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September 2009 Digest: Vol. 8, No. 1

2009-10-29

Amnesty’s water report: “Israel-apartheid” allegations
The release of Amnesty International’s report “Troubled Waters – Palestinians Denied Fair Access to Water” coincides with a campaign alleging that “Israel’s Control of Water [is] a Tool of Apartheid and a Means of Ethnic Cleansing.” BDS activist Omar Barghouti will conduct a speaking tour in the United States. Additionally, Amnesty-UK is hosting a “discussion” with Ben White (October 28, 2009), author of Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide. His lecture is entitled “Discriminatory and unsustainable: Water and politics in Israel & the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”

The Amnesty report includes allegations that Israeli “restrictions are imposed on all Palestinians because they are Palestinians” (emphasis original) and Israel “restrict[s] access to water as a means of expulsion.”

Amnesty’s report also contains false statements, as noted by CAMERA, and misleading statistics such as annual consumption figures that deliberately omit water sold by Israel to the Palestinian Authority.

In “Troubled Waters,” Amnesty patronizingly assumes that the Palestinian leadership is incapable of negotiating agreements, and explains that they rejected signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, including Oslo, because they “codified inequality in access to water resources.”

See also:

     
NGOs demand special access while campaigning against IDF
On September 13, 2009, the IDF’s Gaza District Coordinating Office sent a letter to three Israeli NGOs – Gisha, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, and HaMoked – ending their special access regarding entry of Palestinians from Gaza into Israel, and directing them to follow the proper procedures. For years, these groups had been circumventing established mechanisms: instead of submitting requests via the Palestinian Authority, per the Interim Agreements, these groups lobbied the Israeli government directly. According to an IDF official, NGOs would “interfere in that mechanism [and]...just get in the way, instead of doing it right.”

Although these groups are centrally involved in promoting allegations that the IDF committed “war crimes” and violated international law (for instance, PHR-I’s inflammatory submission to the Goldstone mission), they continue to demand privileged status. These three NGOs have also accused the IDF of a “boycott directed solely against the human rights organizations.”

Lawfare Update: Al Haq Canada case dismissed with partial costs
On September 18, 2009, a Montreal court dismissed a lawfare case brought by the Bil’in Village Council, with the assistance of the Palestinian NGO “Al Haq” (funded by Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Sweden [via Diakonia], Ford Foundation, Christian Aid, Norway) and Israeli attorney Michael Sfard.  The case was filed in June 2008 against three Canadian corporations involved in construction projects in the town of Kiryat Sefer (Modi’in Ilit). The village council and Al Haq claimed that these corporations were “aiding, abetting, assisting and conspiring with Israel, the Occupying Power in the West Bank, in carrying out an illegal act” and acting in violation of the Geneva Conventions. 

The Court found that the plaintiffs had “select[ed] a forum having little connection to the Action in order to inappropriately gain a juridical advantage,” and that there was no basis to plaintiffs’ claim that it was impossible to obtain a remedy in the Israeli court system.  It further noted that plaintiffs had relied on judicial statutes that require the consent of the Canadian Attorney General – consent the plaintiffs never obtained.  In addition to dismissing the case, the Canadian judge awarded the defendants partial costs (part of the defendant’s legal fees), underlining the particularly frivolous nature of the case.

This dismissal is the latest rejection of Al Haq’s strategy to exploit Western courts for political goals (“lawfare”).   Its two suits (2006 and 2009) filed against British government officials to stop weapons sales to Israel were also rejected.

NGOs at the UNHRC Goldstone hearings: The demonization agenda
On October 15-16, 2009, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) held yet another special session dedicated to Israel, discussing the Goldstone report and an anti-Israel resolution. NGOs joined the politicized attacks against Israel, speaking as observers before the Council. They condemned Israel for “impunity” and employed demonizing rhetoric:

  • Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR - funded by EU, Norway, Ireland, NDC - Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, Open Society Institute): “there is nothing to be proud of in the beginning of the 21st century to be a country that is creating a much worse apartheid system then what prevailed in South Africa.”
  • Al Haq (Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Sweden [via Diakonia], Ford Foundation, Christian Aid, Norway): “Impunity has prevailed...The Israeli justice system has consistently failed to provide the Palestinian people with effective avenues for any meaningful action and effective remedies…demand an end to the relentless blockade on the Gaza Strip which collectively punishes the people of Gaza and deprives them of their basic needs. The occupation, which is the root cause of this conflict, has persisted for over 42 years.”
  • Adalah (EU, NIF, Ford Foundation, Oxfam-Novib, Switzerland): “The Israeli legal and judicial systems have consistently failed in providing any legal remedies to the Palestinian people...” [Ed. Note: This claim is particularly disingenuous, since Adalah was involved in more than 20 cases in Israeli courts in 2008, many of which were successful.]
  • MRAP: “colonial occupation follows the destruction, massacres follow the abuses, and the international law is constantly trampled.”
  • Nord-Sud XXI: “people fighting for self-determination against foreign and oppressive occupiers are forced to turn to the use of force to try to end their oppression.”

These statements follow extensive NGO support for the Goldstone mission and report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty, and other groups.

NIF’s new CEO: Daniel Sokatch
On September 16, 2009, New Israel Fund (NIF) announced that Daniel Sokatch, formerly of the Progressive Jewish Alliance and the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation, is replacing Larry Garber as CEO of the organization. In 2008, NIF allocated $28 million to Israeli NGOs and NGO-support projects.

In his role as head of NIF, Sokatch appeared at the opening session of the J Street conference. He also authored an op-ed on “support[ing] Israel in ways consistent with [] progressive values,” stating that “attempts to discredit and delegitimize the country’s human rights groups (of which we are a leading funder) -- seem designed to erode civil society and further marginalize Israel’s Arab citizens.”

Click here for NGO Monitor research on NIF

For some of Larry Garber’s responses to criticism from NGO Monitor see:

Trocaire (Ireland): false claims
According to the Jewish Chronicle (UK), the Ireland-based Catholic NGO Trocaire will be reducing its activities in the Palestinian Authority, as well as ending its presence in nine countries, due to cuts in private and Irish-governmental funding. This follows analysis from NGO Monitor, demonstrating that Trocaire’s campaigns against Israel and funding to politicized Israeli and Palestinian NGOs exacerbate the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Despite the diminished resources, Trocaire continued its lobbying of the EU against an upgrade in relations with Israel, including a highly prejudicial position paper that falsely accused Israel of “war crimes,” “collective punishment,” ignoring “settlers perpetrating violence,” holding Palestinian prisoners “in violation of IHL,” and calling for an arms embargo against Israel.

NGO Monitor in the Media: HRW scandals and Goldstone
At NGO Monitor...









 

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