PLO official against new EU funding laws that follow “campaign of incitement and tarnishing” by Israel “against the Palestinian civil society”
Headline: “Ashrawi demanded that the European Union cancel the new funding conditions”
“PLO Executive Committee member [and head of the PLO Department of Diplomacy and Public Policy] Dr. Hanan Ashrawi expressed the concern of the leadership and civil society in light of the new conditions that the European Union (EU) has placed on funding the Palestinian civilian institutions and the adding of many Palestinian organizations to the blacklist (refers to newly imposed measures requiring Palestinian NGOs to cut ties with EU designated terror groups –Ed.).
Ashrawi said this in an official letter she directed to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
Ashrawi emphasized in her letter that these unfair conditions will limit the bodies working in Palestinian society in carrying out their duty towards our people, which contradicts the Palestinian laws and international criteria.
She noted that this new trend of the EU follows a reckless and deliberate campaign of incitement and tarnishing that Israel, the occupying power, is waging against the Palestinian civil society and those protecting human rights in order to thwart their activity and prevent their continued work. She added in this context that the EU needs to come out against this dangerous campaign and not succumb to the Israeli lies and mischief.
She said: ‘While we are emphasizing that we respect the EU’s efforts regarding the war on terror and extremism and consider them a joint interest, we emphasize here the necessity that the EU respect the Palestinian civil society’s obligations and act in a manner that is consistent with Palestinian law and our people’s interests.’
She added: ‘The accusations and lies that the Israeli occupation and those defending it are marketing contradict the Palestinian reality, which is expressed in the existence of an unarmed people that is bowing under the yoke of a criminal and racist Israeli military occupation with settlement aspirations of expansion.’
She continued: ‘It is impossible to force our Palestinian people, which has a long history of struggle against injustice, to adopt distorted Israeli definitions and deny its history and narrative. This is particularly so in light of the Israeli military regime that relies on violating international law and the decisions of the international bodies, and the fact that Israel is making its justice and legal system serve the occupation in all its expressions without [giving] any accounting.’”