27 September 2022

On Tuesday, 27 September 2022, the Palestinian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) held a meeting attended by representatives of the Network of Palestinian  Non-governmental Organizations (PNGO), Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) and other NGOs registered as non-profit companies to discuss the regulation on non-profit companies issued by the Palestinian Cabinet.

The meeting was held over the Cabinet’s new regulation on non-profit companies, which was published in the Palestinian Gazette on 25 September 2022. The new regulations calls for the NGOs registered as non-profit companies to regularize their status in line with the new regulation within a month. This regulation is the newest measure in the series of measures strangulating the work of CSOs and is part of the efforts to control, restrict and destroy them under the pretext of fighting terrorism and money laundering, as well as putting them under the suspicion of funding terrorism and financial corruption.

The participants expressed their shock at the regulation, which was issued without any prior consultation or participation by CSOs. The participants also criticized the excessive enactment of legislations and laws by decree issued by the Palestinian Authority in light of the absence of the Legislative Council, which has an inherent jurisdiction to legislate. These actions reflect the executive authority’s interference and tightening of control on the Palestinian society and its components.

The participants in the meeting stressed CSOs’ significant and effective role in serving the Palestinian people’s issues and strengthening their resilience against the Israeli violations, considering CSOs as the last standing guard. The participants also emphasized that the CSOs are still professionally and efficiently carrying out their work and have proven their resilience, strength and independence in all circumstances, adding that the Palestinian Cabinet’s regulation would exterminate the philosophy of having CSOs.

The participants criticized the issuance of this regulation which coincided with the Israeli Occupation’s fierce campaign against the Palestinian CSOs; the last of which was the closure of 7 leading Palestinian CSOs, including three human rights organizations. Accordingly, this regulation corresponds to Israel’s false allegations of linking the Palestinian NGOs with terrorism, which Israel has failed to promote at the international level, even to its closest allies.

The participants unanimously agreed to initiate a widescale campaign against this regulation to revoke it as its implementation would inflict serious consequences and lead to ending the presence of CSOs.