The Palestinians Decided to Shift Their Weight to the Political and Legal Battlefield

The six organizations that Defense Minister Benny Gantz declared terrorist organizations are the successors of groups that had been formed during the 1970s in order to exploit the freedoms provided by Western democracies to undermine the concept of democracy itself. The millions of euros flowing into the Palestinian Authority under the guise of “human rights” or “women’s empowerment” are nothing more than donors’ desperate attempts to clear their consciousness; a process of catharsis that began immediately after the establishment of the State of Israel. The Scandinavian countries, for example, which are among the main contributors to Palestinian NGOs, do so to make up for an “injustice”; the establishment of the State of Israel at the expense of the Palestinians. Correction of injustice? The truth couldn’t be farther from it. These donations have much more to do with perpetuating terrorism or encouraging it. Were it not for the donations coming from these countries, these Palestinian organizations would have long disappeared. The solution, therefore, lies in proving to the world that these groups sponsor terrorism. Just like Ariel Sharon proved to George W. Bush Jr. that Yasir Arafat was involved in terrorism – an action that led to the latter’s isolation in the Muqata compound in Ramallah, and just like Israel periodically proves to the Americans and Russians that Iran operates in Syrian territory, so, too, we must lift the mask off these terror groups disguised as civil society organizations. The charity fund of every Islamic branch in the West Bank is a direct benefactor of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists, as well as their families. This is done under the banner of humanitarian intervention. Take for example Samiha Khalil, a Palestinian nationalist who founded an NGO called the Inaash al-Usra society in the 1980s. It was ostensibly perceived as a positive organization whose role was to empower women and provide them with welfare. But this wasn’t exactly the case. The organization, led by Palestinian girls who sold weaved fabrics, turned out to be the main benefactor of left-wing terrorist groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Another organization, formed in the 1980s, known as the “Institute for Cooperation,” operated under the guise of a social welfare organization for many years. However, it turned out that it funded Fatah operatives in preparation for the establishment of a Palestinian state. In general, since their inception, the PLO and Islamic organizations have devoted great efforts to framing themselves as neutral bodies designed to bring about grassroots change in society. Millions of dollars were poured into these groups, which, in turn, funneled them to terrorists. Meanwhile, Western donors are convinced that they’re repairing the world thanks to their donations, without knowing that their donations exacerbate the cycle of violence. We should all keep in mind that once the Palestinians realized that it would be difficult to defeat Israel militarily, on the battlefield, they decided to shift the weight of their battle to the political and legal battlefield, mostly through charity and welfare organizations. Defense Minister Gantz did well to declare these organizations terrorist groups. That is quite literally what they are, and there’s no need to sugarcoat the truth. – Moshe Elad (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)