Press Releases
An Honorable National Position from the Palestinian Executive Committee to the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs
PR/EN/030120/02
In response to the demands of the Palestinian National Campaign to Reject Conditional Funding and its supporters, the Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Dr. Saeb Erekat, on Friday, 3 January, sent an official message to the European Union High Representative, Mr. Joseph Borrell, requesting cancellation of the funding conditions that the European Union is imposing on Palestinian civil society organizations.
While we welcome Dr. Erekat's message - a respectable national position – we renew the call to the Palestinian national factions and organizations, collectively and individually, to join us and Dr. Erekat in rejecting conditional funding through the issuance of similar statements. We urge the Palestinian National Authority to also announce its rejection of the conditions of the European Union. Particularly, we call on the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, the body responsible for the proper application of the Charitable Societies Law, which stipulates that organizations are not allowed to accept conditional funding; and the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the authority that regulates international relations and advocates for the Palestinian people’s rights including the role of civil society.
Undoubtedly, the message of Dr. Erekat is a practical and real embodiment of the meaning of national unity and complementarity, which requires additional supportive efforts. This position constitutes an appropriate challenge to the Zionist-Israeli campaigns aimed at silencing and/or liquidating civil society, and criminalizing Palestinian political parties and legitimate resistance.
The Palestinian National Campaign to Reject Conditional Funding fervently renews its call to the European Union and other donor agencies with similar approaches that detracts from the rights of our people and our national dignity to immediately cease and desist conditional funding policies and measures. The time has come for all donor agencies to realize that only financial support that is consistent with the rights of our people and preserves our dignity will be accepted. Otherwise, it is totally rejected, regardless of the size of the financial temptation and the breadth of the required sacrifice.
The Palestinian National Campaign to Reject Conditional Funding.
While we welcome Dr. Erekat's message - a respectable national position – we renew the call to the Palestinian national factions and organizations, collectively and individually, to join us and Dr. Erekat in rejecting conditional funding through the issuance of similar statements. We urge the Palestinian National Authority to also announce its rejection of the conditions of the European Union. Particularly, we call on the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, the body responsible for the proper application of the Charitable Societies Law, which stipulates that organizations are not allowed to accept conditional funding; and the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the authority that regulates international relations and advocates for the Palestinian people’s rights including the role of civil society.
Undoubtedly, the message of Dr. Erekat is a practical and real embodiment of the meaning of national unity and complementarity, which requires additional supportive efforts. This position constitutes an appropriate challenge to the Zionist-Israeli campaigns aimed at silencing and/or liquidating civil society, and criminalizing Palestinian political parties and legitimate resistance.
The Palestinian National Campaign to Reject Conditional Funding fervently renews its call to the European Union and other donor agencies with similar approaches that detracts from the rights of our people and our national dignity to immediately cease and desist conditional funding policies and measures. The time has come for all donor agencies to realize that only financial support that is consistent with the rights of our people and preserves our dignity will be accepted. Otherwise, it is totally rejected, regardless of the size of the financial temptation and the breadth of the required sacrifice.
The Palestinian National Campaign to Reject Conditional Funding.
