International Law Series: The Right to Self Defense

The right to self-defense is a cornerstone of international law, enshrined in the UN Charter (Article 51) and numerous Security Council Resolutions. In order to delegitimize Israels self-defensive measures, many NGOs have issued statements distorting international law. Al Haq and PCHR falsely claim that Israel cannot invoke self-defense in response to attacks from non-state actors in occupied territory. Human Rights Watch and BTselem allege without any evidentiary basis that Israels exercise of self-defense is merely a pretext for punishing the Palestinians. Other groups pay lip service to Israeli self-defense.

Topics

• Demonization
• International Law
• Lawfare
• Oxfam

NGOs discover Iran's human rights violations

Amnesty, HRW, and FIDH have issued a number of statements on the Iranian governments suppression of demonstrations and related issues following the presidential election. NGOs call for restraint, investigations, and new elections. Before the elections, Iranian violations were not a high priority for HRW or FIDH. Despite its large and active Middle East division, HRW devotes few resources to Iran. The majority of Amnestys attention was through narrowly-focused and low-impact Urgent Actions, not in-depth reports.

Topics

• Disproportionate Focus
• Iran

A Clouded EU Presidency: Swedish Funding for NGO Rejectionism

On July 1, 2009, Sweden will assume the presidency of the European Union. Swedens role in funding numerous NGOs that pursue radical political agendas, including rejecting any form of normalization with Israel, fuels the conflict. Diakonia international law project that uses distorted and misleading interpretations of international law. Funding for the AIC, PCHR, and Al-Haq. Sabeels Nakba Memory program. Other NGO grantees use apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and massacres rhetoric. Many NGOs receive Swedish funding from multiple sources, raising questions about administrative procedures and oversight.

Topics

• Apartheid Rhetoric
• BDS
• Demonization
• Lawfare

Lawfare update: NGOs fail to block Spanish Parliament vote to amend universal jurisdiction law

Topics

• Demonization
• Lawfare

Durban Review Conference 2009

Topics

• 2009 Durban Review Conference
• Apartheid Rhetoric
• Demonization
• Durban Strategy
• Racism
• United Nations

The NGO Front in the Gaza War: Compilation of NGO statements

A compilation of over 500 statements by 52 NGOs on "Operation Cast Lead" (December 27, 2008 - January 29, 2009).

Topics

• 2009 Gaza War
• Demonization
• War crimes

Lawfare November 2008 update: PCHR and Al Haq

Topics

• Demonization
• Lawfare
• War crimes

NGO Lawfare

Topics

• Demonization
• Durban Strategy
• Lawfare
• NGO Forum of the UN
• War crimes

Watching the Watchers: The Politics and Credibility of Non-Governmental Organizations in the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Topics

• 2006 Lebanon War
• Antisemitism
• Apartheid Rhetoric
• BDS
• Demonization
• Durban

• Halo Effect
• Human Rights NGOs
• Lawfare
• NGO Forum of the UN
• Racism

HRW/FIDH/OMCT statement on NGO official linked to PFLP

On May 2 2007, three major NGOs -- Human Rights Watch, FIDHand the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) -- published a joint press release calling on Israel to lift the travel ban placed on Shawan Jabarin, the General Director of Al-Haq. The statement alleges that Jabarin was barred by Israel from attending the annual Congress of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in Lisbon on April 19, 2007, and that "Israeli authorities have not explained why the restrictions are in place". NGO Monitors analysis of this statement shows these NGOs entirely erase Jarabins links to the PFLP and the legitimate security concerns. The result is a selective research and ideologically biased analysis, similar to others analyzed in previous NGO Monitor reports.

Topics

• Demonization
• Durban
• Lawfare
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
• Shawan Jabarin
• Terrorism