Amman/Brussels, 2 April 2003: The concern that Palestinian Islamic social
welfare activism and political violence by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) are connected
raises genuine policy dilemmas. On the one hand, these charities are critical
to Palestinian life as roughly two-thirds of Palestinians in the occupied
territories live below the poverty line. At the same time, they are suspected
of playing a vital role in supporting Hamas – which has conducted a series of
devastating armed attacks, particularly against Israeli civilian targets – by
illicitly financing and recruiting for the organisation.
A new ICG report,*
Islamic Social Welfare Activism in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: A Legitimate
Target?, examines both the activities of Islamic social welfare organisations and the
allegations against them in greater detail. While ICG emphasises the need for closer monitoring
of Islamic charities to prevent and eliminate any misconduct, it also finds that charges of
widespread wrongdoing by the social welfare institutions cannot be sustained.
The international response to this policy dilemma has been broadly inconsistent
and inefficient. ICG Middle East Program Director Robert Malley said:
"The U.S. considers Hamas a terrorist organisation and wants to ban all assistance to Hamas-affiliated
organisations; most other Western countries distinguish between support for Hamas's legitimate
and illegitimate activity; and many Arab governments permit funds to be raised on their territory
for Islamic social welfare and military organisations without distinction. It is vital for the
international community to adopt and enforce a more consistent policy. The Palestinian Authority
must implement its own laws mandating proper registration, auditing and enforcement".
ICG Senior Middle East Analyst Mouin Rabbani said:
"Rather than a blanket ban, the international community and Palestinian Authority should hold
accountable individual charities that can be shown to have transferred monies to fund activities of
paramilitary organisations, or helped recruit members for such groups. Those fulfilling their
mandates properly should be left alone".
The donor community and other governments can help with technical and material
support to the PA and should also provide urgently needed humanitarian and financial assistance
to help establish additional charitable networks. They should press Israel to rescind measures
not strictly required for security that have contributed to the humanitarian crisis among the
Palestinian population. Arab states, particularly Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, should withhold
any support for Hamas unless and until it agrees to halt attacks against civilians and takes the
necessary steps to cease such activities.
With no end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in sight, there are inherent
limits to what can be achieved in an environment of occupation, violence, closures and virtual
PA collapse. Yet, within the boundaries of the current confrontation, ICG proposes a number of
measures that can and should be taken.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Katy Cronin (London) +44-(0)20 7981 0330
email: [email protected]
Francesca Lawe-Davies (Brussels) +32-(0)2-536 00 65
Kathy Ward (Washington) +1-202-785 1601
*Read the full ICG report on our website:
www.crisisweb.org
