In recent months, Palestinian, Israeli and international organizations have come under increased pressure from Israel for their reporting on Israel's human rights violations. This includes a series of smear campaigns^[1] and the passage of a Knesset law in July of 2016 that obliges nongovernmental organizations to report on their foreign funding, with fines reaching about 7,000 USD for non-compliance.

United Nations experts have also been subject to denials of entry by Israel, including Richard Falk, the former Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.^[2]

Other United Nations experts have also highlighted the shrinking space for human rights work. In December 2016, Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 and Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders have noted the increasing repression of human rights defenders in occupied Palestine, citing cases of arbitrary arrest. Particularly, the UN Special Rapporteurs raised concerns about IssaAmro, founder of Youth Against Settlements, Farid al-Atrash, a Palestinian attorney, Salah Khawaja, Stop the Wall Campaign coordinator, and Hasan Safadi, Addameer’s media coordinator, all of whom have been arrested in recent months.^[3]

PHROCstands in solidarity with Human Rights Watch and calls for the protection of human rights work, the freedom of movement for human rights staff, and an immediate end to repression and that serves to inhibit vital human rights work in Palestine, Israel and globally.

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[1] Al MezanCenter for Human Rights, “Al Mezan Condemns Continued Death Threats to Staff Members and Calls on the International Community to Intervene”, 11 August 2016. Available at: http://www.mezan.org/en/post/21475/Al+Mezan+Condemns+Continued+Death+Threats+to+Staff+Members+and+Calls+on+the+International+Community+to+Intervene

[2] Al-Haq, "Denial of entry to UN Special Rapporteur demonstrates once again Israel's duplicity in its relations with the UN, 17 December 2009. Available at:
http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/targets/united-nations/205-denial-of-entry-to-un-special-rapporteur-demonstrates-once-again-israels-duplicity-in-its-relations-with-the-un

[3] “Human rights defenders under growing legal pressure in the OPT – UN rights experts”, Geneva, 16 December 2016. Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21041&LangID=E#sthash.qp0Ce72c.dpuf

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Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council 

	Addameer Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Association Sahar Francis General Director			Aldameer Association for Human Rights Samer Mousa
	Al-Haq Shawan Jabarin General Director			Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Issam Younis General Director
	Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights Nidal Azza General Director			Defence for Children International Palestine Section Khaled Kuzmar General Director
	The Palestinian Center for Human Rights  Raja Sourani General Director			Hurryyat - Centre for Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights Helmi Al-araj General Director
	Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights Issam Aruri General Director			Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies Suhaib Sharif General Director