Presiding Judge Robert Fremr in the courtroom at the ICC (International Criminal Court) in the Hague, the Netherlands, 2018 (photo credit: BAS CZERWINSKI/POOL VIA REUTERS)
Several European governments donated funds to organizations specifically for the purpose of fighting Israel in international legal forums, including the International Criminal Court, which announced last week that it will investigate of alleged war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinians.
Among the governments funding lawfare against Israel via Palestinians and Israeli organizations are Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, France and the EU, the think tank NGO Monitor found.
The contract between the Swiss government and Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights, based in Gaza, specifies under the category of “lobbying, advocacy and networking” that the NGO plans to “provide and reports to the ICC on human rights violations committed by IOF,” which stands for “Israel Occupation Forces.”
Switzerland’s contract with the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights lists among its planned activities “conducting communications with the office of the General Prosecutor of the ICC and other international litigation mechanisms,” “sending communications to international litigation mechanisms,” with the ICC mentioned specifically,” and “enabling victims and witnesses to appear before int’l litigation mechanisms.”
PCHR’s stated measures of success include the number of meetings it has with the General Prosecutor of the ICC, the amount of communication it has with international litigation mechanisms and the number of witnesses it sends to them.
Both of the aforementioned organizations have ties with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is a designated terrorist group in the EU, US, Canada and Israel. They have held joint events in recent years, and the deputy chairman of the PCHR’s board is the former lead of the PFLP’s military arm.
The organization Al Mezan, received 450,000 Euros from the EU in 2017-2020 and about 200,000 Euros from the Netherlands in 2018. The NGO listed “contribution to the enforcement of the international human rights mechanisms” as one of its goals in its contract with the Netherlands. The organization petitions international legal bodies to seek arrest warrants against Israeli officials, among other lawfare campaigns.