Media Coverage

Mentions or features of ELSC in external media.

Exclusive: University of Birmingham Faces Legal Action Over ‘Punitive’ Crackdown on Students Protesting for Palestine
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Exclusive: University of Birmingham Faces Legal Action Over ‘Punitive’ Crackdown on Students Protesting for Palestine

The European Legal Support Centre urges the University of Birmingham to drop disciplinary charges against Mariyah Ali and Antonia Listrat, student leaders targeted for protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza. Their case highlights a broader UK crackdown on Palestine solidarity, threatening freedom of expression, student democracy, and the right to protest.

Dozens of cases dropped in Germany: Failed attempts at intimidation   

Dozens of cases dropped in Germany: Failed attempts at intimidation   

Deutsche Übersetzung unten / النسخة العربية أدناه Since October of last year, in a wave of escalating state repression, countless criminal charges and misdemeanours have been brought against the Palestine solidarity movement. But as we expected, dozens of cases have since been dropped.   This should not surprise us, as most of the slogans and…

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New Website With Overview of Ties Between Dutch Universities and Israel 

DUTCH VERSION BELOW Joint Press Release by European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Stop Arms Trade, Solid Sustainability Research, The Rights Forum – Amsterdam, 7 June 2024 Relations with Israel’s military-industrial complex and Israeli human rights violations underline demands from actions at universities Today, civil society organisations Stop Arms Trade, European Legal Support Center (ELSC) and…

A Member of UK Lawyers for Israel Provides “Expert Opinion” to Support a Teacher Sanctioned for Antisemitism

A Member of UK Lawyers for Israel Provides “Expert Opinion” to Support a Teacher Sanctioned for Antisemitism

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) member, Lesley Klaff, provided “expert witness testimony” in support of a pro-Israel teacher accused of posting antisemitic material. Her testimony contradicts UKLFI’s usual position on anti-Zionist commentary. In April 2022, she testified to a Panel for the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) that the IHRA definition of antisemitism is not to be interpreted strictly, but rather on a case-by-case basis, and that it should not be used to sanction people or restrict their freedom of speech.

The European Court of Justice annuls the Commission’s refusal to register a Citizens’ Initiative calling for the regulation of EU trade with occupied territories

The European Court of Justice annuls the Commission’s refusal to register a Citizens’ Initiative calling for the regulation of EU trade with occupied territories

In the judgment Moerenhout and others v Commission, delivered on May 12, 2021, the General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union (GCUE) ruled on a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calling upon the European Commission to adopt measures to regulate trade with occupied territories. The Court found the Commission violated its obligation to…

UK government dismisses latest attempt by UK Lawyers for Israel to harm Palestinian civil society
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UK government dismisses latest attempt by UK Lawyers for Israel to harm Palestinian civil society

For many years now, politically-motivated actors have used legal fora to inflict damage on civil society organizations supporting Palestinian rights, by attempting to silence them and delegitimise their work. These attacks, generally referred to as “lawfare”, are mostly conducted by disinformation groups supporting Israel’s occupation and apartheid regime, such as: NGO Monitor, Regavim, Shurat HaDin, International Legal Forum, Lawfare Project, and UK Lawyers For Israel (UKLFI).

Israeli Product Centre Fined for the Mislabelling of Products from the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Israeli Product Centre Fined for the Mislabelling of Products from the Occupied Palestinian Territory

On Friday 9 April, the Israeli Products Centre (IPC) based in Nijkerk, The Netherlands, received a fine of €2100 from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) for mislabeling products originating in from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). The ELSC previously assisted the Dutch group docP who led a campaign for the IPC to correctly label products from the oPt, when they received a letter threatening legal action for their advocacy efforts. We welcome the decision of the NVWA as important signal showing that activists work for the respect of international law cannot be restricted by threats of legal action aimed at silencing Palestinian advocacy.