Afrasianet - Raed Salha - A new report by one of the world's oldest human rights organizations has revealed that "support for the rights of Palestinians from Paris to Washington, and from Berlin to London, is today censored, criminalized and violently suppressed, under the pretext of combating anti-Semitism and protecting national security."
The Paris-based international human rights organization FIDH released a report titled "Solidarity as a Crime: Voices for Palestine Under Fire," just days after the Gaza Strip ceasefire began, which came more than two years after the Israeli offensive was condemned by many as genocide against Palestinians.
Yousra Farawarz, head of the organization's Morocco and Middle East division, said the trend "reflects a worrying shift towards the normalization of exceptional measures in dealing with dissenting voices," according to Common Dreams.
The report focuses on violations of the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, since the October 7 attacks, and the subsequent wave of widespread repression against Palestinian solidarity activities.
The report outlines the political and historical backgrounds of each country's relationship with Israel, the context of anti-protest laws, and abuses against academics, activists, media and human rights organizations, and even some elected officials.
The U.S. government has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel since the war began, while pro-Palestine activists in the United States face decades-long sanctions, censorship, and repression.
Since 2014, U.S. lawmakers have introduced nearly 300 bills aimed at restricting expressions of solidarity with Palestine, a quarter of which have been passed federally or in 38 states, according to the document, which added that in 2023 alone, more than 80 bills have been passed, including an extremist bill calling for the expulsion of all Palestinians from the United States.
Anti-genocide demonstrations on U.S. universities have faced widespread repression from the authorities, with President Donald Trump's administration continuing to try to deport foreign students who have criticized or Washington's support for the Israeli offensive, and universities threatening to lose their federal funding.
In the United Kingdom, the organization recalls that Palestine was "under British occupation under the Mandate regime," and that Britain "has maintained close relations with Israel since its founding in the 1940s." Over the past two years, the British government has repeatedly downplayed Israeli atrocities in Gaza and launched a "sustained assault on the right to demonstrate", as Gaza solidarity marches have faced high levels of surveillance and police violence.
In Germany, the report explains that the relationship with Israel is "deeply shaped by the history of the Holocaust," and that Berlin is Israel's second most important strategic partner after the United States. The report highlighted the "broad ban on demonstrations" and the targeting of civil society organizations in solidarity with Palestine with severe repressive measures.
In France, which is in the midst of an internal political crisis, the report described Paris as a "traditional ally of Israel" and has a "long history of suppressing expressions of solidarity with Palestine." On October 12, 2023, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called for a complete ban on all gatherings in solidarity with Palestine.
Despite the ban, mass demonstrations took place in several French cities, which security met with excessive violence, using tear gas and water cannons, and many protesters were arrested, including migrants and foreigners "who were the most vulnerable to arbitrary measures."
The report, which was produced in collaboration with organizations including the Center for Constitutional Rights in the United States and the Human Rights League of France, concludes with a set of recommendations addressed to governments, civil society organizations, media platforms and academic institutions.
Alice Mogwe, president of the International Organization for Human Rights, said: "States must guarantee everyone the right to peaceful expression and association in all issues. The defense of human rights should not be constrained by political calculations or government sensitiles."