent a blatant, arbitrary and disproportionate limitation to these freedoms as guaranteed by Articles 5 and 8 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (“Grundgesetz”), by Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and by Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). In addition, the allegations and language used in the prohibition are expressed with unjustifiable condescendence toward the German Palestinian community and amount to Anti-Palestinian racism, a form of anti-Arab racism that aims to silence, exclude, erase, stereotype, defame or dehumanize Palestinians or their narratives, in violation of the right of non-discrimination established by article 14 ECHR and article 26 ICCPR.

Therefore, I urge you to take action to: a) request an explanation from the competent authorities of the City of Berlin; b) publicly denounce the violations of the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the right of non-discrimination; c) take the necessary steps to ensure that any of the person(s) responsible for the alleged violations are held accountable.

Please accept, Excellencies, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Giovanni Fassina
Programme Director, ELSC
14.05.2022

Picture: Palestine solidarity protest in Berlin, credit Hossam el-Hamalawy (Flickr)

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: April 2022

This month was marked by the launch of the campaign in support of German-Palestinian scholar Dr. Anna Younes. She is a German Palestinian academic who has been subjected to several disinformation campaigns and surveilled. In 2019, she discovered that a secret dossier circulated about her, distorting her academic work and other data to frame her as anti-Jewish racist, sexist and as a terrorist sympathizer. After two long years of proceedings with the Berlin Data Protection Authority that failed to issue a final decision on her case, Dr. Younes is now filing two lawsuits to seek justice.

This case illustrates the increasing violation of democratic principles with respect to Palestinian rights advocates across Europe and Germany in particular. It infringes on the right to privacy, freedom of expression and the participation in public life of anti-racist and decolonial advocates in Europe. Read here Middle East Eye’s report on the case.

READ MORE

Thanks to your support we aimed to raise more than 600 euros to sustain Dr. Younes’ legal costs. We need more help to cover the total costs of the lawsuits and support other advocates in Germany who might face surveillance as well.

DONATE

Over 500 scholars, activists, artists, organisations and human rights defenders signed a letter to support Dr. Anna Younes and other scholars, activists and journalists against censorship and surveillance in Germany. Angela Davis, Judith Butler, Noam Chomsky, Roger Waters and others signed the letter, join them!

SIGN

Share the campaign on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

NEW SUCCESSES FOR BDS IN GERMANY

Despite the harsh climate for Palestinian rights advocates in Germany, two new judgements delivered on the 21st of April and the 26th of April in Stuttgart shows us, again, that litigation to defend our fundamental rights works.

Palästinakomitee Stuttgart was targeted by several unfounded smear campaigns because of their support to the Palestinian-led BDS movement. In two different episodes, the City of Stuttgart withdrew the Committee’s access to the City’s website to advertise their activities, and the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg Bank announced the termnation of their bank accounts. Both decisions where based on the German Parliament’s anti-BDS resolution (among other reasons).

The activists legally challenged those undemocratic decisions and the Courts gave them reason. The Administrative Court and the Regional Court of Stuttgart both held that the Bundestag’s anti-BDS resolution lacks any legal binding effect. The Administrative Court reaffirmed that the BDS movement does not incite hatred against the Jewish people, and that it must be protected from undue interference.

SHARE THIS VICTORY

These decisions are consistent with a growing trend in German case law, which upholds the legitimacy of BDS. Read our analysis. Ahmed Abed, the lawyer who defended the Stuttgart activists, is also challenging the German Bundestag’s anti-BDS resolution with the Palestinian-Jewish-German team of activists BT3P.

SUPPORT THE CASE

A HIGHLY CONTESTABLE JUDGEMENT AGAINST BDS AUSTRIA

In a decision delivered on 6 April 2022, the Commercial Court of Vienna endorsed the City of Vienna’s lawsuit, ruling against the BDS activists.

TAKE ACTION

The Court’s decision is deeply problematic as it ignores the evidence submitted on behalf of the BDS activist, including legal opinions of renowned international and Israeli scholars. Furthermore, the Court ignored the existence of the Israeli system of apartheid towards Palestinians, a fact that is meticulously documented by organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’tselem and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

READ MORE

The BDS activist intends to appeal the decision and is ready, if necessary, to stand before the European Court of Human Rights to assert his fundamental right to freedom of expression.

DONATE

THE RIGHT TO BOYCOTT THREATENED IN THE UK

The UK government is proposing an “anti-boycott bill” that, if passed, could dramatically affect individual and organisations’ ability to campaign for social and climate justice in the UK and around the world. We are proud to be among the 40+ organisations opposing this bill.

READ MORE

Share the campaign’s statement on Twitter and Instagram.

BANNING EU TRADE WITH ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS: HELP US GET TO 1 MILLION SIGNATURES!

More than 170 organisations, including the ELSC, Human Rights Watch, Friends of the Earth, Avaaz and many others, joined the Stop Settlements Coalition calling to sign the European Citizens’ Initiative. We need 1 million signatures to push the EU to enact a ban on trade with illegal settlements in occupied territories, in line with its international law and EU trade obligations.

SIGN

Push people to sign in sharing the petition on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

READ MORE

WEBINARS ON THE WEAPONISATION OF THE FIGHT AGAINST ANTISEMITISM TO SILENCE CRITICISM OF ISRAEL

Law For Palestine held a webinar on “The Anti-Semitism Label: Fighting Discrimination V. Silencing Critical Voices”. The webinar examined the IHRA definition of Anti-Semitism, which many states and institutions have endorsed as a tool to combat antisemitism. Our Director Giovanni Fassina joined Former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine Professor Richard Falk and Professor of International Law Neve Gordon in the panel.

This month, the ELSC also participated to the webinar “Enforcing Silence: the Criticism of Israel, freedom of expression and anti-Semitism label”, organised by the Community Action Center – Al-Quds University. The event presented the definitions of anti-Semitism, notably among EU countries, limitations on the academic freedom of opinion, journalists’ freedom of expression, and the persecution of critics of the ongoing Israeli policies and practices against the Palestinian people.

COMING EVENTS

The ELSC will participate to a webinar organized by BRISMES on “Teaching Palestine in the Present”, on the 4th May 2022, 16:00-18:00 (UK time). Join us and register below.

REGISTER

2 CALLS FOR APPLICATION FROM PALESTINE

The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) is looking for an experienced and driven Advocacy Expert who can strategically develop their understanding of, and relationships with, the institutions of the European Union and relevant bodies. The EU Advocacy Expert will support PNGO in amplifying the Palestinian narrative and the effectiveness of Palestinian advocacy efforts in the EU.

APPLY

BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights opened its call for applications for its International Mobilization Course on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People  in Palestine from Sunday 24  July to Tuesday 2 August. A great opportunity for international advocates, researchers, activists, policy officers to gain a deeper understanding of a human rights based approach to international mobilisation for the rights of the Palestinian people.

If you would like to join the course, please fill the application form and send it, along with your CV, to leila@badil.org before 16 May 2022.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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 are a legal practitioner or a volunteer who wants to be part of our movement in support of Palestinian rights advocates, please contact us at info@elsc.support.

DONATE

Categories
Statement

Protect the right to boycott

The UK government is proposing an ‘anti-boycott bill’ that, if passed, could dramatically affect the ability of individuals and organisations to campaign for social and climate justice in the UK and around the world.

We as a collection of organisations have written the following statement to express our opposition to the bill:

Civil Society Statement

As a group of civil society organisations made up of trade unions, charities, NGOs, faith, climate justice, human rights, cultural, campaigning, and solidarity organisations, we advocate for the right of public bodies to decide not to purchase or procure from, or invest in companies involved in human rights abuse, abuse of workers’ rights, destruction of our planet, or any other harmful or illegal acts. We therefore oppose the government’s proposed law to stop public bodies from taking such actions.

The government has indicated that a main intention of any legislation is to ensure that public bodies follow UK foreign policy in their purchasing, procurement, and investment decisions, particularly relating to Israel and Palestine. We are concerned that this would prevent public bodies from deciding not to invest in or procure from companies complicit in the violation of the rights of the Palestinian people. We affirm that it is the right of public bodies to do so, and in fact a responsibility to break ties with companies contributing to abuses of rights and violations of international law in occupied Palestine and anywhere else where such acts occur.

From bus boycotts against racial segregation to divestment from fossil fuel companies to arms embargoes against apartheid, boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaigns have been applied throughout history to put economic, cultural, or political pressure on a regime, institution, or company to force it to change abusive, discriminatory, or illegal policies. If passed, this law will stifle a wide range of campaigns concerned with the arms trade, climate justice, human rights, international law, and international solidarity with oppressed peoples struggling for justice. The proposed law presents a threat to freedom of expression, and the ability of public bodies and democratic institutions to spend, invest and trade ethically in line with international law and human rights.

We call on the UK government to immediately halt this bill, on opposition parties to oppose it and on civil society to mobilise in support of the right to boycott in the cause of justice.

Share the statement

Read more about the Bill and see the FAQ on the Right to Boycott website

Signatories

  • Amos trust
  • Artists for Palestine UK
  • Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU)
  • British Committee for the Universities of Palestine
  • BRISMES Campaigns
  • British Palestinian Council
  • Campaign Against Arms Trade
  • Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
  • Communication Workers Union (CWU)
  • European Legal Support Centre
  • Friends of Birzeit University (FOBZU)
  • Free Speech on Israel
  • Friends of Al Aqsa
  • Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
  • Global Justice Now
  • Greenpeace UK
  • Institute of Race Relations
  • International Centre of Justice for Palestinians
  • Israeli Committee against House Demolitions UK
  • Jews for Justice for Palestinians (JJP)
  • Labour and Palestine
  • London Mining Network
  • Makan
  • Methodist Church in Britain
  • Movement for the Abolition of War
  • Muslim Association of Britain
  • National Education Union
  • National Union of Students
  • Netpol
  • Palestine Solidarity Campaign
  • People and Planet
  • Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
  • Quaker Roots
  • Quakers in Britain
  • Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union (RMT)
  • Sabeel-Kairos UK
  • SOS-UK (NUS climate campaign)
  • Stamp out Poverty
  • Transport Salaried Staffs Association Union (TSSA)
  • UNISON
  • Unite the Union
  • United Reformed Church
  • University and College Union (UCU)
  • War on Want
Categories
Event

Webinar “Enforcing Silence: the Criticism of Israel, freedom of expression and anti-Semitism label”

The ELSC will join a webinar organised by the Community Action Center – Al-Quds University to discuss the academic and journalistic freedom to criticise Israeli illegal policies.

Date and time

20th of April 2022 from 17.30-19.00 (GMT+3, Jerusalem time)

Join the event here: https://bit.ly/3Od7Ljk

The speakers

Ilan Pappé, renowned Israeli historian

Sai Englert, academic and activist

Giovanni Fassina, director of the European Legal Support Center

About the event

The panel will discuss the silence Israel enforces on academics and journalists speaking on Israel’s policies by labeling it anti-Semitic.

The event presents the definitions of anti-Semitism, notably among EU countries, limitations on the academic freedom of opinion, journalists’ freedom of expression, and the persecution of critics of the ongoing Israeli policies and practices against the Palestinian.

The Community Action Center – Al-Quds University is an association emanating from Al-Quds University and which aims to empower the Palestinian community in East Jerusalem. Read more here.

Categories
Case Update Press Release

Viennese Court Endorses the City of Vienna’s SLAPP Against Palestinian Rights Advocate

European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Amsterdam and Vienna, April 13, 2022

In a highly contestable decision delivered on 6 April 2022 in the case between the City of Vienna and a member of BDS Austria, the Commercial Court of Vienna endorsed the City’s Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP), ruling against the BDS activists. The Austrian activists will appeal this decision.

The judge ordered that the BDS activist must no longer use the logo of the City of Vienna in connection with any publication or public statement in order to avoid that the latter may be interpreted as issued by the City. The Court forbade the use of the City’s logo, although it was not proven in any way that the activist had ever done so.

The City sued the activist for publishing a sarcastic social media post that contained a picture of the famous “Visit Apartheid” poster attached to a billboard carrying the official logo of the City of Vienna. The City alleges that the BDS movement holds “antisemitic views” and “incites hatred against Israeli people”. Accordingly, it claimed that being publicly associated with BDS and with “the designation of the situation in Israel/Palestine as ‘Apartheid’ causes damage to [its] reputation”, and that this would therefore amount to defamation.

The judgement of the Vienna Court significantly deviates from prior judgments issued by the European Court of Human Rights, notably its judgment in Baldassi and Others v. France, as well as from emerging case law in Germany, all of which confirm the legitimacy of the Palestinian civil society-led BDS movement.

The Court’s decision is deeply problematic for the following reasons:

  1. The Court exclusively based its reasoning on the City’s documents, while disregarding the 22 pieces of evidence submitted on behalf of the BDS activist, including legal opinions of renowned international and Israeli scholars.
  2. The Court also ignored that the existence of an Israeli system of apartheid that oppresses the Palestinian people is a fact that has been meticulously documented by leading human rights organizations and UN experts, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’tselem and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
  3. It was clear from the BDS activist’s social media post that the apartheid poster did neither originate from the City nor express the views of the City. The activist’s post was not a factual assertion but rather satirical humour, which was taken out of context and used to silence advocacy for Palestinian rights.

The BDS activist intends to appeal the decision and is ready, if necessary, to stand before the European Court of Human Rights to assert his fundamental right to freedom of expression, a right enshrined in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Regarding next steps, the activist’s lawyer, Elisabetta Folliero, said:

“My client wants to proceed with the appeal, which is crucial for the defence of the fundamental right to freedom of expression. The City’s claim of financial compensation for damages and the cost of the legal proceedings, which my client will be required to pay if the appeals court upholds this controversial judgement, has already a chilling effect on support for Palestinian rights in Austria. For this reason, we ask for solidarity, including donations, which will support our appeal.”

TAKE ACTION

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: March 2022

Dear friend,
This month was marked by Women’s Rights Day as well as the Israeli Apartheid Week, where many students and activists organised events and protests to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and raise awareness about the Israeli apartheid. This week was not free from censorship, especially on campus, as shown by an incident in The Netherlands. We also share updates from the European Citizens’ Initiative Campaign as well as news from Germany, Austria, and a vacancy to work with us in the UK!

A GREAT JOB OPPORTUNITY IN THE UK

We are seeking a Legal Officer to oversee our cases and projects emanating from the UK. If you want to join a young and dynamic team and you’re passionate about defending Palestinian rights advocacy and UK law, apply before 17 April 2022.

APPLY

The role will cover: a) overseeing casework and research on the repression of Palestinian rights advocates in the UK; b) providing legal advice to ELSC clients on their rights under UK domestic law and European human rights law; c) developing strategies and guides to defend those affected by restrictive policies; d) analysing relevant legislation and jurisprudence under UK and EU law; and e) organising and participating in workshops and advocacy events.

Share the vacancy on your social media: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

MUNICIPALITY OF VIENNA V. BDS AUSTRIA

Two months after the hearing in Vienna, BDS Austria is still waiting for a ruling by the Court on the lawsuit filed by the Municipality of Vienna over a social media post of the famous “Visit Apartheid” poster. The anti-SLAPP task force Protect the Protest interviewed BDS Austria about the SLAPP they are facing. The group shared a strong message:

“continue doing the work, build networks, and seek international support”

READ MORE

BDS Austria stands strong and keeps protesting against Israeli apartheid and against the attempts to silence them. It is time now to reinforce the pressure. Email directly the Mayor of Vienna to ask him to end this lawsuit.

EMAIL the Vienna Mayor

DONATE

CENSORSHIP IN THE NETHERLANDS

While the case of the Freedom of Information (FOI-WOB) request by The Rights Forum – that triggered a harsh smear campaign against the leading Dutch NGO – is still pending, the ELSC supported a new case of censorship in Leiden University.

Students for Palestine, a group of activist students in The Hague, organised a panel discussion on apartheid in Leiden University with South African and Palestinian scholars. Only a few days before the date of the event planned for the beginning of the Israeli Apartheid Week, the University refused to host the event, alleging that the chair – the well-respected scholar in anthropology and law Dina Zbeidy – was “not neutral”.

After hundreds of academics and students protested this breach of academic freedom and raised concerns of anti-Palestinian racism, the University accepted to host the event on a different campus, but again, required to replace the chair. As the students refused to give in to the pressure, Leiden University cancelled again the event, which eventually took place in a cultural venue in The Hague. This incident caught the attention of BIJ1 MP Sylvana Simons who raised a question in Parliament.

Read more here and join the 1700 students and scholars who signed the letter to Leiden University.

SIGN the support letter

DONATE to help us win more cases

UPDATES FROM GERMANY

Following the dismissal of 7 journalists and the publication of an extremely biased investigation by the Deutsche Welle (DW), Palestinian-Jordanian Farah Maraqa took the German state broadcaster to court and had a first hearing.  Farah Maraqa, who the ELSC is supporting, is determined to pursue her legal battle against her unsubstantiated termination.

SUPPORT HER CASE

The DW has set a very dangerous precedent for the freedom of the press in Germany. The fact that the IHRA definition was used as a frame of the investigation shows, again, the very worrying chilling effect of the definition on freedom of expression and on accurate reporting on Israel-Palestine.

Nevertheless, legal battles are worth undertaking since, in the past years, we have observed a coherent and positive case law on anti-BDS policies in Germany. In 8 decisions, German courts have consistently upheld the right of activists to use public facilities for BDS-related events, thus reaffirming the legitimacy of BDS.

READ MORE

This reinforces the lawsuit of the Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) aiming to repeal the German Parliament’s anti-BDS resolution and end this tactic of repression targeting Palestinian rights advocates.

DONATE to support the BT3P lawsuit

TAKE ACTION TO BAN TRADE WITH THE SETTLEMENTS

More than 170 organisations, including the ELSC, Human Rights Watch, Friends of the Earth, Avaaz and many others, joined the Stop Settlements Coalition calling to sign the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) petition. We need 1 million signatures to push the EU to enact a ban on trade with illegal settlements in occupied territories, in line with its international law and EU trade obligations.

SIGN

Read more about the ECI

CHALLENGING REPRESSION OF PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETY AND APARTHEID

In a joint letter with the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, we asked key EU institutions and Member States to uphold international law at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council. We asked, in particular, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to condemn Israel’s apartheid and to call on Israel to revoke the unsubstantiated designation of the 6 prominent Palestinian CSOs.

At the occasion of the UN Human Rights Council, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the OPT Michael Lynk also published its report. It concludes that Israel has been imposing an apartheid regime over the Palestinian people and acknowledges the settler-colonial nature of Israel’s occupation and apartheid.

READ MORE

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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 are a legal practitioner or a volunteer who wants to be part of our movement in support of Palestinian rights advocates, please contact us at info@elsc.support.

DONATE

Categories
Release

Letter in Support of Dr. Anna Younes

The ELSC published a letter signed by over 500 scholars, artists, activists, organisations and human rights defenders to support Dr. Anna Younes and other scholars, activists and journalists against censorship and unlawful surveillance in Germany.

Sign the support letter

Read more about the case of Dr. Younes and her lawsuits and watch the video

Support scholars, activists and journalists against censorship and unlawful surveillance

We the undersigned scholars, artists, activists and organizations, stand in solidarity with Dr. Anna-Esther Younes, a German-Palestinian critical race and post-colonial scholar, who has already faced several misinformation media campaigns in Germany due to her academic and policy related work on anti-Jewish racism and Palestinian rights. In November 2019, a secret file about her was leaked to her, which had already led to professional exclusions based on unlawful secret data collection and surveillance research by state-funded civil society organizations that purport to investigate anti-Semitism in German society. As signatories we support her struggle against all forms of racism, including anti-Muslim racism and anti-Jewish racism, everywhere. We condemn repression in Germany that targets Critical Race theorists, advocates of Palestinian human rights, and supporters of BDS. We therefore endorse Dr. Younes’s campaign for data protection and the release of secret files on her and potential other decolonial and anti-racist scholars and activists.

We are alarmed by recent efforts to exclude Dr. Anna-Esther Younes from academia and from the public debate in Germany. In November 2019, the Berlin Department for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS) prepared a secret file that patches together distorted selections of Dr. Younes’s writings to defame her distorting her scholarly work as allegedly supporting Islamism, Sexism, and by extension anti-Semitism. This file appears to have been circulated to politicians and event organizers in order to exclude her from a public debate on racism and right-wing extremism in Germany. Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East (JVP), Germany, has unequivocally defended Dr. Younes’s scholarship and condemned allegations on the “basis of decontextualized information, hearsay, and guilt by association.” JVP has reminded us that: “We need more, not less, critical analyses that shed light on the phenomenon of Islamophobia and its connection to antisemitism, as do those of Younes.” The purpose and method of information collection and sharing by RIAS did not respect Dr. Younes’s fundamental right to privacy and resembles State surveillance through a state-funded civil society organization.

We, the undersigned, believe that surveillance and secretly circulating defamatory documentation has no place in a democratic society. Attempts to silence critical and particularly minority voices in Germany have a common denominator: anti-Palestinian racism cloaked in anti-BDS positions. The German Parliament made such discrimination state doctrine when it adopted an anti-BDS resolution in 2019.

Dr. Younes’s RIAS file also features a public letter addressed to the German parliament and government signed by her and other international scholars. That letter is supposedly proof of her anti-Semitism. In anticipation of the proliferation of such fraudulent charges, hundreds of German, international,  Jewish and Israeli scholars, among them world authorities on anti-Jewish racism and the history of the Holocaust, had earlier condemned the German Parliament’s anti-BDS declaration as an “unreasonable, disproportionate and unlawful limitation of the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly of human rights defenders.” They have pledged not to serve on juries or prize committees or in academic hiring consultations in Germany whenever there are “convincing indicators that their decisions may be subject to ideological or political interference or litmus tests.” Last year, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has rejected the criminalization of boycotts directed against Israel in support of Palestinian rights and affirmed BDS as a legitimate exercise of freedom of expression.

Based on the above, and irrespective of our diverse positions on supporting BDS, we demand RIAS release all documentation it has assembled on Dr. Younes and potential other decolonial and anti-racist scholars and activists. We, the signatories, also urge German institutions to rein in anti-Palestinian racism. There must be no Palestine exception to academic freedom and freedom of expression. 

SIGN the support letter

DONATE to help with the legal fees

The first signatories:

  1. European Legal Support Center (ELSC), The Netherlands
  2. Room 4 Resistance, queer DJs and nightlife activists collective, Germany
  3. Ronnie Kasrils, Former South African Government Minister and Author, South Africa
  4. The Jewish Antifascist Bund, Berlin, Germany
  5. Prof. Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley, USA
  6. Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P), Germany
  7. Palästina Spricht / Palestine Speaks, Germany
  8. Dirk Moses, Frank Porter Graham Distinguished Professor of Global Human Rights History, Department of History, University of North Carolina, USA
  9. Prof. Ella Shohat, Author, USA
  10. Dr. Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies, Columbia University; Co-Editor, Journal of Palestine Studies, USA
  11. Prof. Amos Goldberg, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
  12. Ken Loach, Film Director, UK
  13. Achille Mbembe, Research Professor in History and Politics University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa
  14. Prof. Noam Chomsky, University of Arizona, USA
  15. Omar Barghouti, human rights defender, Palestine
  16. Houria Bouteldja, decolonial activist, France
  17. Professor Alana Lentin, Western Sydney University, Australia
  18. Dr. Yassir Morsi, Writer and Academic, Australia
  19. Françoise Vergès, Antiracist Decolonial Feminist, Writer, France
  20. Prof. Emeritus Dr. Fanny-Michaela Reisin, former president of the International League for Human Rights – FIDH Germany, Germany 
  21. Aviad Albert, PhD candidate, University of Cologne, Germany
  22. Prof. Emeritus John Dugard, Universities of Leiden and the Witwatersrand, The Netherlands and South Africa
  23. Dr. Fatima El-Tayeb, Professor of Ethnicity, Race & Migration, Yale University, USA
  24. Nacira Guénif, Sociologist and Anthropologist Professor, University of Paris 8, France
  25. Prof. Emeritus Avner Ben-Amos, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
  26. Dr. Sami Khatib, Interim Professor, Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG) Karlsruhe, Germany
  27. Dr. Hilla Dayan, Lecturer, Amsterdam University College, The Netherlands and co-founder Academic for Equality, Israel
  28. Prof. Boaventura de Sousa Santos, Sociologist, University of Coimbra, Portugal
  29. Prof. Roy Wagner, GESS department, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  30. Prof. Nurit Peled-Elhanan, Hebrew university (rtd) and David Yellin Academic College Laureate of the EU Parliament Sakharov award for human rights and the freedom of thought, Israel
  31. Dr. Ofer Shinar Levanon, Hebrew University and Ruppin Academic College, Israel
  32. Dr. Itamar Shachar, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Sociology, Ghent University, Belgium
  33. Prof. James Dickins, University of Leeds, UK
  34. Dr. Robert Boyce, Emeritus Reader, London School of Economics, UK
  35. E. Natalie Rothman, Associate Professor of History, University of Toronto, Canada
  36. Ronit Lentin, Associate Professor, Sociology (retired), Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
  37. Prof. Hagit Borer, FBA, FLSA, Department of Linguistics, SLLF, Queen Mary, University of London, UK
  38. Prof. Haim Bresheeth, Professorial Research Associate, SOAS, University of London, UK
  39. Dr. Shir Hever, Manager of BIP e.V., Germany
  40. Dr. Samir Abed-Rabbo, Professor of Political Science, Mansfield, USA
  41. Prof. em. Dr. Norman Paech, University of Hamburg, Germany
  42. Paul Mendes-Flohr, Professor Emeritus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
  43. Thomas Perroud, Professor of Public Law, Pantheon-Assas University, France
  44. Mark LeVine, Professor of History, Chair, Program in Global Middle East Studies, UC Irvine, USA
  45. Paul Aarts, Dept. of Political Science, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  46. 7amleh, Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, Palestine
  47. British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP), UK
  48. Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost (Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East), Germany
  49. UK-Palestine Mental Health Network, UK
  50. AURDIP (Association des Universitaires pour le respect du droit international en Palestine), France
  51. Another Jewish Voice, Belgium
  52. Independent Jewish Voices Canada
  53. Comité Pour Une Paix Juste Au Proche-Orient, Luxembourg 
  54. Norwich Palestine Solidarity Campaign, UK
  55. The Rights Forum, The Netherlands
  56. Jewish Network for Palestine, UK
  57. Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Ireland
  58. Academics for Palestine, Ireland
  59. Dutch Higher Education in Solidarity with Palestine, The Netherlands
  60. Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies, Australia
  61. California Scholars for Academic Freedom, USA 
  62. Jewish Voice for Peace, Milwaukee Chapter, USA
  63. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions – Germany, Germany
  64. Aydoun Holland, The Netherlands
  65. Finnish-Arab Friendship Society, Finland
  66. North Herts Palestine Solidarity Campaign, UK
  67. BACBI, Belgian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, Belgium
  68. International Fellowship of Reconciliation-France, France
  69. Free Palestine Maastricht, The Netherlands
  70. Institut für Palästinakunde (reg. assoc.) – Institute for the Study of Palestine (reg. assoc.), Germany
  71. BDS Berlin, Germany
  72. Bündnis gegen Rassismus Berlin, Germany
  73. Die LINKE Berlin LAG Internationals, Germany
  74. Dance with Pride, Germany and The Netherlands
  75. Antifascist Music Alliance, Germany and The Netherlands
  76. Decolonial International Network, The Netherlands
  77. Diensten en Onderzoek Centrum Palestina (docP), The Netherlands
  78. Europeans Jews for a Just Peace (EJJP), UK
  79. Jews for Justice for Palestinians (JFJFP), UK
  80. Een Ander Joods Geluid (EAJG), The Netherlands
  81. British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES), UK
  82. Artists for Palestine, UK
  83. Palestine Legal, USA
  84. Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS), France
  85. Comité pour le respect des libertés et des droits de l’homme en Tunisie (CRLDHT), France
  86. Fédération des tunisiens citoyens des deux rives (FTCR), France
  87. Palestina Solidariteit, Belgium
  88. Palästinensischen Studenten Verein Berlin – Brandenburg PSV e.V., Germany
  89. Collectif Judéo Arabe et Citoyen pour la Palestine (CJACP), France
  90. CAGE, UK
  91. Coalition of Anti-Racist Educators (CARE), No More Exclusions, UK
  92. Women in Black (Vienna), Austria
  93. Plateforme des ONG françaises pour la Palestine, France
  94. UCL Students for Justice in Palestine, UK
  95. Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
  96. Border Violence Monitoring Network
  97. Islamic Human Rights Commission, UK
  98. Africa 4 Palestine, South Africa
  99. Na’eem Jeenah, Executive Director, Afro-Middle East Centre, South Africa
  100. Dr. Leena Dallasheh, Associate Professor of History, Humboldt State University, USA
  101. Dr. Maria Elena Indelicato, CEEC Individual FCT Researcher, University of Coimbra, Centre for Social Studies, Portugal
  102. Livnat Konopny Decleve, PhD candidate, Tel Aviv University, Israel
  103. Bob Brecher, Professor Emeritus of Moral Philosophy, University of Brighton, UK
  104. Richard Seaford, Emeritus Professor of Ancient Greek, University of Exeter, UK
  105. Prof. Greg Philo (emeritus), Glasgow University, UK
  106. Dr. Derek Summerfield, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College, University of London, UK
  107. Herman De Ley, Emeritus Professor, Ghent University, Belgian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (BACBI), member of the Coordination Committee, Belgium
  108. Dr. Sai Englert, Lecturer, Leiden University, The Netherlands
  109. Prof. Yonathan (jon) Anson, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (retired), Israel
  110. Lucia Admiraal, Assistant Professor Middle Eastern Studies, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
  111. Dr. Lana Sirri, Project manager BIWOC Rising, Germany
  112. Prof. Joseph Levine, Professor of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
  113. Bruce Ackerman, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science, Yale University*, USA. (*For purposes of identification only. The position taken here should not be attributed to the University)
  114. Prof.dr.em Annelies Moors, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  115.  Professor Emerita, Lisa Rofel, University of California, Santa Cruz, National Board, Member, Jewish Voice for Peace, USA
  116. Prof. Susan Rose-Ackerman, Henry R. Luce Professor of Jurisprudence, Law and Political Science, Emeritur, Yale University, USA
  117. Dr. Lila Abu-Lughod, Professor at Columbia University, USA
  118. Ghislain Poissonnier, French magistrate, France
  119. Prof. Paola Bacchetta, University of California, Berkeley, Turtle Island, USA
  120. Prof. Rebecca Ruth Gould, Professor, Islamic World & Comparative Literature, University of Birmingham, UK
  121. Dr. Noa Roei, Assistant Professor, Department of Literary and Cultural Analysis, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  122. Dr. Jeff Handmaker, Associate Professor in Legal Sociology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  123. Ms Sarah Sheriff, Lecturer, Adult & Community Education, London, UK
  124. Dr. Jens Hanssen, Assoc. Prof., Arab Civilization, Mediterranean Studies and Middle Eastern History, University of Toronto, Canada
  125. Dr. Jess Bier, Assistant professor of urban sociology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  126. Dr. Lieke Smits, Postdoctoral researcher, University of Antwerp, Belgium
  127. Dr. Lisa Stampnitzky, Lecturer in Politics, University of Sheffield, UK
  128. Dr. David Kattenburg, University science instructor & journalist, Breda, The Netherlands
  129. Dr. Nicola Perugini, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Edinburgh, UK
  130. Irene van Oorschot, PhD, Postdoctoral researcher, The Netherlands
  131. Prof. Neve Gordon, International Law, School of Law, Queen Mary University of London, UK
  132. Dr. Brooke Maddux, France Palestine Mental Health Network, doctoral scholar in Philosophy, Université de Reims, France
  133. Dr. Polly Pallister-Wilkins, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  134. Dr. Tamar Berger, Bezalel academy of art and design, Jerusalem, Israel
  135. Prof. Esther Peeren, Professor of Cultural Analysis & Academic Director, Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  136. Alon Confino, Pen Tishkach Chair of Holocaust Studies, Professor of History and Jewish Studies, Director, Institute for Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
  137. Dr. Tammy Razi, Sapir College, Israel
  138. Dr. Lori A. Allen, Reader in Anthropology, Department of Anthropology & Sociology, SOAS, University of London, UK
  139. Prof. Laleh Khalili, School of Politics and International Relations, Queen Mary University of London, UK
  140. Prof. Goldie Osuri, Department of Sociology, University of Warwick, UK
  141. Assoz. Prof. Dr. Birgit Englert, University of Vienna, Austria
  142. Shmuel Groag, Senior lecturer, Bezalel academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem
  143. Dr. Anat Matar, The Department of Philosophy, Tel Aviv University, Israel and co-founder, Academia for Equality, Israel
  144. Prof. Carole H Browner, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), USA
  145. Nahla Abdo, Professor (Sociology and Anthropology), Carleton University, Canada
  146. PhD fellow, Udi Raz, Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies, Germany
  147. Dr. Anne de Jong, Associate Professor Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  148. Ismail Poonawala, Professor of Arabic & Islamic Studies, UCLA, USA
  149. Dr. Eloe Kingma, Managing Director Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, The Netherlands
  150. Professor Emeritus, Raymond Bush, African Studies and Development Politics, POLIS, University of Leeds, UK
  151. Dr. Michiel Bot, Assistant Professor, Tilburg University, The Netherlands
  152. Christian Henderson, PhD Assistant Professor, Leiden Institute for Area Studies (LIAS), Leiden University, The Netherlands
  153. Prof. Salman Sayyid, Professor of Social Theory & Decolonial Thought, University of Leeds, UK
  154. Prof. Boaventura de Sousa Santos, Sociologist, University of Coimbra, Portugal
  155. Dr. Hatem Bazian, University of California, Berkeley, USA
  156. Dr.Melanie Richter-Montpetit, Senior Lecturer in International Security and Director of the Centre for Advanced International Theory, University of Sussex, UK
  157. Mudar Kassis, Birzeit University, Palestine
  158. Prof. Riccardo Bocco, The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Switzerland
  159. Dr. Kobi Kabalek, Penn State University, USA
  160. Prof. Dr. Henning Melber, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  161. Prof. Sari Hanafi, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
  162. Dr. Paniz Musawi Natanzi, Post-Doctoral Research Associate, SOAS, University of London, UK
  163. Prof. Dr. emeritus Moshe Zuckermann, Tel Aviv University, Israel
  164. Miss Akudo McGee, PhD Researcher, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
  165. Law Professor Xavier Dupré de Boulois, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France
  166. Dr. Rasha Soliman, Associate Professor of Arabic Language and Linguistics, University of Leeds, UK
  167. Dr. Inna Michaeli, Sociologist, Germany
  168. Prof. em. dr. Marc David Dep. Wiskunde, Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium
  169. Prof. Eva Brems, Head of the Human Rights Centre, Ghent University, Belgium
  170. Prof. Kanishka Goonewardena, University of Toronto, Canada
  171. Dr. Nozomi Takahashi, Ghent University, Belgium
  172. Prof. Dr. Reinhart Kößler, Germany
  173. Dr. Maya Mikdashi, Assistant Professor, Rutgers University, USA
  174. Dr. Jacques Englebert, Lawyer and Professor, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
  175. Associate Professor (retired) Robert Kirchner, University of Alberta Linguistics Dept (retired), Independent Jewish Voices Canada, steering committee, Temple Beth Ora Reform Jewish synagogue, board member, Canada
  176. Gordon Doctorow, Ed.D. (adjunct faculty member, Nova Southeastern University—identification purposes only), Canada
  177. Prof. em. Vincent Wertz, Ecole Polytechnique de Louvain, Belgium
  178. Dr. Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi, Director and Senior Scholar, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies San Francisco State University, USA
  179. Prof. Geert van Loo, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation research Gent, Belgium
  180. Prof. Farid Esack, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
  181. Prof. Dr. Gilbert Achcar, SOAS, University of London, UK
  182. Jessica Elias, Tutor in Politics and Culture of the Middle East, Leiden University, The Netherlands
  183. Dr. Helmut Krieger, University of Vienna, Austria
  184. Marc Mormont, Professor, University of Liege, Belgium
  185. Dr. Leander Meuris, Staff scientist, VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Belgium
  186. Dr. Beatriz de Abreu Fialho Gomes, retired Senior Lecturer, University of Vienna, Austria
  187. Stef Craps, Professor of English Literature, Ghent University, Belgium
  188. Prof. em. Dr. Wolf Linder University of Bern, Switzerland
  189. Dr. Hanan Toukan, Bard College Berlin, Germany
  190. Norma Rantisi Professor, Dept. of Geography, Planning & Environment, Concordia University, Canada
  191.  Marjolein De Pau, PhD Candidate at Ghent University, Belgium
  192. Dr. Dror Warschawski, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
  193. Layal Ftouni, Assistant Professor of Gender Studies and Critical Theory Utrecht University, The Netherlands
  194. PhD researcher Brigitte Herremans, Law Faculty, Ghent University, Belgium
  195. Dr. Anya Topolski, Associate Professor in Ethics and Political Philosophy, Radboud University, The Netherlands
  196. Eric Shragge, Associate Professor (retired) School of Community and Public Affairs, Concordia University, Montreal Quebec, Canada
  197. Dr. Terri Ginsberg, Assistant Professor of Cinema, Concordia University, Canada
  198. Dr. Ardi Imseis, Assistant Professor of Law Academic Director, International Law Programs Faculty of Law Queen’s University, UK
  199. Mark Ayyash, Associate Professor of Sociology, Mount Royal University, Canada
  200. John King, Associate Adjunct Professor, New York University, USA
  201. Denis Kosseim Philosophy Department CEGEP André-Laurendeau Montréal, Canada
  202. Dr. Todd May, Philosopher, USA
  203. Randa Farah, Associate Professor University of Western Ontario, Canada
  204. Dr. Alexis Merlaud, Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgium
  205. Michael Rothberg, Professor of Comparative Literature, English, and Holocaust Studies, UCLA, USA
  206. Prof. Mark Lance, Department of philosophy, program on justice and peace Georgetown University, USA
  207. Dr. Les Levidow Senior Research Fellow Open University, UK
  208. Dr. Imad Mustafa, University Erfurt, Germany
  209. Dr. Chiara De Cesari, Associate Professor, European and Cultural Studies, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  210. Dr. Susan Blackwell Lecturer, Dept of Languages, Literature and Communication, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
  211. Dr. Kathrin Thiele, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
  212. Prof. Nitzan Shoshan, Centro de Estudios Sociológicos, El Colegio de México, Mexico
  213. Prof. Mandy Turner Professor of Conflict and Peace Studies, University of Manchester, UK
  214. Prof. Dr. Yolande Jansen Socrates Professor for Humanism in Relation to Religion and Secularity at the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the Free University Amsterdam, and Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  215. Postdoctoral Research Associate, Peyman Jafari, Princeton University, USA
  216. Dr. Giovanni Picker, Lecturer in Sociology, University of Glasgow, UK
  217. Prof. Adam Hanieh Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies University of Exeter, UK
  218. Dr. Bashir Abu-Manneh Head of English University of Kent, UK
  219. PhD(c) Nadia Silhi Chahin Researcher, University of Edinburgh, UK
  220. Prof. Nicola Pratt, Professor of the International Politics of the Middle East University of Warwick, UK
  221. Daniel A. Segal, Jean M. Pitzer Professor of Anthropology & Professor of History, Pitzer College, Claremont, USA
  222. Dr. Martijn de Koning, Associate Professor Islam Studies Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  223. Mauricio Amar, Professor at the Eugenio Chahuan Center for Arab Studies, University of Chile, Chile
  224. PhD Lina Meruane, Writer and Associate Clinical Professor at New York University, Chile/USA
  225. Omar Jabary Salamanca, FNRS Research Fellow, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
  226. Mr. Barry Finnegan, Senior Lecturer & Programme Director at the Faculty of Journalism & Media Communications, Griffith College, Ireland
  227. Suad Joseph Distinguished Research Professor University of California Davis, USA
  228. Professor Karen Till, Maynooth University, Ireland
  229. Prof. dr. Sarah Bracke, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  230. Ivan Huber, PhD Prof Emeritus of Biology Fairleigh Dickinson University Madison, NJ, USA
  231. Dr. Nick Riemer, Senior Lecturer, English and Linguistics departments, University of Sydney, Australia
  232. Professor Victor Wallis, Berklee College of Music, USA
  233. William I. Robinson, Distinguished Professor, University of California-Santa Barbara, USA
  234. Sherene Seikaly, Associate Professor, Department of History, Director, Center for Middle East Studies, University of California, Santa BarbaraAuthor, Co-Editor, Journal of Palestine Studies, Co-Editor, Jadaliyya, USA
  235. Dr. Robert Austin Henry, Honorary Associate, Dept. of History University of Sydney, Australia
  236. Viviana Ramírez, BA (Hons), Dip. Ed. Senior Teacher of Spanish & Home Economics (retired) NSW & Queensland Depts. of Education (1980-2016), Australia
  237. David Mond, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, University of Warwick, UK
  238. (Dr) Michael Leonard Furtado, BA(Hons), CertEd(Lond), GradDipRE(ECU), DipSoc(Oxon), MA(WA), PhD(QLD), CertFour (Disability Studies)
  239. Professor Dr. Aziz Al-Azmeh, Central European University Vienna, Austria
  240. David Klein, Professor of Mathematics California State University Northridge, USA
  241. Dr. Sharae Deckard, Associate Professor in World Literature University College Dublin, Ireland
  242. Ximena de la Barra Mac Donald, Independent scholar UN retiree, Spain
  243. Dr. Larry Haiven, Professor Emeritus, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
  244. Howard Winant, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Department of Sociology University of California Santa Barbara, USA
  245. Frances M. Clarke, Associate Professor Frances M Clarke Department of History, University of Sydney, Australia
  246. David Palumbo-Liu, Louise Hewlett Nixon Professor, Stanford University, USA
  247. Prof. Gerry Kearns, Professor of Geography Maynooth University, Ireland
  248. David Barkin, Profesor Distinguido, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana – Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico
  249. Sophia Hoffinger, PhD Researcher University of Edinburgh, UK
  250. Dr. Sheryl Nestel, Lecturer in Sociology (retired), University of Toronto, Canada
  251. Assistant Professor Jillian Rogin, University of Windsor, Windsor ON, Canada
  252. Dr. Erella Grassiani University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  253. Margaret Ferguson, Distinguished Professor of English Emerita University of California, Davis, USA
  254. Deborah Cowen, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada
  255. Dr. Lamia Moghnieh, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  256. Dr. Pepijn Brandon, Assistant Professor Global Economic and Social History Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands
  257. Julio Yao, Professor of International Law, International Analyst, Panama
  258. Shahla Razavi, Associate Professor, Mathematics (Retired) Mt. San Jacinto Community College California, USA
  259. Prof. Rami Salameh, Birzeit University, Palestine
  260. Lisa Baraitser, Professor of Psychosocial Theory, Department of Psychosocial Studies, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
  261. Dr. Sarah El Bulbeisi, Researcher, Lebanon
  262. Leah Galant, Fulbright Scholar, USA
  263. Professor Stephen Frosh, Professor of Psychology, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
  264. Professor Ruba Salih, SOAS, University of London, UK
  265. Prof.  Yosefa Loshitzky, SOAS, University of London, UK
  266. Professor emeritus Moshé Machover, Department of Philosophy, King’s College, London UK
  267. Prof. Daniel Boyarin Taubman Professor of Talmudic Culture, UC Berkeley (emeritus) and Grus Visiting Professor of Jewish Law, Harvard Law School (2021-2022), USA
  268. Mike Cushman, Research Fellow LSE (rtd), UK
  269. Dr. Lila Sharif, Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies. The University of Illinois, USA
  270. Prof. Jonathan Rosenhead, Emeritus Professor of Operational Research, London School of Economics, UK
  271. Esther Romeyn, Senior Lecturer, Center for European Studies, University of Florida, USA
  272. Prof. Candice Breitz, HBK Braunschweig, Germany
  273. Dr. Alyosxa Tudor, Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies, SOAS, University of London, UK
  274. Prof. Yael Politi, B CUBE – Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
  275. Michael Harris, Professor of Mathematics, Columbia University, USA
  276. Prof. Dina Matar, SOAS, University of London, UK
  277. Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Kempf, University of Konstanz Department of Psychology, Germany
  278. Professor Ilan Pappe, Historian, University of Exeter, UK
  279. Professor Jodi Melamed, Marquette University, USA
  280. Dr. Alborz Ghandehari, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies University of Utah, USA
  281. Karma R. Chávez, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, The University of Texas, USA
  282. Eithne Luibhéid, Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies University of Arizona, USA
  283. Professor (of American Studies and Anthropology) J. Kehaulani Kauanui, Ph.D. Wesleyan University, USA
  284. Dr. Jacqueline Ismael, Professor Emerita, University of Calgary, Canada
  285. Max Weiss, Associate Professor of History and Near Eastern Studies Princeton University, USA
  286. Prof. Caroline Rooney, University of Kent, UK
  287. Anne Meneley, Professor of Anthropology Trent University, Canada
  288. Bárbara Azaola Piazza, Researcher, GRESAM, Spain
  289. Professor James A. Reilly, Department of Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations University of Toronto, Canada
  290. Dr. Mazen Masri, Senior Lecturer in Law, City University of London, UK
  291. Michael Taussig, Class of 1933 professor Emeritus of the Department of Anthropology, Columbia University, USA
  292. Dr. Angelo Stefanini, Retired Faculty, University of Bologna, Italy
  293. Walid Kazziha, Professor of Political Science, American University in Cairo, Egypt
  294. Anthony Alessandrini, Professor of English & Middle Eastern Studies City University of New York, USA
  295. Prof. Janet C.E. Watson, FBA Co-director of Centre for Endangered Languages, Cultures and Ecosystems University of Leeds, UK
  296. Prof. Laura Guazzone, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy
  297. Susan Slyomovics, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Near Eastern Languages & Cultures University of California Los Angeles, USA
  298. Nada Moumtaz, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Canada
  299. Dr. Farid Hafez, Researcher, Georgetown University, The Bridge Initiative, USA
  300. Dr. Nikolas Kosmatopoulos, Assistant Professor American University of Beirut, Lebanon
  301. Leila Pourtavaf, Assistant Professor of Global Public History Department of History York University, Canada
  302. Charles E. Butterworth, Emeritus Professor Department of Government & Politics University of Maryland College Park, MD USA
  303. Catherine Cobham, Lecturer, Department of Arabic and Persian, School of Modern Languages, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
  304. Stephen Marmura PhD (he/him) Associate Professor Department of Sociology, St. Francis Xavier University, Canada
  305. Dr. Paul Kelemen retired academic (formerly of Manchester University UK)
  306. Leonardo Capezzone Associate Professor Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
  307. Francesco Zappa Associate Professor, Islamic Studies Sapienza University, Italy
  308. Dr. James Deutsch Faculty, Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
  309. Dr. Raz Segal, Associate Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Stockton University, USA
  310. Dr. Elaine C. Hagopian, Professor Emerita of Sociology Simmons University (Boston), USA
  311. Dr. Ruth Marshall Associate Professor Departments of Political Science, Study of Religion University of Toronto, Canada
  312. Michael Lambek, FRSC. Professor, University of Toronto Canada
  313. Atalia Omer, Professor of Religion, Conflict, and Peace Studies Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies Keough School of Global Affairs, The University of Notre Dame, USA
  314. Cynthia Franklin, Professor of English, University of Hawai’i, USA
  315. Dr. Claudia Prestel, Professor emerita, Germany
  316. Yasser Munif Associate Professor/ Emerson College, USA
  317. Elsa Wiehe, ED. D. Boston University African Studies Center K-16 Education Program Manager Boston, Ma, USA
  318. Dr. Bram Wispelwey, Instructor, Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA
  319. Nigel C. Gibson Professor, Marlboro Institute of Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies. Emerson College Boston, USA
  320. Jason A. Springs, Professor of Religion, Ethics, and Peace Studies University of Notre Dame, USA
  321. Dr. Ada Barbaro, Senior lecturer in Arabic Language and Literature Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
  322. Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh, Director, Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University, Palestine
  323. Mohammad Fadel, Professor of Law, University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Canada
  324. Prof. Jawed Siddiqi, Emeritus Professor Sheffield Hallam University, UK
  325. Lora Wildenthal, John Antony Weir Professor of History, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
  326. Najat Rahman, Professor of Comparative Literature, University of Montreal, Canada
  327. Dr. Sara Roy, Senior Research Scholar Center for Middle Eastern Studies Harvard University, USA
  328. Lawrence Davidson, Professor Emeritus of History, West Chester University, USA
  329. Tareq Y. Ismael, Professor of Political Science and Co-editor of Journal of Contemporary Iraq & the Arab World, University of Calgary, Canada
  330. Prof. Michelle Hartman, McGill University, Québec, Canada
  331. Jane Mchan, retired professor, USA
  332. Vincent Romani, Professor, Department of Political science, UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal), Canada
  333. Prof. Ferhat Kentel, “We Shall Live Together” – Foundation of Education and Social Researches (BAYETAV), General Coordinator, Turkey
  334. Ivar Ekeland, Professor emeritus, former President, the University of Paris-Dauphine Member of the Academia Europea, foreign member of the Academies of Norway and Austria
  335. Ira Dworkin, Associate Professor Texas A&M University, USA
  336. Dr. Ellen Fleischmann, Professor Emerita, University of Dayton, USA
  337. Prof. Nakayike Musisi, History Department, University of Toronto, Canada
  338. Prof. Dr. Karin Kulow Near and Middle East Scientist, Germany
  339. Dr. Hana Masri Fellow Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), USA
  340. Prof. em. Dr. Georg Meggle Analytical Philosopher, Philosophy Department, University Leipzig, Germany
  341. Dr. Hab. Nora Lafi, Historian, Germany
  342. Dr. Sigrid Vertommen, postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Conflict and Development Studies, Ghent University, Belgium
  343. Kate Korycki, Phd Assistant Professor, Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, Western University, London Ontario, Canada
  344. Amber Jamilla Musser, Professor of English, CUNY/ The Graduate Center, USA
  345. Dr. Katherine Blouin, Associate Professor of History and Classics, University of Toronto, Canada
  346. Prof. John Chalcraft, London School of Economics, UK
  347. Prof. Tim Jacoby, Global Development Institute, Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute Treasurer, British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, UK
  348. James Godfrey, PhD Researcher, UK
  349. Paul Allies, Professeur Emérite, Université Montpellier, France
  350. Dr. Rinella Cere, College of Social Sciences and Art, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
  351. Michael Allan, Associate Professor, University of Oregon, USA
  352. Prof., Dr. iur., Dr. h.c., Stefan Trechsel, Former President, European Commission of Human Rights, former Judge of the ICTY, Switzerland
  353. Dr. Peter E Jones, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
  354. Prof. Gadi Algazi Tel Aviv University, Department of History & Minerva Institute for German History, Director, Israel
  355. Dr. Jana Cattien, Assistant Professor in Political and Social Philosophy, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  356. Dr. Markha Valenta Assistant Professor, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
  357. Dr. Grietje Baars, Reader in Law and Social Change, The City Law School, City, University of London, UK
  358. Dr. Leandros Fischer, Assistant Professor for International Studies, Aalborg University, Denmark/Germany
  359. Dr. Sharri Plonski, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Queen Mary University of London, UK
  360. Marco Balboni, Professor, University of Bologna, Italy
  361. Dr. Philippe Enclos, Associate professor in law, retired, University of Lille, France
  362. Fabio Marcelli, Research Director of the Institute of International Legal Studies of the National Research Council, Italy
  363. Dr. Max Haiven, Canada Research Chair in the Radical Imagination, Lakehead University, Canada
  364. Dr. Kylie Thomas Researcher, Netherlands Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  365. Hazem Jamjoum, Doctoral Candidate, New York University, UK
  366. Prof. Emerita Marie Kennedy, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
  367. Dr. Zvi Bekerman, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
  368. Dr. Grietje Baars, Reader in Law and Social Change, The City Law School, City, University of London, UK
  369. Rush Rehm, Professor, Theater and Performance Studies, and Classics, Stanford University, Artistic Director, Stanford Repertory Theater (SRT), USA
  370. Nadje Al-Ali, Professor of Anthropology & Middle East Studies, Brown University, USA
  371. Prof. Emerita Joan W. Scott, Institute for Advanced Study, USA
  372. Prof. Louise Bethlehem, Associate Professor, Department of English & Chair of Program in Cultural Studies, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  373. Dr. Chris Tilly, Professor of Urban Planning, University of California Los Angeles (organization for identification purposes only), USA
  374. Howard Rechavia-Taylor, PhD Candidate at Columbia University in the City of New York, Berlin, Germany
  375. Dr. (EdD), Gordon Doctorow, Retired (Adjunct Nova Southeastern University), Canada
  376. Dr. Mikki Stelder, Marie Sklowdowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, The Netherlands
  377. Prof. Pablo Idahosa, York University, Canada
  378. Prof. Dr. Matthias Haase, Department of Philosophy, University of Chicago, USA
  379. Dr. Luis Manuel Garcia-Mispireta Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Music, University of Birmingham, UK
  380. Dr. Kirsten L. Scheid, Associate Professor, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
  381. Prof. Dr. Helga Baumgarten (retired professor at Birzeit University, Palestine), Germany
  382. Andrea Reyes Elizondo, Researcher and PhD candidate, Leiden University, The Netherlands/Mexico
  383.  George Bisharat, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of California, Hastings College of the Law, USA
  384. Dominique Vidal, journalist and historian, France
  385. Alain Gresh, journalist, France
  386. Marlène Tuininga, Activist journalist, France
  387. Pary El-Qalqili, Filmmaker, Germany
  388. Jan Ralske, Filmmaker, Germany
  389. Canan Turan, Film Scholar, Filmmaker and Activist
  390. Lili Sommerfeld, Musician and Activist, Germany
  391. Monika Vykoukal, Accountant, Vienna, Austria
  392. Teresa Bailey, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, UK
  393. Noor Blaas, Research Master’s student in Cultural Anthropology University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
  394. Dr. Martin Kemp, Psychoanalyst, UK
  395. Ms Eliana Pinto, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, UK-Palestine Mental Health Network, UK
  396. Annette Feld, Practising Analyst, New Lacanian School, World Association of Psychoanalysis, Israel
  397. Helen Marks, member of Jewish Voice for Labour and Liverpool Friends of Palestine, retired Psychotherapist, UK 
  398. Ruth Orli Moshkovitz, activist, mother and project manager, Vienna, Austria
  399. Fenya Fischler, Another Jewish Voice, Belgium
  400. Dipl.-Psych., Psychoanalyst, Michal Kaiser-Livne, Germany
  401. Iris Hefets, psychoanalyst, Germany
  402. Wieland Hoban, composer and translator, chairman of Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East, Germany
  403. Raphael Van Laere, Former President of the Académie Royale d’Archéologie de Belgique, Belgium
  404. Suzanne Berliner Weiss, Author and social justice activist, Canada
  405. Kamal Aranki, Finnish Arab Friendship Society, Finland
  406. Sid Shniad, Founding member, Independent Jewish Voices, Canada
  407. Jay Murphy, writer & author, New Orleans, USA
  408. Elizabeth Block, Member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada, Canada
  409. Dr.  Egbert Harmsen, Board member of docP-BDS Netherlands, The Netherlands
  410. Ms Erica Lang, Secretary, North Herts Palestine Solidarity Campaign, UK
  411. Laura Prevedello, Assopace Palestina Italia, Italy
  412. Bruce H. Lofquist M.A. Human Rights Advocate, Canada
  413. Peter Leuenberger, Historian, Switzerland
  414. Rachida Lamrabet, Writer and legal practitioner, Belgium
  415. Charlotte Kates, international coordinator, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, Canada
  416. Sam Bahour, Writer, businessperson, activist, Palestine
  417. Michael Letwin, Former President, Assn. of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW 2325 and Member of Jews for Palestinian Right of Return, Labor for Palestine, USA
  418. Kathy Bergen, Board member of Canadian Friends of Sabeel and Coordinator of MCEC PIN (Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada Palestine Israel Network), Canada
  419.  Michel Legrand, President of Comité Pour Une Paix Juste Au Proche-Orient, Luxembourg 
  420. Ahmed Abbes, mathematician, Director of research in Paris, France
  421. Drs. Jakob de Jonge, Visual Artist, The Netherlands
  422. Dr. Enrico De Angelis, independent researcher, Italy
  423. Deb Reich Author, No More Enemies Writer/translator Israel
  424. Ms Katherine Priestley, Treasurer, Lewisham Friends of Palestine, UK
  425. Dr. Leonov Hadas, Board member of the Juedische Stimme, Germany 
  426. Michèle Sibony, French Jewish Union for Peace, France
  427. Maha Abdallah, Legal Researcher and Human Rights Advocate, Palestine
  428. Luz Diaz, DJ / Curator/ Community organiser, Room 4 Resistance, Germany
  429. Nicholas Morris Member, Global Network on the Question of Palestine, UK
  430. Doris Ghannam, Activist, Germany
  431. Seth Aubrey Pyenson, Activist, Germany
  432. Solveig Qu Suess, Filmmaker, Researcher and PhD Candidate, Basel University, Switzerland
  433. Ahmed Abed, Lawyer of the BT3P (bt3p.org), Germany
  434. Omar Ashour, Medical intern, University of Maastricht; founding chair, Free Palestine Maastricht, The Netherlands
  435. Franklin Ledezma Candanedo, Journalist, writer and member of the COPASOLPA (Panamanian Committee of Solidarity with the Palestinian People), Panama
  436. Danna Marshall, Student Activist, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
  437. Jumana Manna, Artist, Germany
  438. Katharine Halls, Translator, UK
  439. Heiko Schmidt, Bookseller, Germany
  440. David Morgan, Consultant Psychotherapist, Psychoanalyst, UK
  441. Mohammad Braiwish, Managing Director, TrafQuest Engineering Consulting, United Arab Emirates 
  442. Alisa Gayle-Deutsch, Musician Toronto, Ontario, Canada 
  443. Judith Deutsch, psychoanalyst, Canada
  444. Deena R. Hurwitz, Independent human rights lawyer, USA
  445. Maj Britt Jensen, Visual Artist and PhD student at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia Germany/Canada
  446. Dr. Clemens Messerschmid, independent hydrogeologist, Palestine
  447. Gabi Bieberstein, Spokesperson for the Regional Working Group on Peace and International Politics in North Rhine-Westphalia of DIE LINKE, Member of the National Council of Attac, Germany
  448. Dr. Detlef Griesche, Vice-President of the German-Palestinian Society, Germany
  449. Phil Butland, Commissioning Editor, theleftberlin.com, Germany
  450. Ursula Mathern, Disarmament and Peace Activist, Germany
  451. Naoual Belakhdar, Political scientist, Germany
  452. Peter Leuenberger, Historian, Switzerland
  453. Jessica Lauren Elizabeth Taylor, Black in Berlin, Curator, Norway
  454. Gabriela (Nin) Solis Gutiérrez, Photographer, Mexico
  455. Dror Feiler, Chair, European Jews for a Just Peace, Sweden
  456. Arthur Goodman Diplomatic and Parliamentary Officer, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, UK
  457. Jowan Safadi, Musician, writer and activist, Palestine (AKA Israel)
  458. Michael Warschawski, Activist and Journalist, Chairman of the Alternative Information Center, Jerusalem
  459. Mr Craig Murray, Journalist, former British Ambassador and Rector of the University of Dundee Scotland, UK
  460. Yuval Gal Cohen, Part of JID.Le – Jüdisch Israelischer Dissens Leipzig, Germany
  461. Berna Toprak, PhD Candidate Political Sociology University of Amsterdam, Co-Founder of Muslim women’s collective S.P.E.A.K., The Netherlands
  462. Maria Fernanda Caceres, Lawyer, Chile
  463. Yara Kayyali, Palestine
  464. Jaap Hamburger, Chair for Een Ander Joods Geluid, The Netherlands
  465. Frances Webber, Vice-chair of the Institute of Race Relations, London, UK
  466. Michael Sappir, Writer, Germany
  467. Marwa Fatafta, Al-Shabaka, Germany
  468. Esra Ozyurek, UK
  469. Kiefah Muhaisen, Palestinian in Germany
  470. Yehudit Yinhar, Artist, Germany
  471. R. Goossens, Project manager, The Netherlands
  472. Dr. Jennifer Petzen, Social Scientist, Germany
  473. Dr. Kerem Schamberger, political activist, Germany
  474. Dr. Dror Dayan, Senior Lecturer in Media Production, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
  475. Roger Waters, Musician/Activist
  476. Dr. Eik Doedtmann, Postdoctoral researcher, Filmuniversity Babelsberg, Germany
  477. John Smith, Artist, Emeritus Professor of Fine Art, University of East London, UK
  478. Lynne Segal, Professor Emerita, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
  479. Laura Mulvey, Professor of Film Studies, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
  480. Marina Warner, Professor of English and Creative Writing, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
  481. Miriam Margolyes, actor, UK
  482. Kika Markham, actor, UK
  483. Roy Battersby, television director, UK
  484. Penny Woolcock, screenwriter, director, UK
  485. David Farr, writer, director, UK
  486. Alexei Sayle, comedian, writer, broadcaster, UK
  487. Gillian Slovo, author, UK
  488. Hanan Al-Shaykh, writer, UK
  489. Victoria Brittain, writer, UK
  490. Carmen Callil, publisher, writer, UK
  491. Selma Dabbagh, writer, UK
  492. April De Angelis, playwright, UK
  493. Dr. Rachel Holmes, writer, UK
  494. Brigid Keenan, author, United Kingdom
  495. Dr. Dana Mills, writer, Israel 
  496. Dr. Maggie Gee, novelist, UK
  497. Omar Al-Qattan, Chair, AM Qattan Foundation, UK
  498. Charlotte Prodger, artist, Scotland
  499. Saeed Taji Farouky, filmmaker and educator, UK
  500. Dr. Miranda Pennell, artist, filmmaker, UK
  501. Dr. Daniel O’Gorman, Vice Chancellor Research Fellow in English Literature, Oxford Brookes University, UK
  502. Angela Davis, scholar, activist, US
  503. Dr. Kristina Kolbe, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  504. Dr. Ladan Rahbari, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  505. China Miéville, writer, UK
  506. Sabrina Mahfouz, writer, UK
  507. Gemma Jackson, Production Designer, UK

SIGN the support letter

Categories
Case Update

Ask the Mayor of Vienna to End Strategic Lawsuit Against Palestinian Rights Advocate

In November 2021, the City of Vienna filed a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) against an activist to deliberately repress and intimidate BDS-Austria and Palestinian rights advocates. Such a tactic threatens democratic values and fundamental rights.

On 6 April 2022, in a highly contestable decision, the judge ruled in favor of the City of Vienna and ordered that the BDS activist must no longer use the logo of the City of Vienna in connection with any publication or public statement. Nevertheless, BDS Austria won’t be silenced and is determined to denounce the Israeli apartheid. The activist will appeal.

It is time to reinforce the pressure and show the City of Vienna that it cannot keep silencing lawful and legitimate activism!

Send an email to the Mayor of Vienna and ask him to end this undemocratic lawsuit.

Here is the content of the email that will be sent to the Vienna Mayor (the original email will be sent in German):

Dear Mayor Ludwig,

I am writing to you in protest of the City of Vienna’s recent intimidation lawsuit against Viennese activists of the worldwide, Palestinian-led, non-violent human rights campaign BDS. I am asking you to personally advocate for the City of Vienna to drop this lawsuit immediately.

The City‘s lawsuit against BDS Austria based on a Facebook post cannot be assessed as anything other than an attempt by the City of Vienna to intimidate civil society activism. In this case, the City of Vienna is suing BDS Austria because it made a social media post of a photo (!) of a poster with the inscription “Visit Apartheid”. The unknown poster-makers used the logo of the City of Vienna, and BDS Austria commented on sarcastically in the post. BDS Austria has committed neither defamation nor slander; instead, it has exercised its fundamental right to freedom of opinion and expression, which is not to be persecuted in a democratic society.

BDS Austria’s posts fit within the context of the Israeli occupation and annexation that violate international law and the implementation of an apartheid system (see e.g. the most recent Amnesty International Report on this). BDS is a human rights campaign – as seen in the anti-apartheid movement in the South African context – launched by Palestinian civil society; it is perfectly legal and legitimate to advocate for boycotts, divestments and sanctions against occupying regimes.

The City of Vienna is rightly in the crossfire of criticism already, after threatening Lobau climate activists with so-called SLAPPs (‘Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation’), which are clearly abusive lawsuits with the purpose of preventing critical civil society engagement, intimidating critics and financially draining them. This absurd new SLAPP contributes to this trend and negatively affects the City of Vienna’s image, in Austria and abroad.

It is also a continuation of the years-long practice of silencing Palestinian and Palestine-solidarity voices: from smear campaigns and unfounded allegations to undemocratic municipal and national council resolutions explicitly condemning the global, nonviolent BDS campaign. The current lawsuit by the City of Vienna follows this trend by demanding the deletion of a Facebook post and a multi-digit payment of damages (along with already intimidating effects of high court and legal fees) to the local BDS campaign. 

As a citizen concerned by freedom of expression and of assembly, I urge you to end these arbitrary restrictions and the criminalization of peaceful advocacy and human rights work and to personally advocate for the cessation of the lawsuit by the City of Vienna. Especially in times of crisis and upheaval, prudent and clear leadership that is transparently based on constitutional and human rights principles is important.

Regards

[people’s information here]

What else can you do to support the case?

  • Sign the petition to ask the City of Vienna to drop its lawsuit and repeal its anti-BDS resolution
  • Donate to help the activist with the legal fees
  • Spread the word on your social media with the hashtag #ViennaVisitApartheid

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: February

Dear friend,


This month, we share with you some victories from the UK and Switzerland, an important analysis on German case law in favour of BDS, updates on the cases of BT3P and BDS Austria, new cases of repression in Germany and The Netherlands, and a landmark European Citizens Initiative.

A VICTORY IN THE UK

We are excited to share the victory of Shahd Abusalama who defeated unfounded allegations intended to exclude her from academia and repress her legitimate criticism of Israel’s unlawful apartheid regime. After Shahd was suspended from a teaching position at Sheffield Hallam University, the ELSC supported her legally, alongside a wide public campaign launched #InSupportofShahd. As a result of our combined efforts, the University reinstated Shahd’s teaching, confirmed it would not be investigating the accusations and offered her a more secure contract.

Read more

SWISS PRESS COUNCIL STANDS WITH BDS

BDS Switzerland member Birgit Althaler, supported by the ELSC, succeeded in challenging efforts by the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities to push the Swiss Press Council to revoke a decision in favour of BDS. Indeed, in a milestone decision on 15 February, the Swiss Press Council upheld its initial decision to sanction Prime News that unfoundedly labelled BDS Switzerland as “antisemitic”. The Council also acknowledged that the controversial examples of the IHRA-WDA are not suitable for journalistic purposes.

Share this victory

Can you help us to win more cases? Support our Legal Aid fund with a monthly donation.

UPDATES FROM GERMANY

Despite anti-BDS policies in place in Germany, since 2019, 7 German courts have consistently upheld the right of activists to use public facilities for BDS-related events, reaffirming the legitimacy of BDS.

Read our new legal analysis on German case law

The latest ruling of Leipzig Federal Court on 20 January 2022 against Munich’s anti-BDS resolution has already resulted in positive outcomes for the Palestine solidarity movement. In Munich, the cultural institution Eine Welt Haus declared that it will host again  BDS-related events. In Frankfurt, an official also announced that the municipal venue Saalbau is renting again its spaces for BDS-related activities.

Positive precedents in Germany reinforce the lawsuit of the Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) aiming to repeal the German Parliament’s anti-BDS resolution and end this tactic of repression targeting Palestinian rights advocates.

Donate to help BT3P

The repression against Palestinian voices extends in the media as the German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) fired seven Arab journalists; four of them are Palestinians including Farah Maraqa whom the ELSC has been supporting.

DW relied on a highly politicised and biased investigation report that erases the Palestinian reality from public debate and perpetuates Israel’s oppression. The investigation evidently uses the controversial IHRA definition on antisemitism, which is misused to silence criticism of Israel.

In a joint letter, 100 civil society organisations, including the ELSC, urged DW to retract its inaccurate and defamatory report and end its unfounded smear campaigns against journalists that amplify Palestinian voices.

Read the letter

EUROPEAN LANDMARK EUROPEAN CITIZENS INITIATIVE

The Stop Settlements coalition – of which the ELSC is part – has launched its European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) petition aimed at gathering 1 million signatures to push the EU to enact a ban on trade with illegal settlements in occupied territories, in line with its international law obligations.

SIGN THE PETITION

Read more about the ECI

REPRESSION IN THE NETHERLANDS

The Rights Forum, a leading Palestinian rights organisation in the Netherlands, is facing a harsh smear campaign led by Israel-advocacy groups after the leak of a legitimate Freedom of Information (FOI) request the organisation made on behalf of academics and students to Dutch universities. The goal of the FOI was to get information on their ties to Israeli academic institutions and companies, as well as other organisations supportive of Israel’s regime of apartheid. 

Read their statement (Dutch)

Share our Twitter thread

In a recent repression attempt, the student-led organisation Free Palestine Maastricht (FPM) has been targeted in an unfounded smear campaign by Israel-advocacy groups and political actors that aim to suppress the organisation’s legitimate work of exposing Israel’s apartheid, and push the University of Maastricht to investigate them.  

Read FPM statement

Share your support to FPM

MUNICIPALITY OF VIENNA V. BDS AUSTRIA

One month after the hearing in Vienna, BDS Austria activist is still waiting for a ruling by the Court on the “urgent” request of the Municipality of Vienna that filed a lawsuit against him over a Facebook post of the famous “Visit Apartheid” poster.

Read more

The tactic of delayed court decisions is often characteristic of SLAPPs and is meant to intimidate activists and suppress their legitimate public participation in civic space.

Sign the petition

Donate

RESOURCES AND NEWS FROM AROUND EUROPE

On 1 February 2022, Amnesty International reaffirmed decades of Palestinian rights advocacy and released its report condemning Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians as a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity. Amnesty has also launched its petition “Demolish Apartheid not Palestinian Homes”.

Read the full report

Sign the petition

Categories
Media Coverage

Over 100 Civil Society Organizations Call on DW to Retract the Biased Report and End the Smear Campaign

Over one hundred local, regional and international civil society organizations have signed an open letter in solidarity with Palestinians, condemning Deutsche Welle’s (DW) inaccurate and defamatory report, calling for the retraction of the accusations and demanding the protection of the right to Palestinian freedom of speech.

On Monday 6th February 2022, Deutsche Welle (DW) published the findings from its internal investigation into accusations of antisemitism within its Arabic-language news department. The investigation committee also examined Deutsche Welle Akademie (DWA) partners. The report includes a number of defamatory accusations and smears DWA’s Palestinian partner organizations. 

This report is just the latest development in an ongoing anti-Palestinian smear campaign intended to silence Palestinian voices, restrict freedom of expression, suppress legitimate criticism of ongoing Israeli violations against Palestinians, and ultimately prevent Palestinian journalists and Palestinian organizations from seeking accountability. The result is a chilling effect that prevents Palestinians from sharing their experiences of oppression and systematic human rights violations with the rest of the world.

The undersigned coalition of civil society organizations stressed their commitment to fighting racism in all forms, including antisemitism, Islamophobia and xenophobia. However, the DW report adopts a problematic framework that conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism, and seeks to position legitimate criticism of Israel as antisemitism. This approach also dangerously associates the actions of the Israeli authorities with Jewish communities around the world, and falsely links them to the systemic oppression of Palestinians. 

In addition, the coalition also condemns the lack of professionalism in the procedural process adopted by DW’s investigation committee. The committee lacked diversity and relevant expertise,none of the committee members  are experts in anti-racism and some have also made Islamophobic statements in the past. Additionally, the targeted partner organizations were not invited to a consultation during the investigation process, they were only notified hours before the report release that they were mentioned, and their relationship with DWA would be impacted. This further proves the lack of transparency and accountability of DW’s investigation committee. 

We, the targeted organizations and supporters, are calling on DW and DWA to immediately take the following actions:

  • Retract the biased report and end the smear campaign.
  • Form an objective, non-biased committee made up of anti-racism experts to investigate any wrongdoing, and consult with the journalists and Palestinian partner organizations. 
  • Commit to freedom of expression and the adoption of a less biased antisemitism definition endorsed by both Jewish and Palestinian human rights defenders, such as the Jerusalem Declaration on antisemitism.
  • Allow political debate free of all forms of racism and hate, including antisemitism and islamophobia.

Read the letter here.

Resource: https://7amleh.org/2022/02/21/over-100-civil-society-organizations-call-on-dw-to-retract-the-biased-report-and-end-the-smear-campaign

Categories
Media Coverage

The Case of Shahd Abusalama – A Palestinian Scholar Successfully Defeated Attempts to Silence Her

Shahd Abusalama faced a smear campaign and was about to lose a teaching position at Sheffield Hallam University. Her case, which we supported, illustrates the trend of growing repression of Palestinian rights advocacy on UK campuses. Shahd’s case also illustrates that solidarity and coordination are an effective way to collectively push back against unjust repression of legitimate advocacy for Palestinian rights.

Shahd Abusalama is a resilient third-generation Palestinian refugee from Gaza who has survived Israel’s regular military aggressions on Palestinians in Gaza. She is an artist, activist and a PhD scholar at Sheffield Hallam University.

Shahd was smeared in the press by Israel advocacy groups due to a Twitter thread she posted in December 2021, where she provided context to a protest banner stating, “Stop the Palestinian Holocaust”. These unfounded allegations are meant to exclude her from academia because she is a critical voice advocating for justice and freedom in Palestine.

On 21 January 2022, a day before Shahd was supposed to start her teaching as an associate lecturer, Sheffield Hallam University suspended her classes and launched an investigation against her without any explanation. In response, a powerful worldwide public campaign supported by the Sheffield Hallam UCU, civil society organisations, academics, students, with dozens of support letters as well as support by the ELSC, led to the University deciding to reinstate Shahd’s teaching on 27 January 2022.

Despite this, Shahd remained under investigation. In coordination with UCU Hallam, the ELSC requested the university to drop its investigation on the basis that it was discriminatory, conducted in violation of its own policies and in violation of Shahd’s freedom of expression.

On 3 February 2022, the university informed Shahd that they were dropping the investigation against her. The university also agreed to offer Shahd a more secure employment contract, affording her better pay and other benefits as requested in our letter.

Shahd’s victory is symbolic of the necessity and impact of solidarity against unjust silencing tactics that deliberately target Palestinian rights advocates in Europe, including the use of the controversial IHRA-Working Definition on Antisemitism and its examples, that Sheffield Hallam University adopted last year.

Read more about the case here:

https://english.alaraby.co.uk/opinion/what-we-should-learn-shahd-abusalamas-victory

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/2/10/how-a-palestinian-academic-defeated-a-campaign-to-silence-her

https://mondoweiss.net/2022/02/defeating-the-ihra-witch-hunt-an-interview-with-palestinian-activist-and-scholar-shahd-abusalama/

https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/podcast-ep-51-defeating-censorship-uk-campus

Categories
Press Release

More and more German courts confirm the right to BDS

Time for German cities and the Bundestag to scrap their shameful anti-Palestinian resolutions

European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Amsterdam and Berlin, February 9, 2022

On January 20, Germany’s Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig confirmed that the City of Munich had violated the right to freedom of expression by denying the use of its conference hall solely because it did not like the particular theme of the planned event. The Court instructed the City to provide its hall for a public debate of Munich’s anti-BDS resolution. The ELSC commends the judges of Germany’s highest administrative court for this principled decision, which represents yet another milestone in efforts to put an end to Germany’s unethical and unlawful anti-BDS resolutions.

The decision of Germany’s highest administrative court in Leipzig comes in a context in which activists for Palestinian human rights have to turn to the courts to defend their constitutional rights to freedom of expression and assembly against their cities, which seek to impose the anti-BDS resolutions adopted by local and regional parliaments, as well as the German Bundestag.

Since 2019, at least seven German courts have consistently upheld the right of activists to use public facilities for BDS-related events. In eight decisions, the Munich Regional Court, the administrative courts of Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Cologne, Hesse, Bavaria and, most recently, Leipzig have convicted the cities of Oldenburg, Bonn, Frankfurt and Munich for violating the constitutional rights to equality, freedom of expression and assembly, instructing the cities to provide the requested public facilities.

In light of these court decisions, German municipal bodies should respect these constitutional rights and ensure equal access to public venues for activists for Palestinian rights. Nevertheless, promoters of Germany’s anti-Palestinian policies, including the federal antisemitism commissioner Felix Klein, continue to push for more of the same restrictive measures, claiming that German cities may lawfully deny public spaces for BDS-related activities, because decisions of administrative courts, including the recent decision of the federal court in Leipzig, apply to the respective specific cases and circumstances only.

In terms of legal efforts, the step ahead is, therefore, a principled challenge of the constitutionality of the anti-BDS resolutions that underpin the restrictive measures of German cities. At least 13 such anti-BDS resolutions – which, based on the false accusation of antisemitism, call for withholding public spaces and subsidies from groups and activities related to the Palestinian civil society-led BDS movement –  have been adopted since 2017 by the parliaments of Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Bochum, Bonn, Leipzig and Bielefeld, the countries of Baden-Württemberg, Thuringia and North Rhine-Westphalia, and the federal Bundestag.

German administrative courts have already ruled that these anti-BDS resolutions are no more than an expression of will, do not have legal standing and can, thus, not justify the restriction of an existing legal right. The Constitutional Court of North-Rhine Westphalia, moreover, has confirmed that the legality of these resolutions may by challenged in constitutional courts, when procedures are exhausted in administrative courts.

Since the Bundestag’s anti-BDS resolution of 2019, activists of the initiative ‘Bundestag 3 for Palestine’ have been insulted as antisemitic and unlawfully excluded from many public spaces in German cities. A Jewish member of the initiative was even compared to the antisemitic murderer of Halle by the antisemitism commissioner and Uwe Becker, board member of the German-Israeli Society DIG. With its recent decision, the Federal Administrative Court now supports BT3P’s lawsuit against the Bundestag, because it ruled conclusively that public space bans because of support for BDS are illegal.

Ahmed Abed, Lawyer of the Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P)

***

For more on these German court decisions, read: German Case Law: A coherent Set of Principles for Challenging anti-BDS resolutions.

Support our legal work against German anti-BDS resolutions and support the Bundestag 3 for Palestine in their legal battle against the Bundestag’s anti-BDS resolution.

For more information, contact us: info@elsc.support

Categories
Statement

We Won’t Be Silenced: On the Attempts to Smear Free Palestine Maastricht

Student activist group Free Palestine Maastricht, dedicated to building solidarity and awareness on the Palestinian cause, is targeted in an escalating unfounded smear campaign initiated by a student at Maastricht University. The ELSC has been providing the group with legal assistance. In the statement below, Free Palestine Maastricht asserts its right to advocate for Palestinian rights and calls upon Maastricht University to protect students’ fundamental rights of freedom of expression, assembly, and association.

Free Palestine Maastricht (FPM) is a student-led organization that aims to amplify the voices of the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom and justice against the Israeli apartheid regime. We proudly support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which we, like many civil society organizations and renowned scholars, see as a legitimate inclusive and anti-racist movement based on respect for fundamental human rights. The members of FPM represent diverse backgrounds, beliefs and origins including Jewish students. Since our establishment in October 2020, we have developed a strong, inclusive community of solidarity with Palestine organizing several events and debates on- and off-campus in Maastricht.

The right to advocate for Palestinian rights, including the promotion, discussion and participation in boycott campaigns constitutes an integral part of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly which the University of Maastricht must protect. Accordingly, the University is required to offer a safe space to all its students for engaging in constructive debates and activism.

Recently, FPM was the target of a smear campaign based on inflammatory and completely unfounded accusations of antisemitism. This campaign was ultimately amplified by a network of pro-Israel lobby organizations with the clear aim to intimidate and silence us. This episode is part of a larger coordinated attack on Palestinian and European civil society organisations providing solidarity to Palestinians. A report published by the European Legal Support Center (ELSC) shows that over 70 incidents occurred in the Netherlands between 2015 and 2020, including attempts at restricting academic freedom, defamation and threats with lawsuits to intimidate advocates for Palestinian rights. Among them, the mobilization of smear campaigns that publicly discredit individuals and organizations was the most used tactic. What happened to us clearly aims to create a chilling effect and discourage our fellow students from participating in our activities.

Nevertheless, FPM stands strong. We are not intimidated nor will we be silenced. We are even more determined to organize and raise awareness on and off campus for justice in Palestine. We urge the University of Maastricht to support its students when their freedom of speech comes under attack and to firmly condemn the attempts to smear us.

Four Jewish organisations expressed their support to Free Palestine Maastricht in a letter addressed to Maastricht University. Read the letter here.

Jewish students at Maastricht University also supported FPM. Read the letter here.

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: January

Dear friend,

This month we share with you our 2021 achievements in pushing back against silencing Palestinian rights advocacy, a campaign in support of an activist of BDS Austria sued over a Facebook post, updates on the repression of Palestinian civil society, an important ruling in Germany on the illegality of anti-BDS motion, and unfounded allegations of antisemitism to delegitimise Palestinian rights supporters in the UK.

ELSC 2021 ACHIEVEMENTS

The year 2021 witnessed a rise in global mobilisation efforts for justice, Palestinian rights, and an end of apartheid. As Palestinian rights advocacy exposed Israel’s human rights violations and empowered the discourse on Palestine, the Israeli government and its allied groups intensified their attacks against Palestinian rights advocates.

In this context, the ELSC provided legal support in 80 cases of repression against advocates for Palestinian rights in Europe, assisting over 140 advocates including Palestinian and European CSOs, activist groups, students, academics, artist and cultural institutions. Read below on the successful experience of Progetto Palestina, a student activist group based in Italy, which confronted repression with resilience:

It gave us new energy and we started working to transform this attack into an opportunity. The ELSC backed us, and allowed us to focus on our activities while they took care of the legal aspects of the issue. We started a communication campaign on and off campus, which culminated in a big demonstration on Nakba Day, when more than 5.000 people marched for the streets of Turin, demanding the end of the apartheid regime and a free Palestine.

Read more on our achievements here

Nakba Day Demonstration, May 2021, Turin.

Can you help us to win more cases? Support our Legal Aid fund with a monthly donation.

CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF BDS-AUSTRIA FACING UNFAIR LAWSUIT

This month, we launched a public campaign in support of a member of BDS Austria facing a Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation (SLAPP) filed by the Municipality of Vienna.

The Municipality claims defamation over a picture posted by BDS Austria on Facebook showing the famous “Visit Apartheid” poster with the logo of the City of Vienna, which was placed by unknown people on a billboard in Vienna.

This case reflects the pattern of targeting Palestinian rights advocates through the adoption of the illegal anti-BDS motion as illustrated in this expert opinion. The activist is now facing a lawsuit with legal costs and damages that could amount up to €35.000. The lawsuit was challenged in a court hearing on the 28th of January and the case is still pending. To support the activist, we are raising donations to help him cover the legal fees, if you stand for Palestinian rights advocacy please support by donating.

Donate here

Over 1600 people have signed our petition, co-sponsored with the European Coordination of Committees and Associations For Palestine (ECCP), calling upon the Municipality of Vienna to withdraw its unfounded lawsuit and repeal its anti-BDS motion.

Sign the petition

Share our Twitter thread, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram posts with the hashtag #ViennaVisitApartheid

UPDATES FROM THE UK

On-campus repression and violations of academic freedom in the UK escalate with the latest attack on the Palestinian PhD student Shahd Abusalama, supported by the ELSC. Shahd got suspended from teaching by Sheffield Hallam University as a result of a smear campaign by pro-Israel groups that deliberately targeted her as a critical voice against the reality of apartheid in Palestine. The significant #InSupportofShahd campaign successfully resulted in Shahd’s reinstatement, yet her case is still under an investigation.

Share our Twitter thread #InSupportofShahd

Graphic via SOAS Palestine Society on Twitter.

If you too have faced repression for Palestinian rights advocacy, make sure to fill out our incident report form and request legal support if you need.

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A VICTORY FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN GERMANY

The German federal court of Leipzig ruled that Munich’s anti-BDS policy violates the freedom of expression. The Federal court also affirmed that the anti-BDS resolution is not law. The ruling unfolds amidst a context of harsh repression of Palestinian rights advocates in Germany, and therefore represents a victory for the Palestine solidarity movement and BDS supporters in the country.

Read more here

Keep posted, we will soon release an analysis on the judgement! This jurisprudence shows more than ever the legitimacy and the necessity of the BT3P campaign that is asking the German Parliament to repeal its anti-BDS motion. After the Administrative Court of Berlin dismissed their complaint in October 2021, they recently filed an appeal to the Administrative Court of Appeal of Berlin-Brandenburg.

Read more on BT3P v. Bundestag

Donate to help the BT3P with their legal fees

CASE UPDATE IN FRANCE

A French Court is also set to be ruling on the legitimacy of BDS since on 27th January 2022, there was a hearing in the Court of Appeal of Lyon on the case of French activist Olivia Zémor who was sued for reporting boycott calls. The first instance judgement, in May 2021, was crucial as it acquitted her by referring to the landmark ruling of the European Court of Human Rights that asserted the legitimacy of BDS calls under freedom of expression.

Read more

We hope that the Court of Appeal will confirm the first instance judgement and reaffirm the legality of BDS. The decision is expected on 5 May 2022.

CHALLENGING REPRESSION OF PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETY

Lawfare and disinformation campaigns continue to harm Palestinian civil society as Israel seeks to enforce its unsubstantiated designation. Yet, a new article by +972 Magazine exposes another failed effort by Israel to convince European officials of the unfounded allegations of ties with terrorism against the six prominent Palestinian CSOs.

Even without any evidence on the misuse of funds – confirmed by an external investigation – the Dutch government has given into political pressure by ending its funding to the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), a vital organisation in the occupied Palestinian territory. The decision has been widely condemned by international civil society actors that mobilised collectively to urge the Dutch government to resume its funding to UAWC and reject Israel’s designation.

Read our joint statement with The Rights Forum

Read the joint letter of 60 CSOs here

Read the joint letter of 28 Dutch NGOs (Dutch)

In a statement, the Charity & Security Network also condemned the Dutch government’s decision and urged donors to continue their support for Palestinian civil society, providing them with an important briefing and guidelines.

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In another politically driven move, the European Commission (EC) suspended funds to Al-Haq in May 2021. After a successful audit and while there is no evidence on the misuse of funds, the EC still has not resumed funding. Not only it contributes to the unfounded attack on the Palestinian civil society, but it also violates principles of good administration and proportionality.

Read Al-Haq’s statement

Check our Twitter thread

You can help us to ensure that defenders of Palestinian rights receive free legal advice and support by making a one time or monthly donation to the ELSC. Any donation would empower our fight for Palestinian rights in Europe.

Donate

If it is not possible to make a donation at this time, you could follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter and spread the word about repression of civic spaces for advocates of Palestinian rights.

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Case Update

The Negative Impact of the Vienna Anti-BDS Motion on the Rights of Freedoms Of Expression, Association and Assembly

This executive summary of the legal opinion published by the ELSC outlines how the ‘anti-BDS motion’ adopted by the Vienna City Council on 27 June 2018 and currently invoked in a lawsuit against BDS activist, infringes on the fundamental rights of freedoms of expression, association and assembly.

On the 29th of August 2021, BDS Austria published a social media post with a picture of the famous poster stating “Visit Apartheid” that was stuck on a billboard along with the official logo of the Municipality of Vienna. In November 2021, a member of BDS Austria was notified that the Municipality of Vienna officially filed a lawsuit against him. The Municipality, among other claims, accuses the BDS movement of “inciting hatred against Israeli people” and therefore being publicly associated with BDS would amount to defamation, since “the designation of the situation in Israel/Palestine as an ‘Apartheid’” constitutes damage to their reputation.

In response to these accusations, the Legal Opinion written by Professors Xavier Dupré De Boulois, Eric David, Richard Falk and John Reynolds establishes the legitimacy of the BDS movement and of the right to boycott by drawing on public international law, European and international human rights law.

Firstly, the Opinion illustrates that the BDS movement pursues a legitimate human rights agenda grounded in public international law, since:

I. Israel’s violations of peremptory norms of public international law are factually established. International bodies have consistently reported Israel’s non-compliance with, inter alia, the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the unlawful transfer of civilian population. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and leading human rights organisations have also substantially documented that the State of Israel commits the crime of apartheid.

II. Against this backdrop, the international community of State and non-State actors has a responsibility to take action:

A. States have a twofold duty to:

  1. refrain from recognising as lawful a situation created by a serious breach of a peremptory norm of international law, and to
  2. refrain from providing aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by such a breach.

B. The European Union and its Member States must respect and promote public international law, especially as regards the jus cogens right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and its ramifications.

C. Corporations must ensure respect for all internationally recognised human rights, as sanctioned by the 2011 UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

III. Accordingly, the BDS movement pursues a legitimate aim by urging States and non-State entities to comply with their public international law obligations. Moreover, BDS is rooted in anti-racist principles, and it endorses non-violent measures to achieve its goals. It enjoys a broadly recognised legitimacy by UN Special Rapporteurs, international experts and scholars, civil society organisations, and officials of State and public institutions.

Secondly, the Opinion analyses the legitimacy of the BDS movement’s right to call for boycott from the perspective of international human rights law and ECHR law.

I. International human rights law affirms the BDS movement’s right to call for boycott

Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights respectively guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association. The right to promote, discuss and participate in boycott campaigns to raise awareness and advocate for the respect of human rights, is subsumed within these rights.

Under international human rights law, boycotting goods or institutions belonging to or coming from a given State does not constitute discrimination if it pursues a legitimate aim. In fact, BDS has the following goals:

  • Affecting the foreign commercial policy of the State of Israel, which commits grave violations of international law, and pressuring that State to cease such violations;
  • Targeting specifically those products that originate in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and those institutions, companies and individuals that are involved or complicit with the State of Israel’s grave violations of international law;
  • Inciting, rather than constraining, consumers to freely choose the products that they buy.

Therefore, the goal of the BDS call for boycott is not to advocate for an arbitrary discrimination of Israeli citizens, but to target a deliberate State policy and to promote compliance with public international law. The differential treatment afforded to the State of Israel by the BDS movement is solely directed at its policies and practices, not at the Jewish people.

II. The law of the Council of Europe affirms the BDS movement’s right to call for boycott

Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights protect the rights to freedom of expression, of association and of assembly. In particular, freedom to impart information and ideas, as a subset of freedom of expression, allows political debate and criticism of the government, which are crucial indicators of a free and democratic society.

The BDS movement is therefore entitled to criticise Israeli government policies and to inform the public about Israel’s violations of public international law, including through a call for boycott. In the recent case of Baldassi and Others v. France, the European Court of Human Rights affirmed that “boycott is above all a means of expressing an opinion of protest. The call for a boycott […] therefore falls within the scope of […] Article 10 of the Convention”. It further stated: “incitement to differential treatment does not necessarily amount to incitement to discriminate”.

In conclusion, any action taken to silence the BDS movement or to obstruct its call for boycott represents an arbitrary and unlawful interference with the rights to freedom of expression, of association and of assembly, protected under European and international human rights law. The Vienna City Council’s anti-BDS motion as well the SLAPP initiated by the Municipality of Vienna both illustrate a few of the techniques used to curtail fundamental rights.

Download the executive summary.

Download the full legal opinion.

Categories
Case Update

Europeans Jews for a Just Peace (EJJP) support BDS Austria and urge the Mayor of Vienna to desist from its lawsuit

On 25 January 2022, Europeans Jews for a Just Peace (EJJP) sent a letter to the Mayor of Vienna, urging the Municipality to drop its lawsuit against a Palestinian rights advocate member of BDS Austria.

We urge the Municipality to desist from this meritless claim brought against BDS Austria in order to silence their voice. As a State institution, we ask you to stand alongside those who respect the law and to desist from your lawsuit, which constitutes an unjustified attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression.

States the letter.

As Jewish groups which stand up for human rights and international law, they reject the allegations brought against the activist and BDS Austria as well as the anti-BDS motion of the City Council of Vienna. EJJP defends the legitimacy of BDS Austria and argues that the group lawfully criticises the State of Israel’s policies, including Israeli apartheid.

EJJP is a federation of 11 European Jewish peace groups campaigning in 9 countries throughout Europe against the occupation of the Palestinian Territories by Israel and in favour of a durable peace solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Read the whole letter here.

Also see the EJJP annex listing rulings where courts acknowledged the lawfulness of BDS advocacy.

Picture: City Hall of Vienna © Creative Commons, Wien Rathaus hochauflösend, Thomas Ledl, 3 June 2015

Categories
Release

French Criminal Court Confirmed the Legitimate Character of BDS Call Dismissing the Allegations of Incitement to Discrimination Against Activist

On Thursday 27 January 2022, the Court of Appeal of Lyon (Cour d’Appel de Lyon) is set to hear the case of TEVA vs. Olivia Zémor. The defendant Olivia Zémor is the President of CAPJPO-EuroPalestine which is a group of BDS activists. She was acquitted on the 18 May 2021 by the criminal court (Tribunal Correctionnel de Lyon) dismissing the allegation of incitement to discrimination. The judgement, outlined below, is a turning point in protecting the right to boycott in French courts.

The defendant was accused of incitement to discrimination and public defamation by Teva Santé, the French subsidiary of TEVA Pharmaceutical Industry (hereinafter, ‘TEVA’).

TEVA is a global pharmaceutical company based in Israel that produces and distributes generic medicines across the world.  According to Israeli NGO ‘Who Profits’, the pharmaceutical company is complicit in supporting the unlawful occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory by exploiting Palestinian resources.

Several Palestine solidarity groups have been campaigning for a boycott of TEVA for a number of years because of their contribution to the unlawful occupation. A network of several French grassroots organisation advocating for Palestinian rights called ‘Collectif 69’ has been one of them.

On 19 November 2016 members of Collectif 69 gathered in front of the Grand Pharmacie Lyonnaise in Lyon as part of a BDS protest. The protesters encouraged shoppers and members of the public to support the boycott of TEVA products by distributing leaflets and attaching stickers to health care cards with the aim of informing the public about TEVA’s contribution to the unlawful Israeli occupation.

The following day CAPJPO-EuroPalestinepublished an article on its website about the protest quoting activists who participated in the action: “We have distributed hundreds of leaflets to passers-by and we have stuck a good number of stickers on their health care cards. Despite the fact that TEVA carefully hides in its various advertisements that part of its profits goes to the Israeli army, a significant number of passers-by were already aware about this situation and they declared themselves unwilling to give any money to the manufacturer of drugs from a country that prevents Palestinians from getting health treatments”.

The plaintiffs Teva Santé claimed the statement was defamatory, detrimental to the honour of the company and constituted incitement to discriminate against the company on the basis on nationality. Several pro-Israel advocacy groups joined the hearings as interested third parties.

With particular regard to the allegation of incitement to discrimination on the grounds of nationality, the Court of Lyon referred to the landmark ruling Baldassi and Others v. France delivered by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in June 2020. The ECtHR described boycotts as a peculiar means of exercising freedom of expression as it combines expressing a protesting opinion with incitement to differential treatment. The latter can be discriminatory if it has no objective and reasonable justification, if it does not pursue a legitimate aim or if there no proportionality between the means employed (i.e. boycott) and the aim sought to be realised (i.e. rejecting the unlawful occupation by Israel of the occupied Palestinian territory).

In the present case, the Court acknowledged legitimacy of the BDS call and the reasonable means it employed and emphasised that: a) the protest “was not subject to any prosecution of its participants for making racist or antisemitic statements or for calling to hatred or violence” and b) the statements made by the Publication Director on EuroPalestine’s website reflected “a commitment, a firm belief in a public debate of general interest”.

The Court of Lyon decided to acquit EuroPalestine’s Publication Director of both charges, stating that her opinions published on the website were protected by the right to freedom of expression, did not incite discrimination nor did they amount to defamation of Teva Santé.

By referring to the Baldassi case in its reasoning, the Court acknowledged the legitimacy of the call for boycott of Israeli products and its protection as a form of expression under Article 10 of the ECHR. This decision represents a significantly positive development for Palestinian rights advocates in France, a country in which there is an institutional resistance to recognising the full legitimacy of BDS campaign.

For a comprehensive overview of the decision of the criminal Court on 18 May 2021, please read our Executive Summary.

The decision of the Court of Appeal is expected on the 5th of May 2022.

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: November

Dear friend,
 
This month we share with you important updates on challenging Israel’s attack on Palestinian civil society and the repression of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe including in the Netherlands and the UK, a webinar, op-eds, and other news and resources.  
 
On the 29th of November, which marked the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we shared our solidarity statement reaffirming the need to stand and defend Palestinian rights (advocates) every day.

ELSC NEWS

We released a new leaflet addressing 10 situations in which our team can defend the right to advocate for Palestinian rights as to empower advocates and help them to challenge repression through legal avenues.

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UPDATES FROM THE UK

The ELSC has recently intervened at an event on Combatting the Chilling Effect on Academic Freedom and Palestine advocacy on UK campuses organised by the UCU (University and College Union) inWarwick University and open to staff and students.

On-campus repression of Palestinian rights advocacy continues in the UK, as LSE students were heavily smeared for protesting against the participation of the Israeli ambassador in the UK Tzipi Hotovely in a debate on Middle East Peace. We have stood in firm support to the LSE students who have the full right to protest against apartheid regimes and their representatives, and we have urged the university to ensure the provision of a safe space for dissenting opinions.

Share our statement on Twitter

Such illegitimate repression is met with resilient efforts to amplify Palestinian rights advocacy. Queens Mary Students have voted to revoke the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, as to reclaim the unprotected rights of students and academics to advocate for Palestinian rights on-campus.

On the same topic, Larissa Kennedy – the President of the National Union of Students in the UK – signed an op-ed titled “After BLM, Palestine solidarity is the litmus test for UK campus freedom of expression” where she asserts the rights of the student movement to protest and continue the struggle for justice and liberation.

CHALLENGING REPRESSION OF PALESTINIAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY

An investigation released by +972 and The Intercept showed that the “evidence” claimed by the Israeli government to designate six Palestinian prominent human rights organisations as “terrorist” was flawed. Despite that, the responses from EU States and institutions to the unfounded designation remained relatively weak. Therefore, we joined more than 100 organisations, human rights groups, unions, and parties to call upon the EU to take strong actions against this serious attack on Palestinian civil society.

Read the letter

With our partners Al Haq, PAX, SOMO and the Rights Forum, we held a webinar on challenging the repression of Palestinian rights advocacy in Palestine as well as the attempts to silence advocates in the Netherlands. The webinar featured Wesam Ahmad from Al Haq, who focused on the implications of the designation and the expected actions from third state parties including the Netherlands. Giovanni Fassina (ELSC) and Lydia De Leeuw (SOMO) also addressed the responsibilities of the Dutch government in protecting civic space for Palestinian rights advocates in the Netherlands.

UPDATES FROM THE NETHERLANDS

Our op-ed “How Palestine advocacy is silenced in the Netherlands” has been published by Middle East Eye. The ELSC’s Director, Giovanni Fassina, covers the main findings of our report on “The Attempt to Chill Palestinian Rights Advocacy in the Netherlands”, which reveals a pattern of deliberate attempts by Israel-advocacy groups and other actors to intimidate, smear and silence those who legitimately stand up and advocate for Palestinian rights.

Read the full report

The outspoken academics Karin Arts and Jeff Handmaker also published their op-ed “The Netherlands must speak out against Israel’s attack on Palestinian organisations” urging the Dutch government and the European Union to stand up for the Palestinian NGOs under an illegitimate attack deliberately aimed at silencing voices for Palestinian freedom and human rights.

In further response to Israel’s attack on the six NGOs, directors of Palestinian NGOs were in the Netherlands to meet with Dutch officials. Read this article for an analysis by Shawan Jabarin, the director of Al Haq, who reiterated that they won’t be intimidated by such an attack.

RESOURCES & NEWS FROM AROUND EUROPE AND PALESTINE

In a recent report, Front Line Defenders reveals that six Palestinian human rights defenders, including three members of the groundlessly designated organisations, got hacked with NSO Group’s Pegasus Spyware. The hackings were confirmed just before the designation. Front Line Defenders asserts that counter-terrorism legislation must never be instrumentalised to repress legitimate human rights.

In response, a joint letter signed by a number of international CSOs and independent experts including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International has urged the EU to adopt targeted sanctions against NSO Group.

Additionally, Apple is suing NSO Group to hold it accountable for the abuse of state-sponsored spyware, surveillance and targeting of Apple users.

Importantly, on the 12th of November, the OECD UK National Contact Point found UK company JCB in breach of its human rights obligations due to the use of its products to illegally demolish Palestinian homes. Read the analysis of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights on the case.

A few days later, Amnesty UK issued a new report exposing the responsibilities of JCB in war crimes being committed in the occupied Palestinian Territories.

If you have faced repression for Palestinian rights advocacy whether at university, work, or during a protest in a 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

You can join our movement to ensure that defenders of Palestinian rights receive free legal advice and support by making a one time or monthly donation to the ELSC. Any donation would empower our fight for Palestinian rights in Europe. If it is not possible to make a donation at this time, you could follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, share our posts and spread the word about repression of civic spaces for advocates of Palestinian rights.

DONATE

Categories
Event

Webinar: Challenging the Repression of Palestinian Rights Advocacy

The European Legal Support Center (ELSC), PAX, SOMO, The Rights Forum and Al Haq are inviting you to a webinar on Challenging the Repression of Palestinian Rights Advocacy on the 18th of November 2021 at 5.30pm.

See the recording of the webinar:

In response to Israel’s designation of six prominent Palestinian human rights NGOs and civil society organisations as “terrorist”, Palestinian and international civil society organisations have collectively called upon the international community to take all necessary measures to protect Palestinian rights’ advocates. 32 Dutch organisations called on the Dutch government to publicly speak out against the decision of the Israeli government and to condemn it as an unjustified restriction on civil society as well as take action to protect human rights defenders in Palestine and those who stand up for the rights of Palestinians anywhere in the world.

During the webinar, Wesam Ahmad, a Director at the Center for Applied International Law in Al Haq – one of the six leading organisations groundlessly designated – will discuss the implications of this repression on Palestinian civil society. He will also address the responsibilities of third states parties such as The Netherlands and concrete actions we should expect from our authorities.

We will highlight the importance of civic space for human rights advocates in the Palestine/Israel context in general but also how it is connected to shrinking civic space in The Netherlands, through Giovanni Fassina and Lydia de Leeuw’s interventions. A recent ELSC report shows evidence of clear patterns to shrink civic space of individuals and groups expressing in favour of the rights of the Palestinians or criticising illegal Israeli policies, through deliberate smear campaigns, attempts to defund, cyberattacks, threats with lawsuits, and restrictions on academic freedom. Fassina will speak about the role and responsibilities of the Dutch government in protecting and promoting civic space.

The discussion will be moderated by Thomas Van Gool from PAX and the interventions will be followed by questions from the audience. The language will be English.

Registration is mandatory: REGISTER HERE. The link to access the webinar will be sent a few hours before the webinar.

Agenda

  • Thomas Van Gool, PAX: Welcome and introduction
  • Wesam Ahmad, Al-Haq: On the Ground Testimonies of Repression against Palestinian Civil Society
  • Giovanni Fassina, European Legal Support Center (ELSC): Main findings of the report on the Attempt to Chill Palestinian Rights’ Advocacy in the Netherlands
  • Lydia De Leeuw, the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO): A case-study on attempted repression of civic space for Palestine related human rights research and advocacy  
  • Discussion – Q&A
Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: October

Dear friend,

This month we share with you news on our work to push back against the criminalisation of Palestinian civil society by Israel as well as our new report on shrinking space and Palestinian rights advocacy in the Netherlands. We also share good news from the UK where the authorities rejected unfounded allegations by a lawfare group, updates from the BT3P team who challenged the German Parliament in Court, and new job and traineeship opportunities with the ELSC.

Latest Israeli Attempt to Suppress Palestinian Civil Society

After the Israeli government’s latest attempt to criminalise six prominent Palestinian CSOs by designating them as “terrorist”, we signed a joint letter to express solidarity and collectively urge the international community to take all necessary measures to protect them. We also published a statement calling on the EU and its member states to reject the designation, to publicly oppose the repression of Palestinian civil society, and to continue their financial support to their Palestinian partners. A number of international actors have also firmly rejected the Israeli decision, you can keep track of these reactions here.

Read the statement and share it on Twitter.

First ELSC Monitoring Report on Chilling Palestinian Rights Advocacy in the Netherlands

The attacks against Palestinian civil society are part of a global strategy of the Israeli authorities and their allies to silence Palestinian voices and this echoes with what we have been observing in Europe. On the 12th of October, we released our first monitoring report on the attempt to chill Palestinian rights advocacy in the Netherlands, which sheds light on the actors responsible for incidents of repression, including Israel-advocacy groups along with enabling actors such as Dutch right-wing media outlets and political parties. The report documents 76 cases of repression and the tactics used to repress Palestinian rights advocates.

BT3P vs. the Anti-BDS Motion of the German Bundestag: German Court Dismisses the Complaint

Since 2020, the ELSC has been supporting Palestinian-Jewish-German initiative Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) with lawyer Ahmed Abed to challenge the German Bundestag’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution that condemns the movement as antisemitic. Read our case summary.
On October 7, the Berlin Administrative Court held the first hearing on the complaint. The Court ruled that the fundamental rights of the complainants have not been violated and the Bundestag is allowed to use the controversial IHRA definition as a parameter to assess antisemitism and therefore dismissed the case at this stage. Nevertheless, the Court recognised both its jurisdiction on the case and BT3P’s legal standing to challenge the resolution. Amir Ali, one of the plaintiffs, said in response to this decision: “We will appeal. With this complaint we are opposing the systematic suppression of human rights work for Palestinians in Germany”. Lawyer Abed added: “We see good chances for the next instance.”

DONATE to help the team in their legal proceedings

UK Government Dismisses Attempt by UK Lawyers for Israel to Harm Palestinian Civil Society

In one of its latest attempt to delegitimise Palestinian civil society, UKLFI submitted a complaint to the UK National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (UK NCP) against PricewaterhouseCoopers Palestine Limited (PwC Palestine) for an alleged violation of the OECD Guidelines. In response, the UK NCP concluded that the complaint was unfounded as PwC Palestine “had appropriate policies and procedures in place to obtain reasonable assurance that its clients were upholding appropriate legal, compliance and ethical standards and also conducted reasonable investigations following the allegations by UKLFI.”
Such a decision plays a crucial role in the struggle of global civil society against the phenomenon of shrinking civic space, as it exposes the groundlessness and unreliability of the accusations that lawfare actors such as UKLFI use to interrupt the activities of human rights organisations. Read more here.

Resources & News from Around Europe and Palestine

From Palestine, The Arab Center for Social Media – 7amleh just launched its Palestinian Digital Rights Violations Monitor 7or. If you are a Palestinian activist or a supporter of the Palestinian cause and you have had your social media account suspended or content taken down, faced online hate speech or other digital rights violations, report here and 7amleh will contact social media companies and follow up on your case.

This month, the French Platform of NGOs for Palestine also launched a report on the delegitimisation strategies employed against defenders of Palestinian human rights including attacks and defamation, with a focus on France. The ELSC contributed with some advice.

Other ELSC News

The ELSC is offering new job and traineeship opportunities. We are seeking a Development Officer to lead fundraising and administrative work, including management of human resources and strategic planning. The deadline to apply is 21 November. See the call for applications.

We are also very happy to launch our Movement Lawyering Traineeship that aims to educate the next generation of human rights lawyers and advocates by rooting their legal training, experience and practice in the Palestine solidarity movement. We accept application on a rolling basis for three positions:

Junior Legal Officer: Monitor and Defend

Junior Advocacy Officer

Junior Legal Officer: Empower

We are currently welcoming applications for the positions of Junior Legal Officer: Monitor and Defend starting from 15th of July 2022 and Junior Advocacy Officer starting from May 2022. Read more and apply here.

We are now on Instagram! Follow us on our account elsclegal for updates on our work in promoting the right to advocate, and defending Palestinian rights advocates in Europe!

If you have faced repression for Palestinian rights advocacy whether at university, work, or during a protest in a 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.

You can join our movement to ensure that defenders of Palestinian rights receive free legal advice and support by making a one time or monthly donation to the ELSC. Any donation would empower our fight for Palestinian rights in Europe. If it is not possible to make a donation at this time, you could follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, share our posts and spread the word about repression of civic spaces for advocates of Palestinian rights.

Categories
Case Update

German Court dismisses the complaint against the Bundestag’s anti-BDS resolution. The plaintiffs announce: “We will appeal!”

On October 7, 2021, the Administrative Court of Berlin held the first hearing on the complaint filed in 2020 by the Palestinian-Jewish-German initiative Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) that aimed at challenging the anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions resolution adopted by the Bundestag in 2019.

Since 2020, the ELSC has been supporting the BT3P team and lawyer Ahmed Abed to challenge the resolution that falsely condemns the movement as antisemitic and severely impacted Palestinian rights advocacy resulting in smears and denial of public space whilst infringing on the fundamental right to freedom of expression. Read more in our case summary here.

Also see the summary of the statement of claim in the proceedings before the Administrative Court of Berlin.

During the hearing, BT3P clarified that their efforts to guarantee equal rights for all people in Palestine and Israel cannot be regarded as antisemitic. Conversely, the Bundestag’s legal representatives questioned the BT3P’s legal standing to challenge the resolution, as the latter does not directly mention the plaintiffs. Moreover, the Bundestag’s legal team challenged the jurisdiction of the Court on the complaint and pointed out that the legal issues at stake should be addressed to the Federal Constitutional Court.

The Court did not agree with these preliminary remarks made by the Bundestag and recognised both its jurisdiction on the case and BT3P’s legal standing to challenge the resolution. On the merits, the three judges ruled that the fundamental rights of the complainants have not been violated and the Bundestag is allowed to use the controversial IHRA-WDA as a parameter to assess antisemitism.

The hearing was followed by a press conference in which Associate Professor of International Law John Reynolds, who was instructed by the ELSC to write a legal opinion on the motion along with three other renowned scholars of international law[1], underlined that the Bundestag anti-BDS resolution is incompatible with international and European human rights standards, including the right to freedom of expression. Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK’s director Ben Jamal, and Bertrand Heilbronn, president of the AFPS (Association France Palestine Solidarité) also contributed, expressing solidarity and sharing their experience of anti-BDS policies and legislation in France and the UK.

Amir Ali, one of the plaintiffs, stated the following: “We will appeal. With this complaint we are opposing the systematic suppression of human rights work for Palestinians in Germany ”. The legal representative of the BT3P initiative, lawyer Ahmed Abed, pointed out that it is already a success that the Court has rejected the Bundestag’s attempt to exclude the plaintiffs’ right to challenge the Bundestag’s resolution and added: “We see good chances for the next instance”.

See the BT3P website and support them here.

Watch the press conference (in German) – See in English John Reynolds’ and Ben Jamal’s interventions from min 14:40 to 22:30 and Bertrand Heilbronn’s intervention from 48:00 to 52:00.

© picture: Mathilde Babo

References

References
↑1 Eric David, Emeritus Professor of International Law at Université Libre de Bruxelles, Xavier Dupre De Boulois, Professor of Law of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Richard Falk, Emeritus Professor of International Law, Princeton University and Chair of Global Law, Faculty of Law, Queen Mary University London
Categories
Press Release

Report reveals a pattern of attempts at silencing Palestinian rights advocates in the Netherlands

Nederlandse versie

Today, the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), an organisation that monitors incidents of repression against Palestinian rights advocates in Europe and provides them with legal support, published a report on chilling Palestinian rights advocacy in the Netherlands. The report, which is the first of its kind ever published, highlights the many attempts to stifle activism, human rights work, artistic activities or simple political expression on Israel and the Palestinian people.

The report highlights how, as the public awareness and criticism of illegal Israeli policies directed against the Palestinian people grew in the 21st century, the Israeli government launched a global campaign to silence voices critical of its policy. With the help of supporters in think tanks, advocacy groups, political allies and some media, the efforts to stifle domestic critique of Israeli policies and advocacy for Palestinian rights intensified and took the form of tactics that follow similar patterns, as shown in the report.

Research in the report is based on 76 incidents of attacks on Palestinian rights advocacy that happened between 2015 and 2020 in the Netherlands, primarily targeting individuals – including activists, NGO staff, journalists, professors, politicians – and civil society organisations. Examples of cases in the report show (attempted) defunding, denial of space, restriction of academic freedom, threats with violence or cyberattacks, threats with lawsuits, and smear campaigns that baselessly conflate legitimate criticism of policies and solidarity initiatives with antisemitism or support to terrorism. These attacks have had immediate impacts on the targeted people’s reputation, mental health and resources, but also longer term effects such as intimidation and self-censorship.

Despite the broad civic space provided by the institutions in the Netherlands, and even though the attacks often don’t succeed, the report exposes a genuine chilling effect and an environment in which Palestinian rights advocates can be attacked for exercising their fundamental rights. Among the perpetrators are well identified actors such as Israel-advocacy groups, specific media outlets and right-wing and Christian political parties, but also centrist parties or mainstream media that plays an important role in enabling and amplifying the disinformation and/or attacks of the primary actors, as stated in the report.

“Compared to other countries in Europe such as Germany or the UK, the Netherlands has a relatively favourable environment for advocating for Palestinian rights and upholding freedom of expression. But many of the attacks and incidents against human rights defenders that we have been monitoring could be avoided if the government was opposing harder the smear campaigns and pressure from Israel-advocacy groups.” said Giovanni Fassina, the Programme Director of the ELSC.

The report calls on the Dutch government and other public institutions such as universities or city councils to comply more proactively with their positive obligation to protect civic space. Members of Parliament and civil society have a particular duty and leverage towards the government in that regard, and media, donors and financial services providers also bear their own responsibilities in the observed shrinking space for open and democratic debate.

Read the report – Dutch version / See an infographic of the main findings – Dutch version

The European Legal Support Center was established in 2019 in Amsterdam as the first organisation to defend and empower the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe, including the UK, through legal means. The ELSC provides free legal advice and assistance to associations, NGOs, groups and individuals advocating for Palestinian rights in Europe. Press contact: Alice Garcia, alice@elsc.support.

Categories
Case Update Event

Berlin Administrative Court holds hearing for lawsuit of BT3P against German Bundestag

Since 2020, the ELSC has been supporting the BT3P team with lawyer Ahmed Abed to challenge the German Bundestag’s anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution that condemns the movement as antisemitic. Next week, the Berlin Administrative Court will hold a hearing on the case.

The Palestinian-Jewish-German initiative Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) filed their lawsuit against the Bundestag’s in May 2020. Their goal is to nullify the anti-BDS resolution which was adopted in May 2019. The resolution has had a significant chilling effect on Palestinian rights advocacy resulting in smears and denial of public space whilst infringing on the fundamental right to freedom of expression. Read more in our case summary here.

On October 7, 2021 at 12pm, the Berlin Administrative Court will hold a hearing on the case where the parties to submit their oral arguments.

The BT3P team is calling all interested parties to rally in front of the building of the Berlin Administrative Court on October 7, 2021 at 11am (Kirchstrasse 7 in Berlin).

A press conference will take place after the hearing at 4pm with the BT3P team and their lawyer Ahmed Abed, and international partners including Ben Jamal, Director of the UK Palestine Campaign Solidarity, Bertrand Heilbronn, President of AFPS (France Palestine Solidarity Association), Professor John Reynolds, expert on International Law (National University of Galway, Ireland).

You can register here:

  • to join us and be present at the rally and/or at the press conference in Berlin
  • or to join the press conference online
Categories
Event

Webinar: Resisting the IHRA Definition

On the occasion of the launch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s website ‘No to the IHRA definition’, the ELSC will be part of a panel to discuss the impact of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism on Palestinian rights advocacy and how to resist it.

Wednesday 22 September 2021 at 7pm CET (6pm UK time)

REGISTER here to attend the webinar.

Among other groups in Europe and the UK, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) in the UK is campaigning again the IHRA definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of the policies and practices of the State of Israel, with antisemitism.

The Director of the ELSC Giovanni Fassina will be part of the panel as the organisation has been providing legal support to many Palestinian rights advocates who faced unfounded allegations of antisemitism in the UK, based on the use of the IHRA definition.

Join us at 6pm (UK Time) on Wednesday the 22nd of September as the PSC launches its ‘No to the IHRA definition’ website which aims to give activists and campaigners the information and tools needed to resist or push back against the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism in various settings across the UK, including within universities and local councils.

Speakers:
Ben Jamal – PSC Director
Giovanni Fassina – European Legal Support Center (ELSC) Director
Tom Hickey – British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP)
Rabbi Alissa Wise – Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Former Deputy Director
Neve Gordon – Professor of International Law and Human Rights, Queen Mary University

Categories
Release

ELSC Year-in-Review: 2020

Today the ELSC announces the release of our 2020 Year-in-Review, which provides an overview our work, achievements and cases in the defence of Palestinian rights advocacy in Europe during 2020.

In 2020, we responded to 39 cases of individuals, groups and organisations who faced repression for their advocacy in 11 European countries. Examples of our work included assisting students and academics in campus disciplinary proceedings for false and inflammatory allegations of antisemitism. In 23 of the cases, we supported litigation or legal defence outside of courts by working with our network of lawyers and partner organisations, and preparing legal opinions, memos and submissions.

Based on extensive ELSC monitoring of repression of advocacy for Palestinian rights across Europe, with a focus on the UK and Netherlands, we expanded our incidents and legal database and raised awareness about unlawful restrictions of fundamental rights and civic space faced by the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe.

Reflecting on our 2020, ELSC Programme Director, Giovanni Fassina shares:

“As we move forward with our work in 2021, in times of growing global mobilization for Palestinian rights, we hope to continue our work in support of the movement. Yet, the ELSC’s work is only possible thanks to the manifold engagement of our friends, including our partner organisations around the world and institutional donors and individuals who have provided generous donations. For this, I and the ELSC team are deeply grateful.”

Click here to read the full report

Categories
Newsletter

ELSC Newsletter: June

This month we share with you updates from our work around Europe. In Brussels, we sent a joint letter to the EU commission challenging the political instrumentalization of the controversial IHRA definition, in the UK we assisted students and academics to challenge repression when they speak up in defence of Palestinian rights and we challenged PayPal to shape up its policy on account closures.

We also express our sincere condolences to our partner organization Al Haq after the shocking death of brilliant human rights defender Suha Jarrar yesterday. Suha was a legal researcher in Al Haq since 2017. Our hearts and thoughts go to Suha’s family, colleagues and loved ones.

CHALLENGING THE EU COMMISSION ON POLITICAL INSTRUMENTALIZATION OF ANTISEMITISM

In June, the ELSC joined 9 other networks and European organizations to send an open letter to the European Commission, in anticipation of its “comprehensive strategy on combating antisemitism”, which it is currently in preparation. The letter addresses, among other things, the endorsement and the use of the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism that has been having a harmful impact on Palestinian rights advocates’ freedom of expression and work.

We ask the Commission to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of expression and to civic space for rights-based advocacy and activism on Israel-Palestine.

Read about the letter and amplify the news:

REPRESSION INTENSIFIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM   

In the UK, activists, students, academics and even children are facing increasing repression because they speak up about Palestine. The requests of legal support received by the ELSC from UK students and academics have been increasing these past weeks. Individuals have been smeared and face complaints because they tweeted or signed letters in support of Palestinian human rights and criticizing Israeli violations of international law. In schools, children have been punished because they expressed support for Palestine and sometimes, they had to face the police. See this Channel 4 documentary and this report by MEND.

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.

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

At the ELSC, our team has been working tirelessly to ensure Palestinian rights activists are supported and defended. When needed, we work in partnership with local lawyers to bring cases before national courts. This summer, we are aiming to raise €5000 to make sure we are able to offer legal assistance to everyone at risk or affected by repression.  We are €3000 away from our goal.  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.

PAYPAL TOLD TO SHAPE UP POLICIES ON ACCOUNT CLOSURES

Nearly two dozen rights groups, including the ELSC and our partner 7amleh, have joined together to tell PayPal and its subsidiary Venmo to shape up its policies on account freezes and closures.

“While companies like Facebook and YouTube have faced substantial scrutiny for their history of account closures, financial companies like PayPal have often flown under the radar. Now, the human rights community is sending a clear message that it’s time to change,” said EFF International Director of Freedom of Expression Jillian York.

PayPal has an history of closing accounts of Palestinian rights activists and of lacking of services in Palestine, as reported by 7amleh. More than 170 000 people also signed a petition asking PayPal to stop discriminating against Palestinians. Its transparency must be addressed.

Read the letter to PayPal here

RESOURCES & NEWS FROM AROUND EUROPE AND PALESTINE

15 June 2021, 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, published its findings of the Index of Racism, Hatred and Incitement against Arabs and Palestinians. The study covers online violations and threats to the digital rights of Palestinians in Hebrew from the 6th to the 21st May 2021, particularly at the height of the last Israeli aggression on Palestinians. The findings show a 15-fold increase in violent speech compared to the same time period last year.

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Categories
Case Update

New Lawsuit against Denial of Public Space for Palestine-Related Event

In Germany, the campaigners Bundestag 3 for Palestine (BT3P) have initiated another strategic litigation. They are now challenging the city of Munich before the Administrative Court to be granted a public facility to host a panel discussion.

The event is planned for 20 March to coincide with the Israeli Apartheid Week 2021. Judith Bernstein, Amir Ali and Christoph Glanz will discuss the Israeli regime of apartheid, and how the German public can take steps to denounce and challenge the oppression of the Palestinian people.

Last November, BT3P had successfully petitioned the Administrative Court of Hessen against the City of Frankfurt. Similar to earlier decisions of three other German Courts, the Hessian Administrative Court ruled that the denial of public spaces for BDS events violates fundamental rights and instructed the City to revoke the facility ban.

These lawsuits are part of a broader legal battle against the Bundestag anti-BDS motion brought by BT3P campaigners represented by lawyer Ahmed Abed and assisted by the ELSC.

Filed in May 2020, the complaint against the Bundestag argues that, despite its non-legally binding nature, the motion has a law-like effect leading to restrictions on the freedoms of expression and assembly. Furthermore, the plaintiffs argue that the motion exposes human rights organisations and activists to public defamation as antisemitic rather than granting them protection and support.

After a request for delay granted by the Administrative Court of Berlin, the Bundestag is finally due to handover its first legal defence on 25 March.

BT3P has just launched an English version of their website! You can support by sharing the campaign and donating to cover the cost of legal proceedings.

Categories
Release

Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur

The ELSC has welcomed the opportunity to make a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, for her 2021 Human Rights Council report.

This year annual thematic report, to be presented to the Human Rights Council at its 47th session in June 2021, is focusing on disinformation and the human rights impacts of measures which different stakeholders – from states to online platforms and others – take to combat disinformation.

Since early 2019, ELSC has been closely monitoring violations of the right to freedom of expression for advocates of Palestinian rights in several EU countries and compile a database of incidents, case law and legal materials.

The submission responds to question 1 of the submission guide: “What do you believe are the key challenges raised by disinformation? What measures would you recommend to address them?”

In the first section, we argue that the campaign led by the Israeli government and several politically motivated Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to label the Boycott, Divestment, Sanction movement (BDS) and its supporters as inherently antisemitic amounts to disinformation.

In the second section, we show that this campaign resulted in the adoption of non-legally binding motions in Germany and Austria, at both national and regional level, designating the BDS as antisemitic.

The third section describes the negative impact of these anti-BDS motions on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and assembly of BDS activists and individuals and civil society organisations advocating for Palestinian rights in Europe.

Demonstrating that these motions have a significant chilling effect that results in the worrisome partial erasure of Palestine from the domain of legitimate public debate, we recommend the Special Rapporteur to:

  1. Issue a statement recognizing that the campaign stigmatizing the BDS movement as antisemitic amounts to disinformation;
  2. Address a second official letter of concern to the German and Austrian authorities about the implementations of the anti BDS motions.

Read the full submission.