US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has urged the Biden administration to “hold Israel accountable” after its forces recently raided and closed the offices of seven Palestinian human rights groups in the occupied West Bank a move that has drawn international condemnation.
“Exactly 100 days since American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was assassinated by an Israeli sniper the apartheid government moved to shut down seven human rights organizations at the core in fighting for the lives liberties and freedoms of millions of Palestinians” Tlaib said in a statement last Friday.
“I call on the White House to denounce this unwarranted aggression against Palestinian civil society and take action to reverse this decision.”
“These acts are a direct result of the Biden administration’s complete failure to defend Palestinian human rights against racism and ethnic cleansing” Tlaib elaborated. “The silence by our country is enabling more death and violence. We must hold Israel accountable.”
In the early morning hours of last Thursday Israeli soldiers stormed the West Bank offices of al-Haq Addameer Bisan Center Defense for Children International-Palestine the Union of Agricultural Works Committees the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees and the Union of Health Workers Committees — organizations that have been deemed unlawful by the Israeli government on unsubstantiated terrorism accusations.
Tlaib pointed out in her statement that these organizations whose offices were raided and ransacked by Israeli forces “provide medical services to countless people throughout occupied Palestine where the apartheid government of Israel routinely denies them care solely because they are Palestinian.”
“They document human rights abuses against children and civilians no matter who commits them. There is no excuse for the Israeli government’s actions” Tlaib said.
“No matter the lies invented to justify this ridiculous attack against human rights defenders this campaign will not succeed because countless Palestinians Israelis Americans and people all around the world are increasingly seeing the reality of apartheid Israel’s treatment of Palestinians” the lawmaker added.
