Conference of Palestinians Abroad Denounces US Sanctions and Demands Reconsideration

Majed Al-Zeer, Deputy Head of the General Authority of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, stated that the US administration's decision to include the conference on the sanctions list of the Treasury Department "represents a new and blind persistence of US policy in its absolute support for the Israeli occupation and its arbitrary, illegal, and inhumane policies against the Palestinian people." Al-Zeer affirmed that the decision is considered "an attempt to limit the activities of the Palestinian people and their continuous movement to restore their rights within the framework of international law." Al-Zeer demanded a reconsideration of the "unjust and unfair" decision, as he described it, adding that this American step lacks the minimum legal standards in searching for the truth of what the Palestinian people and their institutions are doing. Al-Zeer clarified that the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad is considered "a popular institution operating in the global space wherever the Palestinian people are, organizing activities and events, and its members and affiliates are from all segments of the Palestinian spectrum, its generations, and genders," stressing that it is part of the Palestinian people's movement to work on regaining their rights.

The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Popular Conference in addition to 6 other organizations operating in Gaza.

The United States announced yesterday, Wednesday, the imposition of sanctions on the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, in addition to 6 charities active in the Gaza Strip, accusing them of working for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). The US State Department said in a statement that these institutions "claim to provide medical care to Palestinian civilians, while in reality they support the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas." The statement added that this decision includes "the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, which is listed on the sanctions list for its secret support of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and its practice of misleading fundraising methods, which undermines aid provided to civilians."

On its website, the US Treasury Department stated that the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad is considered "one of the main organizers of recent flotillas that sought to break the Israeli security blockade on the Gaza Strip," claiming that it "was founded and managed by elements of Hamas's International Relations Office, which was headed by Mousa Abu Marzook." The department claimed in its statement that Hamas controls the strategic and tactical aspects of the conference's activity "by placing key figures associated with the movement in key positions throughout the organization." The department mentioned Adel Doughman and Majed Al-Zeer, who held key positions within the conference organization, and had previously been listed by the department on the sanctions list in October 2024. The statement also mentioned that the new decision includes Zaher Birawi, who holds a high position in the organization and is a member of its General Secretariat, and one of its founding members.

The US Treasury Department considered that the Popular Conference provides secret support to the Qassam Brigades.

The department stated in its statement that "Palestinian diaspora individuals have the right to assemble and advocate for their legitimate political causes, and members of the international community, including American citizens, have the right to support these efforts," stressing that it does not impose sanctions on individuals for exercising activities protected under the US Constitution, such as freedom of speech or religious practices and beliefs. However, the department considered that "Hamas, through its strategy of hiding behind civilians and using terrorism to achieve political goals, whether in Gaza or elsewhere, is the one that endangers innocent lives and undermines international efforts aimed at building lasting peace and a prosperous future for all Palestinians," as it described.

It is worth noting that the Popular Conference organization is based in Lebanon for its activities, and has organized several conferences in Turkey that brought together Palestinians from the diaspora, and supported the Freedom Flotilla alliance ships that sailed towards Gaza with the aim of breaking the siege imposed on the Palestinian sector during the two-year Israeli war of extermination since October 2023.