A national meeting via video-conference was held between the Gaza Strip and West bank on 14 September 2009 to launch the national Campaign to Defend Public Freedoms and Human Rights and to Promote the Restoration of National Unity in Palestine. Over 150 r more
On October 2nd, 2009, the Palestinian Authority withdrew of its draft resolution supporting the recommendations contained in the Goldstone Report, resulting in a deferral of a vote to endorse the report in the Human Rights Council to March 2010. The repor more
The university of Trondheim in Norway may become the first university in the West to adopt an academic boycott of Israel, if a majority of its board votes in favor of the move at a meeting on the subject next month. more
In November 2009, the jury of the French National Consultant Committee for Human Rights in France selected the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) as one of the five winners more
( statement by the Palestinian NGO'S Network - PNGO ) Yesterday morning, May 6, 2010 at 6 am the Israeli General Security Service and Israeli police raided Ameer Makhoul's home in Haifa and arrested him. Makhoul, serves as General Director of Ittijah more
On Tuesday May 11, the Consul General of France in Jerusalem, Frédéric esagneaux, handed over a more
The Free Gaza flotilla, carrying around 700 pro-Palestinian activists from various countries, as well as approximately 10,000 tones of humanitarian aid, was headed for Gaza on Monday May 31st, 2010. While still travelling on international waters, 65 km of more
On 5th January 2004, PNGO, in cooperation with the different NGO bodies and networks, organized meetings all over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to launch an awareness-raising campaign regarding the funding conditions introduced by USAID. Under these conditions, Palestinian partner NGOs are required to sign a pledge entitled Certification Regarding Terrorist Financing based on Executive Order 13224 as a precondition to receiving any form of funding. This order, issued by the US Government and in effect since the end of 2002, requires Palestinian organizations receiving US aid to sign a pledge certifying that they do not "provide material support or resources to any individual or entity that advocates, plans, sponsors, engages in, or has engaged in terrorist activity". One of the appendices to the pledge includes the names of a large variety of Palestinian bodies and groups the US regards as terrorist entities.
The nationwide meetings on 5th January 2004 served to reaffirm the Palestinian NGOs'''' position already clearly expressed in a position paper released in July 2003. In addition, the aim of the meetings was to raise awareness among the NGO community regarding the seriousness of the issue.
It was pointed out that the signing of the pledge would be in clear contravention of the Palestinian NGO Law [link] which stipulates in Chapter Seven, Article 32, that NGOs may only receive unconditional assistance.
Moreover, Palestinian NGOs expressed the view that the signing of the pledge would have dangerous implications for NGOs and would pave the way for labeling a large variety of NGO activities as ‘terrorist''''. Thus, human rights organizations providing legal assistance to prisoners regardless of their political affiliations would be regarded as being in contravention of the pledge. A similar situation would apply to other sectors, such as health, agriculture and the environment.
Palestinian NGOs maintained that the new rules could be easily manipulated in Israel''''s favor which could go as far as preventing Palestinians who want to take part in international events to give presentations about the situation from a Palestinian perspective from doing so.
As a direct outcome of the above meetings, participants recommended that the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian Legislative Council should express a clear position concerning the issue.
PNGO reiterates its call for halting conditional support in nationwide meetings on 5th January 2004.
Download the USAID Certification
Download the July 2003 Position Paper
Link to NGO Law full text