Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development Condemns Offending its Director- General Ms. Amal Khreishe

Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development Condemns Offending its Director- General Ms. Amal Khreishe

Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development- PWWSD, represented by its general assembly, administrative board, executive staff, and volunteers, condemns offending its director- general, Ms. Amal Khreishe, who is well- known historical role in the national and rights struggle to serve the entire Palestinian community. Ms. Khreishe was attacked through some obscurantism forces that hide behind computer screens and authorize themselves to serve as the agent of religion on earth.

Attacking PWWSD and its cadre is an extension of the systematic attack commenced by the given forces against women organizations and women leaders. During the previous period, the attack was directed against the well- known woman leader, Ms. Sama Oweida- Director- General of Women Studies Center and the prominent journalist and women rights activist, Ms. Nahed Abu Tiema. Additionally, the attack targeted also other women organizations and figures including Ms. Sahar Qawasma, Lawyer Ms. Zainab Al- Guneimi, and the writer and activist Ms. Reema Nazzal. As the attacking powers feel that they enjoy impunity and that none is accounting them for the attacks and offending women, then they proceeded in their attacks. Due to the absence of legal pursuing of the mentioned powers for their offensive attacks, they felt that as if they were above the law. For that, they continued their fierce attack where they targeted PWWSD, represented in the person of its director- general, Ms. Amal Khreishe, the known human rights defender within the Palestinian context. Offending the women movement leaders and figures comes at the time that witnesses escalation of the occupation’s oppressive policies against Palestinians and denying the national rights of the entire Palestinian population. Therefore, such behavior from the mentioned forces, will contribute to change the direction of the Palestinian struggle in a manner that will serve the interests of the occupation mainly. The behavior of the obscurantism forces will contribute to the efforts of the occupation to flame the internal conflicts within the Palestinian community and strengthen the policy “divide to control”. The occupation had always applied such policy in order to frustrate the Palestinian national struggle to achieve independence and self- determination. Additionally, it will serve the occupation’s policy to exclude women from the national resistance, though women were always in the first lines of struggling against the occupation.

At the time PWWSD believes that its director- general does needn’t anybody to defend her as her leading role within the national, popular, and rights struggle is well noticed, yet it believes that in case these dissonant voices were not restrained, then they would proceed in attacking women organizations and women leaders. Things could reach a phase, which its consequences cannot be contained. PWWSD believes that comparing the speech of its director- general, who was speaking during a live TV show broadcasted through a registered well- known national TV channel, with the speeches of the spokesperson of the Israeli Occupation Army, is an insult that would never be accepted or forgiven. Comparing the honest honor Palestinian fighters and human rights defenders with the Israeli Occupation Criminals, is a mean behavior that serves nothing, but the agenda of the occupation and stands as blatant incitement for murdering, which would never be accepted.

At the time PWWSD condemns the behavior of the obscurantism forces, and violating citizen’s right to freedom of opinion and expression while granting themselves the rights to distribute Forgiveness Bonds and divide Palestinians into believer and non- believer in God, it abhors the silence of the official Palestinian authorities and law enforcement powers that do not budge an inch to end the violations, but stand hands- cuffed. In this regard, PWWSD considers the silence of the Palestinian Authority as conspiracy with the obscurantism forces. Palestinian Government should fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities in accordance with the Palestinian Social Contract, to provide protection for all Palestinians and all human rights defenders, mainly women human rights defenders. PWWSD calls upon the various political parties and democratic forces, to take their role in protecting the civil society organizations and human rights defenders. PWWSD emphasizes that the obscurantism forces hide behind the religion curtain in order to destabilize the civic peace and disperse Palestinians and the national social cohesion. Such behavior of the given powers come at the time Palestinians are in need for unity and solidarity to face the occupation and its crimes against Palestinians. The real battle should be with the occupation to achieve the national rights for liberation and independence and realize the right to self- determination to all Palestinians. PWWSD affirms that the real contradiction and conflict are with the Israeli illegal occupation of Palestine where all efforts should be made to strengthen the struggle against it.

PWWSD associates the responsibility of any harm that its director- general might be subject to, with the extremist groups that offend her. Any attack or harm against Ms. Amal Khreishe will be considered an attack and aggression against the organization as well as against the various human rights and women organizations and against the Human Defenders in Palestine. PWWSD stresses that its efforts in advocating rights would be pursued regardless of the level of incitement. At the same time, the organization associates the responsibility for any attack or harm of its director- general, with the Palestinian Authority and its Executive Arms. PWWSD affirms that the silence of the Palestinian Authority is a conspiracy with the obscurantism forces.

PWWSD stresses that women movement in Palestine is a national movement that struggles for national liberation and ending the occupation and struggles to build a modern civil Palestinian community in which human rights are protected according to the national legal set and international human rights law instruments.

PWWSD reserves the legal right to litigate the powers that attack its director- general and attack women organizations and figures and will pursue these powers and those in conspiracy with them, in front of all the available litigation channels.

Women Movement in Palestine would remain in the field struggling against all the forces of oppression, colonialism, and obscurantism. Women Movement will remain in the field fighting for the national rights of Palestinians and the right to decent life in which, human rights are protected.

Struggle should be against colonialism, oppression, and backwardness in the field, but not through Computers’ Screens.

Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development

Occupied Palestine

July 2023