Exploring the Links Between an NGO and a Terrorist Organization

The Dutch Government actively supports various humanitarian organizations globally. One such group was the Palestinian Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), an organization dedicated to agricultural development and aiding Palestinian farmers in occupied territories. The Dutch government started providing financial assistance for UAWC in 2007, and from 2017 to 2021, the contribution totalled 11.7 million euros.  

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On August 23, 2019, two UAWC employees were arrested for suspected involvement in a bomb attack that killed 17-year-old Israeli Rina Schnerb. The attack was attributed to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), recognized as a terrorist organization by the European Union.

Following the arrests, UAWC promptly notified the Dutch government and terminated the contract of the employees involved. Despite these actions, and in response to a request of the Dutch parliament, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigrid Kaag decided to halt payments to UAWC and promised the parliament an independent investigation. Through a procurement process, Proximities was selected to conduct this investigation into potential ties between the PFLP and UAWC.

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The intent of the investigation was to ascertain any potential connections between the UAWC and the PFLP. 

Over the course of a seven-month investigation, Proximities used their full spectre of sensors, ranging from open and semi-open sources to on-the-ground investigations conducted by our team in Israel and the occupied territories of the West Bank. No input was disregarded as long as it could be traced back to a reliable source and was legally acquired. Through this impartial and thorough process of using verifiable sources, the team gained a deep understanding of the dynamics of this intricate environment, which encompassed many perspectives.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs applauded Proximities’ approach, reviewing the report as “painstaking and thorough”. 

The report concluded that while there was no direct evidence of UAWC personnel’s involvement in terrorist activities or financial funnelling of the Dutch financial support through UAWC to the PFLP, connections were identified between 34 UAWC members and the PFLP from 2007 to 2020. Among these individuals, 28 were UAWC board member and 12 held leadership positions in both organizations. Furthermore, organizational ties were established through 18 events during the same period, including shared activities, training, and expressions of solidarity. Notably, UAWC’s policy prohibiting inquiries into the political activities of its staff or board members contributed to their unawareness of these connections.

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Following the January 5, 2022 report, the Dutch Government announced its decision to cease funding to UAWC and withhold the remaining portion of its financial contribution. Although the Proximities report was not made public, it was shared with the House of Representatives in confidence. The decision received significant international attention, for example from Al Jazeera and Associated Press, highlighting the gravity of the situation on a global scale.

• The English translation of the government letter can be found here.
• The original version of the government letter can be found here.

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