9 European countries: Israel hasn’t backed up terror label for 6 Palestinian groups

Nine European countries reject Israel’s terror designation of six Palestinian organizations last year, saying they will continue funding and supporting them after Jerusalem failed to present information backing up its claim.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden stress that “accusations of terrorism or links to terrorist groups must always be treated with the utmost seriousness. The designations needed therefore to be assessed carefully and extensively.”

However, “no substantial information was received from Israel that would justify reviewing our policy towards the six Palestinian NGOs on the basis of the Israeli decision to designate these NGOs as ‘terrorist organizations.'”

“Should evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly. In the absence of such evidence, we will continue our cooperation and strong support for the civil society” in the West Bank and Gaza, the statement concludes. “A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values and for the two-state solution.”