Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence John Brady TD has strongly condemned the decision by the Israeli Ministry of Defence to designate Al Haq and five other Palestinian NGOs as terrorist organisations. 

The Wicklow TD said:

“The Israeli authorities refuse to provide any evidence to support this outrageous designation of the six Palestinian NGOs as terrorist groups.

“The reality is that Israel is unable to provide the evidence they refer to, because there is no evidence.

“These are human rights organisation engaged in important work exposing the brutality of the actions of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

“This is reminiscent of the darkest days of apartheid in South Africa.

“Israel is engaging in this approach for the simple reason they cannot challenge these human rights organisations as terrorist groups on the basis of their work.

“Israel has no evidence, nor will it uncover evidence, as there simply is no evidence.”

Teachta Brady continued:

“Israel is arbitrarily labelling human rights NGOs as terrorist organisations, in order to silence the stinging international criticisms that have been levelled at its record of terrorising the Palestinian people.

“The international community must react to this outrage. And the Irish government must lead the response.

“We have witnessed in other parts of the world how despotic regimes have demonised their opponents, labelling them as terrorists, as a prelude to murdering them, in order to remove them as a threat.

“We cannot sit back and allow this to happen. There must be a response, and Ireland must be to the forefront of that response.”