NEW YORK — T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization representing over 2,300 rabbis and cantors and their communities in North America, condemned today’s move by the Israeli Defense Ministry to declare a number of Palestinian organizations—including some of the most important Palestinian civil society and human rights organizations—as terrorist groups, warning that reduced transparency would endanger the human rights of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, released the following statement:
“This decision is an alarming attempt by the Israeli government to silence Palestinian human rights defenders, including those that report on human rights abuses by the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, and those that offer legal support and defend Palestinians subject to human rights abuses.
“A robust human rights sector is an essential element of any democracy. By falsely labeling Palestinian civil society organizations as terrorist groups, the Israeli government reduces transparency and violates the basic rights of Palestinians in ways that can have life-threatening consequences. A key component of a future Palestinian state is a strong civil society, and human rights groups are an essential part of building toward that goal.
“NGO Monitor, the group consulted by the Israeli government to make this misguided decision, is an extremist group devoted almost entirely to attacking Israeli and Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as well as international human rights organizations that report on Israel. NGO Monitor is known to base their accusations on false information and insubstantial connections.
“The work of human rights groups ensures that no government can violate k’vod habriot, basic human dignity, without fear of accountability. From at least the time of the Bible, governments have resisted listening to the prophetic voices that expose unpleasant truths. Nevertheless, these voices are necessary for transparency and to ensure human rights protections.
“By falsely accusing human rights and civil society organizations of being terrorist groups, the Israeli government attempts to shield itself from criticism while also doing potentially lasting damage to Palestinians and to Palestinian society.”
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of more than 2,300 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories