Israel to send Shin Bet delegation to US to justify banning Palestinian rights groups

An Israeli envoy with officials from the foreign ministry and security services will visit the US to justify the outlawing of six Palestinian human rights organisations, leading to mass outrage.

Last week, the Israeli defence ministry announced they effectively banned six major human rights and civil society organisations from operating in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, claiming they had links to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

US officials said they were not informed prior to the Israeli decision and they wanted more evidence that the groups had links to Palestinian militant groups. A senior Israeli defence official denied this claim to The Jerusalem Post.

The official added that a delegation, which includes members of the defence ministry and the Shin Bet, Israel’s security services, will visit the US in the coming days.

In the Sunday briefing, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz made a claim that the intelligence connecting the organisations to the PFLP was "ironclad".

He added the material included "unequivocal evidence that includes video footage, photos, payment receipts that tie the said groups to the backing of terror activity".

The military measure applies to Addameer, a detainees' rights organisation, Defense for Children Palestine, legal NGO Al-Haq, the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees and the Bisan Center for Research and Development.

The move essentially makes the groups' work illegal and permits Israel to shut workplaces, take property and detain employees, all while banning financial or open backing for their operations, according to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Three of the groups issued statements on Friday and Saturday condemning the declaration, made using Israel’s domestic Anti-Terrorism Law of 2016.