Al-Shabaka Policy Brief October 2020

DESTROYING PALESTINIAN , ONE INSTITUTION AT A TIME By Yara Hawari

Overview Although prior to 1948 it did not hold the strategic and economic importance of Palestine’s coastal On July 22, 2020, Israeli police raided and looted cities, such as Jaffa and Haifa, it nonetheless always the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, held social, political, and cultural significance for the Yaboos Cultural Centre, and the Shafaq Cultural Palestinians. As Rashid Khalidi explains, Jerusalem’s [email protected] Network in . Their offices were “schools, newspapers, clubs and political figures ransacked, documents and files were taken, and had an impact throughout Palestine even before the computers, laptops, and phones were confiscated. country’s British Mandate boundaries were established All three directors, Suhail Khoury, Rania Elias, and after World War I.”1 Daoud Ghoul, were arrested and taken from their homes, which were also raided. Khoury and Elias were Following the British occupation of Palestine in 1917 held for one day in Israeli detention, while Ghoul and the official establishment of the mandate in 1922, spent two weeks incarcerated and interrogated in Jerusalem became a site of political organizing against Moskobiye prison. Much of the local and international British colonial rule and Zionist settler colonialism. media reported that they were arrested on suspicion Specifically, Britain’s fulfillment of the 1917 Balfour of funding terrorism, a charge commonly levelled at Declaration, which promised British facilitation of Palestinian activists by the Israeli regime. the establishment of a Jewish “national home” in Palestine, with land appropriations and continued This attack on East Jerusalem’s cultural institutions is Jewish immigration to Palestine, drove Palestinians to not a new phenomenon. Indeed, it follows a pattern protest in large numbers throughout Jerusalem. During of continuous attacks over decades on the Palestinian these early years of British rule, the city also became presence in the city. In May 2018, Israeli control a hub for women’s political organization. In 1929, the over the city was further entrenched with the United firstArab Women’s Congress convened in Jerusalem, States embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, out of which emerged the first Arab Women’s www.Al-Shabaka.org highlighting a deteriorating trajectory for Palestinians Executive Committee, thus marking the beginning in the city. It is also part of renewed efforts by Israeli of an organized and political Palestinian women’s state and quasi state actors to target Palestinian civil movement. society, whether in the West Bank and Gaza or across the Green Line. This policy brief examines the recent Jerusalem served as the political and administrative assaults on Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem capital of Britain’s Government of Palestine within the broader context of Israeli suppression of throughout the three decades of British rule, and it Palestinian civil society, and offers recommendations maintained a unique designation in the lead-up to the for pushing back against the destruction of Palestinian 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Indeed, the 1947 UN Partition Jerusalem. Plan, falling squarely within the colonial trend of dividing up lands, proposed the partition of Palestine Destroying Palestinian Jerusalem into a Jewish State and an Arab State, with Jerusalem (and ) remaining a corpus separatum – an Jerusalem has always played a vital role in shaping international city that would fall neither under Jewish Palestinian identity throughout Palestinian history. nor Arab sovereignty. Palestinians rejected this colonial

1 1. Rashid Khalidi, Palestinian Identity: The Construction of Modern National Consciousness (New York: Columbia University Press, 2009), 33. October 2020

attempt to divide historic Palestine as a way to assert Urban planning has also been a key mechanism through foreign rule in Jerusalem. which Israeli authorities have erased Palestinians from Jerusalem, particularly in their explicit efforts The ethnic cleansing of Palestine was thus already to maintain a Jewish demographic majority in the underway when the Israeli state was created in 1948. city. This includes limiting Palestinians to certain In that year, Zionist forces conquered what became neighborhoods, denying them building permits, West Jerusalem, including the prosperous Palestinian demolishing their homes, and providing inadequate neighborhoods of Talbiyya, Qatamon, and Baq’a, resources and services to Palestinian neighborhoods. home to 60,000 Palestinians. Most of them were The construction of the separation wall in 2002 was expelled from the area, some fleeing to the eastern also part of this concrete attempt to make Palestinian parts of the city. None have been allowed to return. life unbearable in the city. The wall was built under the After the armistice lines were drawn in 1949, Jerusalem pretext of Israeli security and meanders its way through was divided into two parts: Israeli-controlled West the entire West Bank. In Jerusalem, it cuts through Jerusalem and Jordanian-controlled East Jerusalem, previously contiguous Palestinian neighborhoods, effectively obscuring the city’s Palestinian identity. and, in some cases, divides them completely. It severs much of East Jerusalem from the West Bank, forcing “Jerusalem has always played a vital Palestinians to make the arduous journey through checkpoints should they want to cross the wall. All of role in shaping Palestinian identity this, and much more, amounts to an orchestrated and systematic policy to force out as many Palestinians as throughout Palestinian history.” possible from Jerusalem and keeping those who remain in tightly controlled urban enclaves. Since the 1967 Six-Day War, has illegally occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Disrupting Palestinian Jerusalem’s Cultural Syrian Golan. As a result of the war, Israel also de facto and Political Life and de jure annexed all of Jerusalem. The Law and Administration Ordinance of 1967 saw the extension In addition to systemic policies which make life of Israeli law and administration over East Jerusalem. incredibly difficult for Palestinians in Jerusalem, Israel This city’s de jure status was further confirmed in 1980, has also systematically disrupted Palestinian cultural when the Israeli regime declaratively confirmed it as and political life in the city. After East Jerusalem’s such by passing the . Almost immediately, occupation in 1967 and its subsequent annexation, the Israeli regime shut down the Palestinian Palestinian cultural and political activity came under municipality in East Jerusalem, merging it with the intense suppression from the Israeli regime. The Israeli municipality in West Jerusalem. Furthermore, application of the Defence Emergency Regulations, emergency regulations were imposed on all occupied first introduced by the British Mandate in 1945, allowed areas, rendering most Palestinian political organizations the Israeli regime to enforce widespread censorship and their affiliates illegal. and suppression. Books were banned and any words considered potent, such as filastin (Palestine), sumud Palestinian Jerusalemites were given “permanent (steadfastness) and ‘awda (return), were omitted from residency” status by the Israeli government rather than curriculums, books, radio shows, and plays. Regarding citizenship, leaving them effectively stateless. This has the years following the 1967 occupation, Sliman allowed the Israeli regime to deny them full rights, Mansour, a founder of the League of Palestinian including the right to vote, while also forcing them to Artists, noted that Palestinians “were living in a kind pay taxes. Additionally, the Israeli regime frequently of cultural ghetto, isolated from cultural developments. revokes the already precarious “permanent residency” Movement was difficult. Many artists were banned status from Palestinians who choose to live outside from travelling. Artists were often arrested and their the city, and, in some cases, from those who engage works confiscated […] It was an attempt to kill any in political activity. Since 1967, the Israeli regime has creative and artistic spirit of Palestinians.” revoked some 14,000 residencies from Palestinians, leaving them both stateless and homeless. 2 more of October2020 , including in 2008 , including in East Jerusalem , established in Jerusalem, established suppress the struggle Al-Hakawati urban enclaves.” urban 35 times since its opening 35 times “All of this, and much more, more, much this, and of “All many Palestinians as possible possible as Palestinians many amounts to an orchestrated and and orchestrated an to amounts systematic policy to force out as as out policy force to systematic who remain in tightly controlled controlled in tightly who remain from Jerusalem and keeping those keeping and Jerusalem from Palestinian citizens ofPalestinian as those in East Israel [as well Jerusalem] and the pursuit of their political activities in support of in under occupation living Palestinians for The allows law Bank and the Gaza Strip.” the West the widespread use of the state in “secret evidence” by making it difficult for offenders prosecuting offenders, Furthermore, to adequately address the charges. the law broadens the scope of “terrorist to include activity” “public expressions of support for terrorist or empathy Since 2000, the Israeli regime has shut down shut down Since 2000, the Israeli regime has institutions than 42 Palestinian ranging from “illegal” political pretexts, under various law “Anti-Terror” The affiliation to unpaid bills. more the Knesset in 2016 has caused even passed by widespread oppression of institutions Palestinian The incorporates law society organizations. and civil ofprovisions the emergency regulations and, as NGO Adalah, it the human rights described by is “designed to further Palestinian cultural institutions have also faced frequent faced frequent also have institutions cultural Palestinian the Palestinian example, For closure. and attacks Theatre,National againsthas constantly fought in 1984, and censorship threats of no shut down its activities It has had closure. less than ahead of attempted to host a festival when the theatre as the Arab Capital ofJerusalem chosen being Culture the theatre published a public appeal for 2009. In 2015, Enforcement from the Israeli Law threats following not only froze the which and Collection Authority seize account, but also threatened to bank theatre’s The used the pretext Israeli authorities the building. debts to the massive accumulated that the theatre had the national and the electricity company, municipality, insurance agency without mentioning the illegality of the presence of The these authorities in East Jerusalem. closure to this day. to face imminent theatre continues

Israeli forces raided and looted was built in 1897 as a mansion built in 1897 was within the city. sumud Orient House from operating in Jerusalem. It heralded a new era of political declining Palestinian Since then, the Israeli regime has presence in the city. political institutions Palestinian to prevent continued by all partiesby during the process as the headquarters of as East Jerusalem as well the PLO, as the legitimate capital of state. a future Palestinian 1982. Yet the closure of1982. Yet the Orient House in 2001 was particularly significant because it had been recognized frequently raided and looted Palestinian institutions, institutions, frequently raided and looted Palestinian Jerusalem and public libraries in West from private Centre in in Research in 1948 to the Palestine materials, while also shutting down the institution’s the institution’s shutting down while also materials, Jerusalem in neither practice new a not was This offices. Indeed, Israeli armed nor elsewhere. forces have On August 10, 2001, On August stealing documents and archived the Orient House, there. By this point, the building became a symbol of By this point, there. Palestinian Peace Conference, the Palestinian delegation was the Palestinian Conference, Peace and throughout the stationed in the Orient House, international frequently hosted diplomats were 1990s, reviving Palestinian national consciousness, so much so much national consciousness, Palestinian reviving closed for that during the 1st Intifada, it was so, A few years later during the 1991 Madrid three years. research and archival work, and established a library. a library. and established work, and archival research an importantDuring this period, it played in role (UNRWA). In 1983, the whole building was rented by rented by the whole building was In 1983, (UNRWA). the Palestine by the Arab Studies Association, funded Liberation Organization conducted (PLO), which a guest house and office spaces. Following 1967, the 1967, Following a guest house and office spaces. into offices for UN were converted upper floors Relief Refugees Agency for Palestine and Works by the prominent Husseini family. After 1948, the Husseini family. the prominent by building served a more public function, housing both archiving ofarchiving history. Palestinian The House in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, an neighborhood, Jarrah Sheikh House in Jerusalem’s political servedinstitution which Palestinian as the sole and representation the city and as a hub for research in militarily enforced prohibition on Palestinian political political on Palestinian enforced prohibition militarily Orient the The to this was only exception institutions. considered a political act by the Israeli regime. As a As regime. the Israeli by a political act considered spaces also doubled as cultural spaces result, many of political organizing, light of especially in Israel’s For many Palestinians, culture was inevitably tied to tied inevitably culture was Palestinians, many For particularlythe political, as their very was existence

Al-Shabaka Policy Brief 3 October2020 European which obliges which all report by the Policy report the Policy by , continually reaffirming, continually the implementing a clause – subtitled “Defaming human rights – subtitled “Defaming human rights . Yet, rather surprisingly, many in rather surprisingly, . Yet, slanderous [T]he methods it employs are a far cry[T]he methods it employs from the carried the investigations by out comprehensive society organizationshuman rights and civil it The publications appear largely based attacks. internet inquiries and reverberating on selective it Moreover, official Israeli sources. claims made by the on refuting focuses its publications selectively observations targeted published by and conclusions organizations. led to funds being tightened, and, in some cases, cut led to funds being tightened, and, in some cases, for example, altogether Recently, withdrawn. and even (PNGO) Palestinian NGO network the EU notified the be that it would partners on the EU sanctions not to deal with anyone staff, to vet list. Some fear this will lead to having beneficiaries of and contractors, aid as conditions This of sanctions list consists funds. for receiving as organizationsthose being sanctioned as well and or violence. Indeed, the same or violence. Group Working organizations that criticize the Israeli occupation” – and stated that: publications NGO Monitor’s reviewed NGO Monitor accusations made by In other words, research, little and tenuous by are unfounded, backed and heeding this the international are now community has had a chilling which accusations, organization’s Indeed, the climate society. civil effect on Palestinian this growing campaign ofcreated by defamation has thus forcing them to close down. NGO Monitor fulfils fulfils Monitor NGO close down. them to forcing thus tactics to attack main this goal focusing on two by organizations and individuals. Palestinian The accuse them of first is to working supporting or This of is in light with BDS. the increasing efforts both in Europe and in the US, to criminalize BDS the as such legal bodies, despite various Court of Human Rights legality of as a form boycotts of political expression. The accuse organizations second tactic is to or ofindividuals or of “terrorist affiliations,” “funding according to a report Israeli the by Yet, terrorism.” Group (a group of Working Policy academics, Israeli a and formerjournalists, towards diplomats working this solution), despite NGO Monitor leveling two-state claim consistently and repeatedly against Palestinian evidence of it has yet to provide organizations, any organization participating in terrorist activities , the Israeli expelled from with the Israeli defamation work coordination with the Mossad in 2019 after a drawn-out court in 2019 after a drawn-out battle affiliation to unpaid bills.” unpaid to affiliation has shut down more than 42 42 than more down shut has “Since 2000, the Israeli regime regime 2000, the Israeli “Since Palestinian institutions in East institutions Palestinian ranging from “illegal” political “illegal” from ranging Jerusalem under various pretexts, pretexts, various under Jerusalem at least 2015, its work has become more aggressiveat least 2015, its work and coordinated, with the main aim of international having organizations, from Palestinian funding withdrawn the country since attracted internationalwhich attention. However, trolling of as with such rights defenders, human the case of the Human Rights Watch Shakir, Omar eventually who was Director in Palestine NGO Monitor started as a fringe organization whose and erroneousunresearched reporting not taken was of Much seriously. slanderous its efforts involved resources and secret services. In addition, he has waged an all-out war on the Boycott, Boycott, on the war has wagedhe an all-out In addition, and its (BDS) movement and Sanctions Divestment has included millions of which supporters, in dollars has been led by Gilad Erdan, a politician who has long Gilad Erdan, a politician has been led by freedom ofattempted to limit Palestinian expression. governmental, is a government organization affiliated that coordinates its this ministry Since 2015, Ministry Strategic Affairs. for those with international funding. These effortsthose with international are funding. an Israeli NGO Monitor, being led predominately by organization although claiming to be non- which, coordinated efforts to defame and destroy Palestinian Palestinian coordinated efforts destroy to defame and particularlyand human society organizations, rights civil Network are part and parcel ofNetwork the Israeli regime’s ongoing disruption of cultural and political Palestinian new and they constitute life in Jerusalem. On the other, On the one hand, the aforementioned attacks on the aforementioned attacks On the one hand, Conservatory Said National the Edward of Music, and the Shafaq Cultural Cultural Centre, the Yaboos A New Coordinated Attack A New Coordinated by the Israeli regime, Palestinian political expression is expression is political Palestinian the Israeli regime, by censored. effectively organizations.” In other words, when Palestinian Palestinian when words, In other organizations.” partiespolitical terrorist are considered organizations

Al-Shabaka Policy Brief 4 October2020 as the EU did in prioritized investments in prioritized investments as the administrative center of center as the administrative Palestine. , and apply political pressure to do so. , and apply political pressure to do regime’s accusations ofregime’s terrorist and activities political “affiliation” as illegitimate and unfounded, particularly as the definition of “affiliation” is left purposefully broad so as to target any Palestinian. international community’s impotence, and in some impotence, international community’s with regards Israeli to entrenching cases complicity, Jerusalem. control over Third state actors should also recognize and emphasize the importance of Palestinian having regard, In this political representation city. in the they should support reinstating the Orient House representation, as a home for such 2014 Third state actors and international organizations nor the Israeli should neither use NGO Monitor Ministry of Strategic Affairs as legitimate sources of information Palestinian or on Palestinians they should publicly Moreover, organizations. recognize NGO Monitor as an arm of the Israeli with a particularstate, agenda to demonize and society. civil criminalize Palestinian The reject the Israeli international must community Palestinians, both in the diaspora and in historic in historic and diaspora both in the Palestinians, the importance need to emphasize Palestine, of institutions and maintaining Palestinian This include should organizations the city. in and supportfinancial as substantive well as efforts. solidarity continuous back push Bank must in the West Palestinians against the undermining of Jerusalem as the Authority, the Palestinian capital by Palestinian has instead which Ramallah of reject the narrative to actively Indeed, they need capital. Palestinian Ramallah as the pseudo Third and public state actors should provide institutions unconditional support for Palestinian and organizations in Jerusalem, particularly This from the Israeli regime. those under attack the face ofshould be done as a counter act in the • • • • • • tax evasion and tax evasion have been incarcerated have 800,000 Palestinians ,” yet it later became clear that they were also yet it later became clear that they were ,” political institutions in Jerusalem: the following are some suggestionsthe following for pushing back against the destruction of cultural and Palestinian Policy Recommendations Policy In light of and worrisome situation, this challenging regime. can have damaging repercussions in an environment damaging repercussions in an environment can have of already decreasing and conditional international the Israeli funding, and increasing restrictions by directors have since been released, they still face these since been released, they still face these directors have they also face the stigma of Moreover, charges. being accused of supporting terrorist which organizations, organizations. On these charges, it is clear that NGO On these charges, organizations. a role with its reportsMonitor played and constant slandering of Although the three organizations. these fraud being detained on charges of financing terrorist The accusation against initial the three cultural “ institutions in East Jerusalem was Consequently, sharing a social media post or even sharing a social media post or even Consequently, pouring a cup of coffee for a member of a declared illegal organization “affiliation.” can be considered accuses and charges Palestinians ofaccuses and charges Palestinians “affiliation” with political groups they deem terrorist organizations. these orders, Israel has forbidden protests or political Israel has forbidden protests or these orders, meetings of and it has banned the ten people, over distribution of Israel also articles political or pictures. ofPalestinians Israel is able to punish “affiliation.” through its militaryfor any political activity orders are justified on the which ofgrounds Under security. tried and charged through the Israeli military courts rate on the basis maintain a 99% conviction which by the Israeli military regime in the West Bank and military the Israeli by in the West regime 20% ofGaza, making up population of the total that of Many occupied territory. are these Palestinians organizations, it also often succumbs to the Israeli it also often organizations, loose definition of broad and regime’s “affiliation.” Since 1967, international community considers most Palestinian international most Palestinian considers community to be terrorist Fatah, notably excepting political parties, from Israel and organizationsfrom Israel Monitor. as NGO such of that much Not only is it problematic the Front for the Liberation of for Front on (PFLP), are Palestine individuals, the list. Whileit does not list Palestinian change increasing pressure in the future with this may individuals deemed as terrorists. Most Palestinian Most Palestinian as terrorists. deemed individuals Popular Hamas and the including parties, political

Al-Shabaka Policy Brief 5 Yara Hawari is the Senior Palestine Policy Fellow Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy Network is an in- of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network. dependent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization She completed her PhD in Middle East Politics at whose mission is to educate and foster public debate the University of Exeter, where she taught various on Palestinian human rights and self-determination undergraduate courses and continues to be an within the framework of international law. Al-Shabaka honorary research fellow. policy briefs may be reproduced with due attribution to Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy Network. For more information visit www.al-shabaka.org or contact us by email: [email protected].

Al-Shabaka materials may be circulated with due attri- bution to Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network. The opinion of individual members of Al-Shabaka’s policy network do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization as a whole.