In anticipation of the publication tomorrow (Wednesday, February 25, 2015) of Amnesty International’s Annual Report, NGO Monitor released the following statement:

As shown in NGO Monitor’s detailed analyses, Amnesty International has become increasingly political, while its credibility declines further. Although Amnesty claims to do “research” on human rights abuses, its methodology is either non-existent or highly unreliable. Analysis and conclusions are speculative, not factual or legal. Journalists, diplomats, and academics who quote this report and similar publications must examine each claim independently.

Amnesty also carries a strong ideological bias, particularly targeting Israel. As seen in its press release for the annual report, Amnesty simply ignores the human rights of Israelis and the role of Hamas in the conflict.

According to Amnesty, there is a conflict “raging” in Gaza, but not in Israel. There is no mention of Hamas or of the displacement of Israelis in southern Israel as a result of thousands of rockets (each one a war crime) fired at Israeli population centers during the summer conflict.

In addition, Amnesty denies Israel’s legitimate right to self-defense, complaining that “transfers of munitions to Israel continued even as alleged war crimes were being committed.” Aside from the lack of evidence to sustain the charges of alleged “war crimes,” the munitions brought into Israel, such as those for the Iron Dome anti-missile system, are used to defend Israeli civilians from illegal attacks from Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza.

Amnesty also could have used the opportunity to condemn Hamas for illegal and systematic exploitation of hospitals, mosques, and homes in Gaza, which was directly responsible for civilian casualties during the fighting.

These are the issues that deserve sustained attention by human rights groups such as Amnesty International, in order to reduce the impact of armed conflict on civilians. Unfortunately, many Amnesty officials and “researchers” are so deeply involved in promoting the narrative of Palestinian victimhood and Israeli guilt, and remain blind to the requirements of universal human rights.