PALESTINE Ramallah, raid on the church of Saint Andrew

The army stormed the Anglican complex yesterday “without prior notice” and in an “unjustified” manner. The military’s target was the offices of al-Haq, an organization that fights for the rights of Palestinians, especially political prisoners. The larger operation also involved five other West Bank NGOs.

Jerusalem () – An attack “without warning and unjustified”, as part of a broader operation against Palestinian NGOs and activist movements operating in the region. In the early hours of yesterday, Israeli security forces forcibly entered the premises of the Anglican Church of Saint Andrew in Ramallah, West Bank, breaking the locks and smashing the security windows. Local witnesses report that for more than two hours the military occupied the complex, which includes the temple, the parish hall, the church offices, the rectory and the medical center of the Episcopal church.

Reverend Fadi Diab, rector of San Andrés, explained that the soldiers “occupied the entire complex” causing substantial damage to the structure. The attacks on places of worship and the destruction of church property, he added, “violate international law and terrorize an entire community” living peacefully.

People living in the Ramallah compound experienced “profound insecurity” during the operation. The sound of gunshots, stun grenades and banging on doors caused “terror” in families in the area. Although there was no justification for the operation and the destruction of the church premises, the Israeli security forces tried to legitimize it by claiming that the target was al-Haq, one of the most important human rights groups in the West Bank. In effect, the organization rents an office in the San Andrés complex, but it has a completely separate entrance from the place of worship.

The Anglican diocese of Jerusalem, headed by the Rev. Hosam E. Naoum, has expressed its condemnation of what happened and speaks of an attack on “a sacred place” and “destruction of Church property.” The same NGO al-Haq, the target of the raid, also published a note describing the manner of the attack, the damage caused and the threats from the Israeli forces. For their part, the activists affirmed that they will not be intimidated and that they are determined to continue their work in defense of the rights of Palestinians, especially political prisoners. They also called on the Israeli authorities to revoke the “terrorist” designation applied to the organization.

The attack on the al-Haq headquarters, and consequently on the Anglican compound, is part of a larger operation currently being carried out by the Israeli authorities against activist groups and NGOs fighting for Palestinian rights. Similar episodes have already occurred in the past and are related to very specific directives from the governments in power. Benjamin Netanyahu, for example, who passed a controversial law on funding sources, and currently the executive headed by Yair Lapid (and Defense Minister Benny Gantz).

Indeed, yesterday the army raided the offices of another five NGOs, all located in Ramallah, imposing a permanent closure order on them. In addition to al-Haq, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees were declared “terrorist organizations” in 2021. The provision states that “illegal activities” were carried out on their premises, although in recent months no real evidence of crime or violence has been found.