Israel's Shin Bet envoy to travel to US with info on outlawed NGOs, Palestinian groups

An envoy from Israel’s Foreign Ministry and its Shin Bet security services will be sent to the US with ‘univocal” information on its recent labelling of several Palestinian rights groups as terrorist organizations. The announcement comes a day after US States Department denied receiving any prior information on the zionist move and asked Israel for more evidence. Late last week, the Naftali Bennet administration outlawed six Palestine-based civil society groups linking them to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP)- which has been categorized as a ‘terror organization’ both by Israel and the US. 

Meanwhile, on Sunday, a top Israeli official defended the decision stating that officials had substantive evidence of the NGO’s involvement in terror activities. He said the material included “unequivocal evidence that includes video footage, photos, payment receipts that tie the said groups to the backing of terror activity.” While a report in Times of Israel clearly stated that all the evidence related to the matter was “ironclad”, some were reportedly shared with the Biden administration in advance. Interestingly, even Prime Minister Naftali Bennet was not notified beforehand about Benny Gantz signing the order. 

Israel prepared for possible outcomes 

Israel knew about the consequences of the declaration and had already prepared for any reported petitions urged a reversal of the move, as per a report by Haaretz. Additionally, the administration does not plan to open any criminal investigation into the functioning of the organisations, as of now. Notably, the decsion was made uin accordance with a 2016 anti-terror law. 

On Friday, Israel outlawed six Palestinian human rights groups, linking them to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestinian (PFLP)-whose armed wing has been accused of attacking Israelis. In a decree signed by the country’s defence minister Benny Ganz, the zionist administration said that the now-banned organisations acted as a front for PFLP which has been designated as a “terrorist organisation” by the west. However, the rights groups have asserted that it was another zionist ploy to silence their voice against Israeli suppression. Meanwhile, other observers and experts opined that it would give Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Palestinians Liberation Army (PLA) a chance to increase their raids and arrest Arabs. 

Image: AP