The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Addameer, a prominent Palestinian legal advocacy group, along with five other charitable organizations across the Middle East and Europe, accusing them of funneling support to terrorist groups under the guise of humanitarian aid.
Addameer, which provides legal services to Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons and is based in Ramallah, was singled out for its alleged affiliation with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist group. The PFLP has carried out deadly attacks on Israelis and operates both political and military wings.
Israel has long accused Addameer of funding terrorism. The NGO has also partnered with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the World Organization Against Torture. Addameer did not immediately respond to the sanctions.
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The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, a signatory on a coalition letter urging Treasury action, welcomed the decision. “We are excited to share the success B”H of a coalition letter... urging the United States Treasury to impose sanctions on certain groups aligned with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine,” the organization said. “Yesterday, the U.S. Treasury responded by taking action adding Addameer—one of the groups highlighted in our coalition letter—to its sanctions list.”
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A man works inside the Palestinian civil society group Addameer, which was designated by Israel as a terrorist organization along with other five groups, in Ramallah
(Photo: Reuters)
The Treasury also designated charities based in Gaza, Turkey, the Netherlands and Italy, citing their roles in fundraising for Hamas' military wing. A recent Treasury report warned of growing use of crowdfunding to mask terrorist financing.
Marc Greendorfer, head of the U.S.-based Zachor Legal Institute, which led the February petition to Treasury, said the group was "very pleased" by the move. “We applaud Treasury’s action and encourage them to expand its focus,” he said.