The European Union’s Subcommittee on Human Rights on Monday heard expert testimony from two terror-affiliated NGOs, despite having been made aware in advance of the organizations’ problematic histories.

The session, titled, “Exchange of views on the situation of children in Gaza,” heard testimony from Issam Younis, director general of the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, as well as from Jason Lee, Save the Children’s local country director.

According to Jerusalem-based research institute NGO Monitor, both organizations have a history of anti-Israel distortion.

“Our concern is when elected officials solicit information from organizations that have terrorist affiliations, this elevates and promotes such organizations, but also ensures that these officials get very biased and distorted information,” said Yona Schiffmiller, head of research at NGO Monitor.

While linkages between the E.U. Parliament and terror-affiliated groups were nothing new, added Schiffmiller, “It is still important to address it and try to prevent it whenever possible.”

To that end, the research institute sent a letter to the subcommittee warning of the organizations’ unethical affiliations.

“Based on detailed evidence, committee members should be alarmed by the obviously false claims, omissions and distortions that will likely characterize the presentations,” the letter stated.

The letter goes on to document how Al-Mezan has collaborated with and given a platform to E.U.-designated terrorist organizations including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

It also notes that Al-Mezan is the leading NGO signatory to the petition against Israel filed to the International Criminal Court.

According to NGO Monitor, in March of 2023, Nafez al-Madhoun, a board member of Al-Mezan, participated in an event organized by the Hamas-affiliated International Center for Law Studies. Speakers included Hamas political bureau members Mahmoud al-Zahar and Musa Abu Marzouq, and Hamas Palestinian Legislative Council member Mohammed Faraj Al-Ghoul.
Madhoun also served for 10 years as director general of the Hamas-controlled PLC, the letter notes.

He has on many occasions denied Israel’s right to exist, saying at one Al-Mezan workshop for example that “this entity [Israel], by its nature, is temporary … It does not have a territory nor sovereignty, and its existence is contrary to international law decisions … It is forbidden that anyone forgives even an inch of Palestine to the occupation.”

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