| Publications: | Reports, Books, Academic Publications, Submissions, Resource Pages |
|---|---|
| Other Content Types: | Press Releases, In The Media, Presentations, Posts, , Key Issues |
| NGOs: | Human Rights Watch (HRW) |
| Start date: | 1 Jan 1988 |
| End date: | 20 Aug 2019 |
In the first 16 days of fighting HRW released 11 statements on Gaza, primarily critical of Israel, including many using the rhetoric of international law for political objectives. Sarah Leah Whitson has carried HRWs campaign to the UN -- and similar to allegations made during the 2006 Lebanon war, HRWs claims about the IDFs use of white phosphorus lack credible evidence.
[UPDATED] Following the pattern in previous conflicts, a number of NGOs immediately issued condemnations of Israel following the IDF response to increasing deadly rocket attacks from Gaza. Many of these statements reflect bias and double standards, and ignore or give little attention to Israeli human rights and casualties. NGOs exploit legal terminology, including terms such as "war crimes," "collective punishment," and "indiscriminate attacks." Some use the fighting in Gaza to repeat calls for boycotts and sanctions as part of the Durban strategy, and accuse Israel of perpetrating a "massacre."
As predicted by NGO Monitor, the majority of NGO submissions to the UN's UPR of Israel ignore human rights issues facing Israelis and areas where Israel is a leader in this field, while grossly distorting the humanitarian, human rights and international legal dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Nord-Sud XXI, Ittijah, Badil, and PGAAWC exploit human rights terminology and employ inflammatory rhetoric against Israel. Adalah, Amnesty, and others attribute "racist" motives to Israeli policies, instead of acknowledging that these are legitimate responses to Palestinian violence against Israeli civilians.
The addition of Nadia Barhoum, a pro-Palestinian campus activist, to HRWs Middle East and North Africa Division, increases the political bias reflected in the activities and backgrounds of Sarah Leah Whitson, Joe Stork, and previous staff. This is inconsistent with HRWs claimed "even-handedness and accuracy." Barhoum was an active member in Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the University of California, Berkeley. SJP promotes the Durban agenda of demonization of Israel, divestment from Israel, and uses terms such as "apartheid" and "mass atrocities" in reference to Israel.
A Durban Review Conference preparatory meeting was held in Geneva on Oct. 6-17. NGO participation was divided, with some opposing a repetition of the antisemitism of the 2001 conference. Other NGOs pressed the anti-Israel and anti-Western agenda of the "Durban strategy." BADIL and MRAP condemned Israel. Unofficial meetings of NGO representatives about a potential NGO Forum included antisemitic and anti-Israel attacks against Jewish representatives.
In anticipation of the United Nations Human Rights Councils Universal Periodic Review of Israel, scheduled for December 2008, NGO Monitor prepared a submission highlighting problematic NGO activity vis--vis human rights in Israel.
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