In a brief submitted to the Jerusalem District Court, State Prosecutor Nira Mashraki has argued that organisations claiming to work to defend human rights are seriously compromised by their one sided approach. In responding to a petition presented by HaMoked, the attorney’s statement referred to the NGO’s practice of placing Palestinian “rights” above universal ones such as the right to life. She said that “the organization’s self-presentation as ‘a human rights organization’ has no basis in reality and is designed to mislead.” B’Tselem was criticised for attacking “the State of Israel and its security forces throughout the world.” This brief was the subject of debate in the Israeli media, and was criticized by Haaretz columnist Tom Segev and MK Zahava Gal-On of the Meretz Party.

 

See Gerald Steinberg, Challenging the NGO Mythology,Jerusalem Post, March 11, 2006;

Gerald Steinberg, Exposing the myths of human rights NGOs,Makor Rishon, March 10, 2006 (PDF – Hebrew).

Also Yuval Yoaz, “Rights groups representing Palestinians ’cause damage’ to the state, court told,” Haaretz, March 7, 2006;

Yuval Yoaz, “Prosecutor rejects criticism of human rights groups,” Haaretz, March 9, 2006;

Tom Segev, “Patriotism sans bordersHaaretz, March 10, 2006

 

 

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