www.ngo-monitor.org
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH 2005 ANNUAL REPORT ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN SECTION LACKS CREDIBILITY AND REFLECTS POLITICAL BIAS
On January 13, 2005, Human Rights Watch published its Annual Report, including an overview of Israel and what this organization refers to as the "Palestinian Territories". Essentially a summary of much of HRW's previous declarations, reports and press releases, this overview repeats many of the unsubstantiated claims in earlier reports, and continues to reflect the highly partisan politicized agenda and demonization displayed in the 2001 Durban conference and since then.Once again, HRW officials have chosen to de-emphasize the fundamental human rights violations inherent in continuing Palestinian terrorism, while Israeli responses are the primary focus. Instead of documenting the terror activities of Palestinian groups such as Hamas, al Aksa Brigades, etc., the authors of this report prefer to focus on political declarations. For example, they note that "On December 3 a top Hamas leader said that the group would accept the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and a long-term truce with Israel. It remains to be seen whether Israel will make reciprocal declarations and whether words will be translated into action." Such statements are entirely outside of HRW's claimed competence in human rights issues. Failing to provide context to Israel's defensive actions, IDF operations are referred to as "attacks" which were "often carried out in a manner that failed to demonstrate that the attackers had used all feasible measures to avoid or minimize harm to civilians and their property." Thus, following the publication of its "Razing Rafah" report, HRW continues to make unsubstantiated security judgments claiming that the IDF has destroyed Palestinian property "without regard to military necessity."
Furthermore, ignoring the significant reduction in the number of terrorist attacks within Israel due to the separation barrier, HRW reiterates the unsubstantiated Palestinian political claims: "The actual route, instead, is designed to "capture" some 80 percent of the Jewish population now living in illegal West Bank settlements, and the land and resources they control" and that "By making movement and in some cases residence so difficult, the barrier seems intended to encourage Palestinians to leave for other areas of the West Bank, or even other countries." Once again failing to link Israeli security measures to Palestinian terror, HRW uses terms such as "collective punishment" that are designed to demonize Israel, rather than analyze the situation and the complexities it poses.
The politicization of HRW's Middle East department is also evident in its implied criticism of US policy towards Israel, including referring to US assistance and the use of US-supplied weaponry for IDF anti-terror measures. Without providing evidence or rationale for its statement, HRW repeats the urban legend claiming that "There were Israeli press reports in 2004 that some U.S. army units were training at a "special anti-terror school" at an IDF base near Modi'in." And to reinforce HRW's boycott campaign, the Caterpillar Corporation is also mentioned as supplying military bulldozers used in actions "in violation of international humanitarian law", reflecting HRW's blatant ideological agenda.
On Palestinian terror attacks, HRW acknowledges that "neither the Palestinian Authority nor the armed groups responsible have taken any serious steps to act against those who ordered or organized such attacks." However, the report provides no details, and refers to Qassam rocket attacks on "illegal Jewish settlements" thus providing a justification of terror. This report provides but two examples of incidents involving Palestinian disregard for the human rights of their own people, in keeping with the disproportionate concentration of this organization's considerable political firepower on Israel.