- Defense for Children International — Palestine (DFCI-P) is urging U.S. voters to ask their members of Congress to back an anti-Israel resolution put forth by Democrats, according to an email obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
- DFCI-P was designated as a terror group by the Israeli government in October 2021 for being part of “a network of organizations” acting “undercover” and “on behalf of” the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is a U.S.-designated terror group.
- “The misinformation being peddled by DFCI-P urging American voters to ask their elected officials to back this resolution is truly despicable,” said Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism.
A non-governmental organization (NGO), which is also an Israeli-designated terror group, is urging U.S. voters to pressure lawmakers to back a Democrat-sponsored resolution “condemning” Israel, according to an email obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“Your member of Congress hasn’t signed on to Rep. McCollum’s House Resolution to condemn this criminalization of Palestinian civil society,” Brad Parker, senior adviser for policy and advocacy at Defense for Children International — Palestine (DFCI-P), wrote in their email supporting the Democrat-backed resolution. (RELATED: Houston Funnels Tax Dollars To ‘Palestine Film Festival’ Featuring Film Glorifying Terrorist Who Murdered US Army Officer)
DFCI-P was designated as a terror group by the Israeli government in October 2021 for operating as part of “a network of organizations” acting “undercover” and “on behalf of” the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is a U.S.-designated terror group. The PFLP is a Marxist-Leninist group responsible for hijacking aircrafts and murdering U.S. citizens.
“It’s crucial that our leaders stand up to any attempt to quash civil society, especially when the U.S. gives the Israeli government $3.8 billion a year. Tell your representative to reject the Israeli criminalization of Palestinian civil society,” reads DCFI-P’s email, which was sent Thursday.
The resolution in question is co-sponsored by Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota and 10 other Democrats, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Cori Bush of Missouri, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. The resolution demands the U.S. condemn Israel for its “repressive designation” of the groups.
The resolution labels Israel’s terror designations of DFCI-P and other groups as “authoritarian” and calls on “Israeli authorities to immediately end efforts aimed at persecuting, delegitimizing, and criminalizing Palestinian human rights defenders and civil society organizations.”
“Whereas the Government of Israel designated six prominent Palestinian human rights and civil society groups as ‘terrorist organizations’ on October 19, 2021, a designation that effectively criminalizes the activities of legitimate civil society groups and authorizes Israeli authorities to close their offices, seize their assets, and arrest and jail their staff members,” reads the resolution.
Nearly two dozen Democratic members, including the Squad members, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines in July, calling for the U.S. to reject Israel’s terror designation of DFCI-P and other groups.
DFCI-P, which has supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, promoted the letter on its website. The letter was supported by more than 130 pro-Palestine and left-leaning organizations.
“Why are U.S. Congresswomen McCollum, Tlaib, Omar, AOC, and Bush advocating for such a group?” Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism, a watchdog probing anti-Israel bias and violence, told the DCNF. “The misinformation being peddled by DFCI-P urging American voters to ask their elected officials to back this resolution is truly despicable.”
ICYMI: 22 members of Congress, led by @RepPressley, sent a letter to @SecBlinken and @ODNIgov yesterday demanding the Biden admin reject the Israeli criminalization of six Palestinian NGOs & urge the Israeli govt to reverse its designations. #StandWithThe6 https://t.co/yy1jzuwzg7
— Defense for Children (@DCIPalestine) July 19, 2022
Parker, whose name is on DFCI-P’s email, notably had an invitation rescinded in 2020 to address the United Nations (UN) Security Council after public outcry over his anti-Israel positions, the Times of Israel reported. He was slated to discuss the “grave violations in Israel” against Palestine, the outlet reported.
DFCI-P elected a board member in June 2020 who posted an image of a man stabbed by Israeli forces. The image contained the caption: “Blessed is the city of suffering. Our Martyrs eternity,” according to NGO Monitor.
Offices for McCollum, Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib, Bush, Omar and Pressley did not respond to requests for comment. DFCI-P did not respond.
“The Defense for Children International is not designated by the United States,” a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told the DCNF. “We do not comment about deliberations or potential deliberations related to terrorist designations.”
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
