BDS Activist to be Awarded Prize at Belgian Holocaust Memorial

On December 12, 2019, the Belgian Catholic NGO Pax Christi Vlaanderen (Flanders) will award its “ambassador for peace” prize to Brigitte Herremans, a leading anti-Israel activist and former employee of the BDS-supporting organization Broederlijk Delen. The event is scheduled to be held at Kazerne Dossin “a transit camp from which Belgian Jews and Romani were sent to concentration camps during the Holocaust.” The selection of this venue draws a false equivalence between Nazi war crimes and Israeli policy, a violation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

Topics

• BDS
• Belgium
• Brigitte Herremans
• IHRA

• Made in Illegality
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
• Sanctions
• Settlements

Season 2, Episode 9: Corbyn, Civil Society, and Antisemitism

As allegations of antisemitism continue to swirl around Jeremy Corbyn and his Labour Party, British voters head to the polls. What is the role of NGOs in this discussion? How did the UK's adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism effect antisemitism in the UK? How can implementing IHRA lead to change? On this week's episode our host Yona Schifmiller sits down with NGO Monitor Founder and President Prof. Gerald Steinberg to discuss these issues

Topics

• NGO Monitor's "Human Rights and Hot Coffee" Podcast

NGO Funded by France Lobbies the Government against Motion on Antisemitism

Since the beginning of 2019, French organizations that promote an anti-Israel agenda have been lobbying French elected officials to oppose a “motion for a resolution to combat anti-Semitism.” Some of these groups receive French government funding.

Topics

• Antisemitism
• BDS
• European Funding
• France
• Hamas

• IHRA
• Nakba
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
• Settlements

Season 2, Episode 8: Gaza Kids Betrayed by International NGOs

Last week was Universal Children's Day, a day to promote the rights of children around the globe. But are human rights groups actually protecting the rights of all children? Why is the Swedish government partnering with an Islamic Jihad-run kindergarten? On this week's episode, our host Yona Schiffmiller and expert Shaun Sacks uncover the abuse of children by NGOs active in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Topics

• NGO Monitor's "Human Rights and Hot Coffee" Podcast

HRW’s Failed #WhoisNext Social Media Campaign

In the ten days leading up to Shakir’s departure, HRW launched a social media campaign under the hashtag “#WhoIsNext.” The campaign attempted to make a slippery slope argument, that if Shakir is deported, many other activists would be at risk. In reality, Israel has a vibrant and diverse civil society made up of thousands of NGOs. As the Supreme Court found, Shakir, specifically, met the criteria in the Israeli law.

Topics

• BDS
• Omar Shakir

Season 2, Episode 7: Human Rights Watch v. The State of Israel

On November 5, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected Human Rights Watch's demand that Israel renew “Israel/Palestine Director” Omar Shakir’s work visa- acknowledging his BDS activism. How did the court come to this decision? What was NGO Monitor’s role in the case? Join our host Yona Schiffmiller, Legal expert Anne Herzberg, and Researcher Ariella Esterson as they explain this story.

Topics

• NGO Monitor's "Human Rights and Hot Coffee" Podcast

NGOs Blame Israel for Islamic Jihad Rocket

On November 12, Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched hundreds of rockets at Israeli population centers.  According to media reports, one of these projectiles misfired, hitting a Gaza building that houses the office of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR). However, several international and Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) immediately blamed Israel for the attack, providing no evidence for their claims. 

Topics

• Fact finding missions
• Gaza
• ICHR
• Islamic Jihad

• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
• Rocket attacks
• Terrorism

Season 2, Episode 6: Is Assassinating an Islamic Jihad Leader a War Crime?

As the IDF and Islamic Jihad traded fire throughout the week, the legality of Israeli actions in Gaza was once again scrutinized by human rights groups. On this week's episode our host Yona Schiffmiller sits down with NGO Monitor legal expert Anne Herzberg to give a brief explanation of the relevant international laws.

Topics

• NGO Monitor's "Human Rights and Hot Coffee" Podcast

Season 2, Episode 5: I is for Intifada, J is for JVP

A children's book, P is for Palestine, recently brought heated debate to a small town in central New Jersey. We looked into the event and found that a much larger well funded campaign was behind this conflict. Who was involved? What was the role of these groups? Who is funding them? Tune into this week's episode with our host Yona Schiffmiller and guest Rena Young

Topics

• NGO Monitor's "Human Rights and Hot Coffee" Podcast

Resource Page on Omar Shakir (HRW) Court Case

Omar Shakir has been a consistent supporter of a one-state framework and advocate for BDS (boycotts, divestment, sanctions) campaigns, fitting the longstanding HRW practice of hiring anti-Israel activists to serve in key positions relating to Israel.

Topics

• BDS
• Omar Shakir