The Organization for Human Rights Meezaan, in collaboration with Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, submitted a detailed legal objection to the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Security against the decision of Israeli Minister of Security, Yisrael Katz, to designate the “Peace Dissemination Committees” as a terrorist organization under Section 4 of the Counter-Terrorism Law, issued on 16 January 2025. This designation was followed by the closure of the committees’ offices, freezing of their bank accounts, and seizure of their assets, causing direct harm to an eight-year-old social project aimed at promoting peace within a community struggling with violence and crime. The authorities alleged that the committees served as a legal cover for the prohibited activities of the Islamic Movement since 2015.
The objection was filed by Adalah’s attorney Nariman Shahadeh Zuabi and General Director Dr. Hassan Jabareen, and by Meezaan’s attorney Omar Khmaisi, asserting that the decision lacks any legal or factual basis. They emphasized that it infringes upon the right to organize and engage in civil society work, effectively criminalizing Palestinian community activism inside Israel, turning it into a tool for highly dangerous political and social repression.
The objection highlighted that this designation constitutes a direct attack on civil initiatives established to confront violence in the context of state, particularly police, failure to perform their core duties. Despite the decision’s destructive impact, the authorities refrained from disclosing the materials upon which it was based, representing a blatant violation of the right to defense and procedural justice guarantees.
Even publicly available materials show no evidence that the committees incited violence; rather, they documented well-known community activities, such as signing charters of honor and organizing reconciliation events and initiatives. The state’s case relies primarily on Sheikh Raed Salah’s administrative involvement in the committees, without any organizational or incitement link to violence, which provides no legal basis for a terrorism designation.
Legally, the objection stressed that the decision violates the right to due process, as committee members were not given the opportunity to present their position or respond before the decision was made, contrary to Israeli administrative law and judicial precedent, particularly in the absence of an “urgent security necessity.” Moreover, the designation fails to meet the requirements of Section 3 of the Counter-Terrorism Law: the committees do not engage in violent acts, are not linked to any prohibited entity, and do not provide services to parties involved in incitement or terrorism.
Attorney Nariman Shahadeh Zuabi stated: “The decision to classify the Peace Dissemination Committees as a terrorist organization is not based on any legal or factual evidence, but on a political narrative aimed at silencing any Palestinian community initiative. These committees constituted a broad civil initiative to confront crime and violence in the absence of the state. We will continue the legal struggle to overturn this dangerous decision, which strikes at the core of collective freedoms of our Arab community.”
