A new report presented to the European Parliament by a Jerusalem-based media watchdog and research institute highlights two loopholes that have enabled the Palestinian Authority (PA) to be a recipient of European Union (EU) funding, even though the PA breaches the EU’s anti-terror laws and regulations consistently.
The report, titled “Two loopholes in European Union anti-terror funding laws,” was presented in a webinar held for members of the European Parliament by watchdog Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) director Itamar Marcus and co-authored with PMW director of legal strategies Maurice Hirsch
European Union anti-terror laws and regulations provide a comprehensive basis for outlawing membership in terror organizations, terror glorification, terror financing and other terror related offences.
‘’In order to effectively combat global terror, these laws and regulations should guide the EU in its decision making to allocate aid. States and non-state entities that are engaged in practices that breach EU law and regulations should not be eligible to receive EU aid. Since the daily actions of the PA breach the EU anti-terror laws and regulations, the EU should discontinue its support of the PA,’’ says the report.
The report shows how the PA breaches multiple provisions of EU anti-terror Directive 2017/541, including offences relating to membership in and directing a terrorist group, offences relating to terror glorification, offences relating to recruitment for terrorism and offences relating to terrorist financing.
The report shows how the PA refuses to recognize EU designated terror organizations and continues to allow these organizations to exist, flourish and even receive PA funding.
Pursuant to this reality, the PA and the Palestine Liberation Organization were also vocal critics of a new EU regulation which required all Non-Governmental Organizations that are recipients of EU funding to commit that they do not transfer funds, directly or indirectly, to EU designated terror organizations.
Palestinian Media Watch recommended that any future EU aid allocation ‘’should only be given to states and non-state entities that are not in direct breach of the EU’s anti-terror laws and regulations.’’