Borrell sees Israel’s raids against NGOs as “unacceptable” and asks them to clarify the accusations of terrorism

BRUSSELS, Aug. 22 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has denounced as “unacceptable” the raids by the Israeli authorities against six Palestinian civil organizations, to which he attributes ties with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), considered a terrorist organization, and has demanded that it put on the table “convincing evidence” to support those accusations.

In a statement, the second on this case, the head of diplomacy expresses the EU’s concern about this situation and discredits the arrests and interrogations of members of these NGOs, stating that they reduce the space for civil society in the region. “These actions are not acceptable”, he has criticized him.

“The EU is committed to supporting civil society that contributes to building trust between Israelis and Palestinians. It stands firm alongside non-governmental organizations to defend the right of expression and association in the occupied territories,” Borrell said in the statement. .

“In this sense, it rejects the accusations of supporting terrorism, after last year a series of organizations were designated as such, including some that receive European funds.

“We have been clear with the Israeli authorities on this, along with many EU member states and other partners. Convincing evidence must be presented, otherwise we would act accordingly. In the meantime, it is crucial to ensure that anti-terrorism legislation does not undermine the civil society and its valuable work to build more just and peaceful societies”, he defended.

The High Representative’s statement comes after nine EU Member States, including Spain, showed their support for the organizations persecuted and closed by Israel in a joint statement.

Specifically, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden indicated that they were “deeply concerned” about the raids that took place on Thursday “as part of a worrying reduction in the space for civil society in the occupied Palestinian territories” and described these actions as “not acceptable”.