Al-Haq
Al-Haq is an Arab Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO) based in the Palestinian Authority, founded in 1979. It claims to document “violations of the individual and collective rights of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)” and seeks to hold alleged violators accountable through advocacy. However, Al-Haq is exposed for its leadership in anti-Israel lawfare, Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns, and its documented ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a terrorist organization designated by the United States, European Union, Canada, and Israel. These activities are seen as efforts to delegitimize Israel’s right to exist and undermine its security.
Ties to the PFLP
On October 22, 2021, Israel’s Ministry of Defense designated Al-Haq a “terror organization” for operating as part of a network supporting the PFLP, a group responsible for deadly attacks against Israeli civilians. Al-Haq’s General Director, Shawan Jabarin, has longstanding ties to the PFLP, having been convicted in 1985 for recruiting and training its members. Israeli courts have consistently identified Jabarin as a senior PFLP operative, with the Supreme Court in 2007 describing him as a “Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” who alternates between leading an NGO and engaging in terrorist activities. In 2008 and 2009, Israel’s Supreme Court upheld travel bans on Jabarin, citing “concrete and reliable” evidence of his PFLP involvement.
Al-Haq’s connections to the PFLP extend beyond Jabarin. In 2018, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express blocked online donations to Al-Haq due to its terror links. In 2022, Al-Haq invited Said Hamayel, a PFLP “comrade,” to speak at the UN Human Rights Council, glorifying his son Mohammad, another PFLP member killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Jabarin has attended PFLP events, including memorials for PFLP leaders adorned with terrorist insignia, and represented the PFLP in a 2011 reconciliatory committee with Hamas and Fatah, further aligning Al-Haq with terrorist factions.
Anti-Israel Lawfare and BDS
Al-Haq spearheads aggressive anti-Israel campaigns, using lawfare and BDS to isolate and demonize the Jewish state. It played a central role in the 2001 Durban World Conference against Racism, which adopted strategies to vilify Israel through boycotts and legal attacks. Al-Haq has filed lawsuits in countries like the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and the UK, demanding sanctions, arms embargoes, and genocide charges against Israel, often baselessly accusing it of “apartheid” and “war crimes.” These efforts aim to cripple Israel’s economy and security while ignoring Palestinian terrorism, including Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre of over 1,200 Israelis.
Al-Haq has repeatedly submitted documents to the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2015, pushing for investigations into alleged Israeli crimes, including unfounded genocide charges. In 2023 and 2024, it demanded ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leaders like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, falsely equating Israel’s defensive operations in Gaza with international crimes. Many of Al-Haq’s lawsuits, such as those in Germany and the UK, have been dismissed by courts for lack of evidence or legal merit.
In January 2020, as part of the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), Al-Haq opposed an EU clause banning funding to groups linked to terrorism, with PNGO reportedly defending Palestinian terrorist organizations as “political parties.” Shawan Jabarin dismissed the clause as undermining Palestinian society, revealing Al-Haq’s resistance to anti-terrorism measures.
Pro-Terror and Anti-Semitic Rhetoric
Al-Haq’s staff have openly endorsed violence and terrorism against Israel:
Aseel Al-Bajeh (Legal Researcher and Advocacy Officer): In October 2023, Al-Bajeh quoted Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, calling for Israel’s destruction, and described “resistance” as a Palestinian “way of being & survival,” rejecting international law. After a Palestinian terrorist murdered seven Israeli civilians outside a Jerusalem synagogue in January 2023, she justified the attack by questioning the presence of “settlers” in Jerusalem, a city central to Jewish history and Israel’s capital. Al-Bajeh also glorified members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, responsible for deadly attacks on Israelis.
Ziad Hmaidan (Head of Training and Capacity Building): In October 2023, Hmaidan praised Hamas’s October 7 attacks, calling them the “flood of Al-Aqsa” and celebrating terrorist Ibrahim Nabulsi. He cited a Hadith advocating jihad in Ashkelon, an Israeli city, and glorified PFLP fighter Omar Mana, killed during violent clashes with Israeli forces.
Al-Haq promotes antisemitic tropes, falsely labeling Israel an “apartheid” state and denying Jewish self-determination. In 2022, it supported a UN Commission of Inquiry accused of antisemitism, including Commissioner Miloon Kothari’s remarks about the “Jewish lobby.” Al-Haq also opposed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, claiming it stifles criticism of Israel’s alleged “apartheid” policies, despite the definition’s global acceptance by nearly 30 countries.
Funding and International Complicity
Al-Haq’s funding lacks transparency, with no financial disclosures since 2009. It has received millions from anti-Israel donors, including:
Sweden: SEK 60 million (2024-2025), reduced from SEK 120 million after scrutiny.
Norway: NOK 7 million (2023-2024).
Ireland: €100,000 (2023).
European Union: €296,600 (2018-2021); funding was suspended in 2021 pending an investigation into PFLP ties but reportedly resumed in 2022.
France: Part of an €8.3 million grant to 22 partners (2024).
Denmark: DKK 1.7 million (2020-2021).
In 2023, Germany ended new funding to Al-Haq due to its support for armed resistance, as reported by Deutsche Welle and Frankfurter Allgemeine.
Sanctions
On September 4, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Al-Haq, along with Al Mezan and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, for sanctions under Executive Order 14203. The designation cited Al-Haq’s engagement in ICC efforts to investigate and prosecute Israeli nationals without Israel’s consent.
Criticism
Al-Haq’s activities are criticized for promoting a one-sided narrative that demonizes Israel while ignoring Palestinian terrorism. Its ties to the PFLP, support for violent “resistance,” and rejection of anti-terrorism funding clauses raise concerns about its legitimacy as a human rights organization. Critics argue that Al-Haq’s lawfare and BDS campaigns aim to undermine Israel’s right to exist and foster antisemitic tropes under the guise of human rights advocacy.