A 45-organization coalition has requested the U.S. Treasury Department to sanction six alleged non-governmental organization financial proxies for terrorism. The petition led by Zachor Legal Institute states that these groups claim to provide humanitarian assistance but covertly fund the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is recognized as a terrorist group by the United States.
This request follows the Biden administration’s 2024 edition of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Network and its leader, Khaled Barakat, to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list for their links to the PFLP. The activists now wish for the Treasury Department to take the same measures against the remaining six NGOs suspected of funding and terror sponsorship.
In their view, non-action concerning these organizations will only permit Samidoun’s activities to transform names and persist.
The alleged ties to terrorism by the six NGOs
In their submission to the Treasury Secretary, the named groups are: Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC), ADDAMEER – Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, Bisan Center for Research and Development, Al-Haq Organization, Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P), and Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC).
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According to the Zachor Legal Institute, the groups are fundamental to the PFLP, assisting in the redirection of global funding towards activities of an extremist nature. US governmental findings, Israeli security reports, and knowledge of previously PFLP-affiliated operatives constitute the evidence.
The coalition stresses that these entities function in a “Whac-a-Mole” manner, constantly shifting roles within and outside of the organization to avoid being watched and continue financing terror.
Call for immediate action
The petition cites the Acting Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Treasury, who remarked that terrorism-linked NGOs tend to masquerade as humanitarian institutions to redirect aid towards extremist organizations. The coalition claims that there is a need to mitigate the negative impact of foreign aid being diverted through these funding channels.
In conclusion, the letter urges the newly appointed Secretary of Treasury to adopt an assertive attitude towards terror financing and to extend the sanctions employed against Samidoun to other organizations. The activists are confident that a decisive approach to these NGOs will greatly harm the PFLP’s financial network and consequently end the misuse of resources for extremist activities.