Palestine seeks terror designation for Israeli settler organizations

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has issued a formal call for the international community to designate Israeli settler organization Ateret Cohanim and similar groups as terrorist entities due to their systematic campaigns to forcibly displace Palestinians from occupied territories. In an official statement released Monday, Palestinian authorities urged nations to impose sanctions on organizations and individuals involved in settlement activities that they characterize as criminal under international law.

Settlement Organization Activities

The ministry specifically targeted Ateret Cohanim, an organization established in 1978 that focuses on establishing Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, particularly around the Old City. According to the Palestinian statement, the group has directed decades-long initiatives to "Judaize Palestinian neighborhoods" in areas like Silwan and the Old City through property seizures accomplished via "fraudulent means and false claims." The organization's activities have accelerated recently with Israeli government support.

Recent Evictions and International Law

The Palestinian condemnation specifically referenced Sunday's eviction of the Shweiki and Odeh families from their Batn al-Hawa residence in Silwan, which was subsequently transferred to Ateret Cohanim. The ministry reaffirmed that such settlement expansion and forced population transfers constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. These actions directly contravene numerous United Nations resolutions that have consistently declared Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories illegal.

Broader Context

The Palestinian position maintains East Jerusalem as the capital of any future Palestinian state, a claim supported by international resolutions that reject both Israel's 1967 occupation and its 1980 annexation of the city. This latest diplomatic initiative follows the International Court of Justice's landmark opinion last July that declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and demanded evacuation of all West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements.