Treasury Targets Global Charities Allegedly Backing Militants \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The U.S. Treasury sanctioned a prominent Palestinian legal group and five international charities, accusing them of aiding militant groups under the guise of humanitarian relief. Addameer, which supports Palestinian detainees, was cited for links to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. The move follows mounting pressure from Israeli advocacy groups.
Quick Looks
- Treasury Department sanctioned Addameer and five international charities.
- Addameer provides legal aid to Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
- U.S. claims Addameer is linked to the PFLP, a designated terror group.
- Sanctions followed lobbying by Israeli-American group Zachor Legal Institute.
- Israel previously raided Addameer offices; UN criticized the action.
- UN and rights groups say no solid proof has been presented.
- Additional charities sanctioned span Gaza, Turkey, Italy, and the Netherlands.
- Treasury report warns of terrorist financing via online crowdfunding.
Deep Look
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday announced sweeping new sanctions against six organizations across the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, accusing them of using charitable missions as a front to support terrorist operations. Among those sanctioned is Addameer, a well-known Palestinian legal nonprofit that offers legal support to detainees and prisoners in Israeli custody. The sanctions, Treasury officials say, are aimed at disrupting international financial pipelines to armed Palestinian factions, including Hamas’ military wing.
Addameer, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has long operated in the legal advocacy space, offering services to Palestinians imprisoned by Israeli authorities and documenting prison conditions. It is affiliated with several international human rights groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the World Organization Against Torture.
But on Tuesday, the U.S. government claimed that behind its humanitarian efforts, Addameer has longstanding ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) — a secular, Marxist-Leninist group with both a political arm and an armed wing, designated a terrorist organization by both the U.S. and Israel. The Treasury asserts that Addameer is “affiliated with and has long supported” the PFLP, which has been linked to deadly attacks on Israeli civilians.
While Addameer did not issue an immediate response, the organization has previously denied allegations of terrorism support. In 2022, Israeli forces raided Addameer’s offices, prompting condemnation from the United Nations, which said Israel had failed to provide “convincing evidence” that the group was involved in terror financing or operational support. The UN described Addameer as engaging in “critical human rights, humanitarian and development work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
That same year, the U.S. State Department’s Human Rights Practices Report referenced Israel’s detention of Salah Hammouri, a French-Palestinian human rights lawyer employed by Addameer, under a section on “retribution against human rights defenders.” The arrest raised alarms among international rights groups and was viewed by many as part of a broader campaign to suppress civil society activity in Palestinian areas.
The Treasury sanctions came shortly after lobbying efforts led by Zachor Legal Institute, an Israeli-American advocacy organization focused on counterterrorism and anti-antisemitism measures. Zachor’s February letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged action against Addameer, citing undisclosed intelligence provided by Israel’s domestic security agency. The letter was co-signed by 44 additional organizations.
Zachor’s president, Marc Greendorfer, said in a statement that the group is “very pleased to see Treasury following up on our request.” He added, “The federal government must act to prevent hostile foreign actors from spreading hate and violence in the United States. We applaud Treasury’s action and encourage it to expand this focus to the other groups we’ve identified.”
In addition to Addameer, five other organizations were targeted under the same sanctions order:
- Al Weam Charitable Society (Gaza) and its leader
- Filistin Vakfi (Turkey) and its leader
- El Baraka Association for Charitable and Humanitarian Work and its leader
- Israa Charitable Foundation Netherlands and two employees
- Associazione Benefica La Cupola d’Oro (Italy)
These entities, according to the Treasury, funneled financial support to Hamas, the PFLP, and other Palestinian militant factions while claiming to raise money for humanitarian relief in Gaza and the West Bank.
A 2024 U.S. Treasury report on terrorist financing trends underscores the increasing challenge of distinguishing between legitimate charity work and terror-linked financial activity. The report highlights that online crowdfunding, especially through platforms that accept small donations from individual contributors, provides an increasingly common method of covertly funding extremist operations.
“Because most crowdfunding is legitimate, it complicates law enforcement investigations into potential terrorist financing,” the report stated.
The sanctions imposed include asset freezes, transaction bans, and restrictions on U.S. persons or companies interacting financially with the listed groups. While foreign debt holders remain exempt, the measure introduces broader scrutiny on organizations operating in conflict zones, especially those linked to Gaza.
Critics of the move, including human rights lawyers and NGOs, argue that the sanctions lack transparency and rely too heavily on intelligence that is not publicly disclosed or independently verified. They warn that such actions could chill humanitarian work, deter legal advocacy, and provide cover for politically motivated crackdowns on civil society.
Tax and international law experts also raised red flags. Chye-Ching Huang, executive director of NYU’s Tax Law Center, warned of the broader risks associated with this approach. “This creates a dangerous precedent,” she said. “We’re now entering a space where political designations may determine who gets to engage in humanitarian or legal work, and who doesn’t — regardless of the evidence.”
The political implications of the Treasury’s move are also notable. By taking decisive action on Addameer and related groups, the Biden administration signals stronger alignment with Israeli national security perspectives at a time when relations between Washington and Ramallah remain tense.
At the same time, the move may deepen international scrutiny of U.S. sanctions practices — especially given the historical controversy around equating humanitarian efforts with terrorism support. As calls grow for increased transparency and evidence-based sanctioning, the debate over where to draw the line between activism, aid, and extremism is sure to intensify.
Treasury Targets Global Treasury Targets Global
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