High Court urges int'l aid groups to drop petitions challenging Israel’s refusal to register them

Israel's High Court of Justice has called on several international aid organizations to retract petitions that challenge the state's policy of refusing their registration. The court signaled a reluctance to intervene, stating it found no grounds to override a policy that allows the government to consider security, boycott, and "delegitimization" concerns when deciding on registration. The proceedings involved petitions from Save the Children International, the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), Swedish Christian aid organization Diakonia, and Italian humanitarian organization CESVI Fondazione. These organizations were contesting the registration framework that affects visa and work permit recommendations for their foreign employees, not specific aid shipments or corridors into Gaza. Petitioners argued that the denial of registration significantly disrupted their operational structures in Israel, east Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. They stated it prevented international staff from entering Israel, meeting local employees, and supervising their work. However, the state and the three-justice panel questioned whether nonregistration genuinely prevented humanitarian assistance or merely made established operating arrangements more difficult. Justice Ruth Ronnen advised the petitioners to demonstrate harm to the populations they serve, rather than just inconvenience in maintaining offices and bringing in staff through Israel. Justice Yael Willner echoed this sentiment, stating the court had not been shown a sufficiently severe injury that couldn't be addressed through alternative means. She emphasized the government's entitlement to set its own registration policy unless a clear legal basis for judicial intervention was established. The organizations countered that alternative entry methods were unrealistic, as Israel controls access points and foreign workers cannot enter the West Bank or Gaza under ordinary tourist visas. The hearing also addressed the specific grounds for refusal for each organization, including allegations of delegitimizing statements and alleged links to groups Israel has declared unlawful.

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The organizations argued that denying registration severely disrupted the structure through which they had operated in Israel, east Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, preventing international staff from entering through Israel, meeting local employees, and overseeing their work.