Ligue des droits de l'Hommes (LdH)

Profile

Country/TerritoryFrance
Websitewww.ldh-france.org
Founded1898
In their own wordsCreated in 1898 to defend an innocent, the captain Dreyfus, the league of human rights and of the citizen is part of all struggles for justice, liberty, civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights, and against racism and antisemitism for more than 110 years.

Funding

Activities

BDS Activities

Condemnations of Israel during the 2014 Gaza War

Other Activities

  • In June 2021, LDH signed a letter to the European Commission regarding the “political instrumentalization of the fight against antisemitism.” The letter called to “Acknowledge, reject and counter the political instrumentalization of the fight against antisemitism and of the IHRA definition in particular for the purpose of shielding the Israeli government from criticism. Instruct all involved EU officials to refrain from facilitating and legitimizing such instrumentalization.”
    • The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, adopted by nearly 30 countries and counting, represents the international consensus definition of antisemitism, as well as how to distinguish between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitism. An example of the latter includes denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
  • In December 2020, LDH, alongside a number of Israeli, Palestinian, and international organizations, issued a declaration headlined “Israel must provide necessary vaccines to Palestinian health care systems.” The NGOs falsely claim that Israel has “legal obligations” to “ensure that quality vaccines be provided to Palestinians living under Israeli occupation and control,” while altogether ignoring that Palestinians residing in Jerusalem are part of the Israeli health care system; that under the Oslo Accords the PA is responsible for health care of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza; and that the PA has adopted its own vaccine policy for its population.
  • In June 2019, LdH co-organized a symposium, “Israel: For the equality and democratic freedoms of all citizens,” discussing “the restriction of democratic freedoms, discriminatory laws, [and] the nation-state.” The event, at the invitation of the French Senator Esther Benbassa, featured leaders of Israeli politicized NGOs, including Hagai El-Ad (B’Tselem), Yehuda Shaul (Breaking the Silence), and Sawsan Zaher (Adalah).
    • At the event, the senator declared that “in Israel, galloping nationalism is becoming a dominant trend. The country is culturally and politically withdrawing into itself. Who better than the Jews knows the excesses of this desire for purity?” Shaul also affirmed that “The Israeli army wants to be omnipresent in the occupied territories, to terrorize the Palestinians and break the will to revolt.”
  • In May 2018, during the violence on the Gaza border, LDH published a press release alleging that the “Israeli civil authorities and Israeli army officials, who define the conditions of use of weapons, and soldiers who agree to execute orders given the entire responsibility” could be considered a “war crime. This surge of violence against unarmed protesters is only possible because of the impunity of their perpetrators, enshrined in Israeli legislation and supported by the unrestricted support of the United States, and by inaction. of the European Union.” LDH ignored the violent nature of the protests, which included Molotov cocktails, arson, and attempts to breach the border fence with Israel.
  • LDH has called for the release of Salah Hamouri and claims that “for no reason other than its discretionary authority, the Israeli government is pursuing the path of the most absolute injustice, ignoring even the demands made by the French government.”
  • In June 2017, LDH was a signatory on a statement published by International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) that supported a Palestinian “right of return,” which, if implemented, would effectually mean the elimination of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. The statement accused Israel of “war crimes and crimes against humanity” and argued that “settlement and its associated regime” are “features of colonization and apartheid in violation of the principles of international law.”
  • In May 2017, to mark the “50th Anniversary of Israel’s Military Occupation of the West Bank,” LDH was a signatory on a call that accused Israel of “colonization and apartheid” and “systematic violations of human rights, many of which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
  • Supported the campaign to free the Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouthi “and all Palestinian prisoners,” omitting the violence that leads to the arrests and convictions. Barghouti has been referred to as the “chief of staff of the Intifada” for his role in attacks during the violence in the early 2000s. The petition claims that “the detention of prisoners aims to destroy the social and national structure of the Palestinian people.”
  • Endorses the accusations of the group “LGBT for Palestine” that Israel is “instrumenting their difficulties [LGBT community] in the Arab-Islamic world” and practicing “pinkwashing.” LDH further accuses Israel of “cultural and touristic diplomacy, its military communication presents it [Israel] as an ‘LGTB-friendly oasis among LGTB-phobia desert’.”
  • In an online publication titled “Jerusalem: Breeding-ground of violence” (2014), LDH includes “the denial of life experienced by the Palestinian people for decades” in a list of the roots of despair and hatred.
  • In a statement titled “East Jerusalem is in danger,” former President of LDH Pierre Tartakowskyis, together with the Platform of French NGOs for Palestine and French Senators, former ambassadors, professors, and others, described Israeli policy as a “policy of colonization, dispossessions, demolitions and expulsions” and accused Israel of “eviction attempts through impoverishment, discrimination and obstacles” and of “Judaizing” Jerusalem.
  • In 2006, two former members of the LDH executive committee (Antoine Spire and Cedric Porin) explained that they resigned from the organization after “it gave away its heritage [the Dreyfus Affair].” Spire and Porin note that LDH “censored Israeli filmmakers…on the ground of their nationality…this is called racism.” Additional accusations included an adoption of “a non-critical commitment alongside the Palestinian people” and issuance of one-sided condemnations of Israel during the Second Lebanon war, requesting sanctions for “…war crimes against Lebanese civilian populations, but forgot Israeli civil populations that are victims of bombing.” Spire and Porin also criticized LDH for “saying almost nothing concerning Darfur or Chechnya, and keeps silent in face of the antisemitic speeches and Holocaust denial of the Iranian president!”

Partners

Footnotes

  1. Under this law, in 2013, BDS France was fined €28,000 by a local French court.

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