Committee for Charity and Support for the Palestinians
Encyclopedia
Committee for Charity and Support for the Palestinians (CBSP) or Comité de Bienfaisance et de Secours aux Palestiniens (CBSP) is a French-based registered charitable organization that was founded in 1990. Its current president is Khalid Al-Shuli.
The CBSP's states its humanitarian mission is to provide emergency assistance and develop sustainable economic and social programs in partnership with local organizations so as to assist the most needy segments of the Palestinian
population in Gaza
, the West Bank
, and Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan
and Lebanon
.
in 1997. Israeli police claimed the CBSP had provided cash rewards to the families of suicide bombers. In August 2003, the CBSP was listed by the United States Treasury as a terrorist funding organization, also under the allegation that the organization fundraised for Hamas
. In November 2003, Australia announced it had frozen the assets of six leaders of Hamas, along with those of a number of charitable institutions - one of which was the CBSP.
, Stanley Trevor (Shimon) Samuels, also accused the CBSP of funding families of suicide bombers. In response, the CBSP filed a defamation suit in a Paris court, calling the accusations "ridiculous", and stating that its charitable work consisted of providing aid to some 3,000 Palestinian orphans.
On March 8, 2007, the court ruled that documents produced by the Wiesenthal Center established no "direct or indirect participation in financing terrorism" on the part of the CBSP, characterizing the allegations as "seriously defamatory." Samuel was handed a suspended fine of 1,000 euros (1,300 dollars) and ordered to pay one euro in symbolic damages to the Palestinian support group
The Wiesenthal Centre is appealing the court ruling, which it believed was unjustified.
Recently, the Wiesenthal Centre won his case before the Paris Court of Appeal, which ruled that there was nothing defamatory in his allegations against the CNSP.
http://vudejerusalem.20minutes-blogs.fr/archive/2008/10/03/le-cbsp-perd-son-proces-en-appel-defaite-judiciaire-pour-les.html
in February 2006, alleging the bank knowingly allowed monies to be funnelled to Hamas by failing to quickly close banking accounts for the CBSP. Crédit Lyonnais claimed to have closed the accounts in September 2003, "three years after it first noticed 'unusual activity' in the account in question.
The suit alleges that: "The financial services that the defendant knowingly provided to Hamas by collecting and transmitting funds on behalf of Hamas (with the knowledge that CBSP raises funds for Hamas) assists Hamas in its recruiting, rewarding, and providing incentives to suicide bombers and other terrorists",
The CBSP's states its humanitarian mission is to provide emergency assistance and develop sustainable economic and social programs in partnership with local organizations so as to assist the most needy segments of the Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
population in Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, and Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
Field of work
CBSP's states its work programme is made up of four focus areas:- Palestinian orphans and the disabled; providing support that includes scholarships for education and winter clothing.
- Needy families; providing support including food aid and emergency medical aid.
- Health care; providing support that includes hospital renovations and construction, the provision of medications and medical supplies, and salary support for health care workers.
- Sustainable developmentSustainable developmentSustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
; work in this field ranges from assisting disabled individuals in finding permanent employment, building housing and water infrastructures, and supporting Palestinian farmers.
Alleged terrorist connections
The CBSP was listed as a terrorist fundraising group in IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1997. Israeli police claimed the CBSP had provided cash rewards to the families of suicide bombers. In August 2003, the CBSP was listed by the United States Treasury as a terrorist funding organization, also under the allegation that the organization fundraised for Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
. In November 2003, Australia announced it had frozen the assets of six leaders of Hamas, along with those of a number of charitable institutions - one of which was the CBSP.
Wiesenthal case
The head of international relations for the Simon Wiesenthal CenterSimon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
, Stanley Trevor (Shimon) Samuels, also accused the CBSP of funding families of suicide bombers. In response, the CBSP filed a defamation suit in a Paris court, calling the accusations "ridiculous", and stating that its charitable work consisted of providing aid to some 3,000 Palestinian orphans.
On March 8, 2007, the court ruled that documents produced by the Wiesenthal Center established no "direct or indirect participation in financing terrorism" on the part of the CBSP, characterizing the allegations as "seriously defamatory." Samuel was handed a suspended fine of 1,000 euros (1,300 dollars) and ordered to pay one euro in symbolic damages to the Palestinian support group
The Wiesenthal Centre is appealing the court ruling, which it believed was unjustified.
Recently, the Wiesenthal Centre won his case before the Paris Court of Appeal, which ruled that there was nothing defamatory in his allegations against the CNSP.
http://vudejerusalem.20minutes-blogs.fr/archive/2008/10/03/le-cbsp-perd-son-proces-en-appel-defaite-judiciaire-pour-les.html
Crédit Lyonnais case
Thirteen Americans who sustained injuries from terrorist attacks in Israel, filed a lawsuit in a District Court in Brooklyn against the French-based bank Crédit LyonnaisCrédit Lyonnais
Crédit Lyonnais is a historic French bank. In the early 1990s it was the largest French bank, majority state-owned at that point. Crédit Lyonnais was the subject of poor management during that period which almost led to its bankruptcy in 1993...
in February 2006, alleging the bank knowingly allowed monies to be funnelled to Hamas by failing to quickly close banking accounts for the CBSP. Crédit Lyonnais claimed to have closed the accounts in September 2003, "three years after it first noticed 'unusual activity' in the account in question.
The suit alleges that: "The financial services that the defendant knowingly provided to Hamas by collecting and transmitting funds on behalf of Hamas (with the knowledge that CBSP raises funds for Hamas) assists Hamas in its recruiting, rewarding, and providing incentives to suicide bombers and other terrorists",