On December 16, 2019, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) published its concluding observations from its review of the State of Israel. Unsurprisingly, the Concluding Observations parrot unverified and false claims by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in antisemitism, BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions), and other delegitimization campaigns against Israel.
NGO Monitor examines the claims in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) annual report on activity “to defend human rights and promote democracy worldwide” in 2018.
Save the Children runs a number of projects in Gaza and the West Bank, implementing “programs in the areas of education, economic opportunities and psychosocial health… humanitarian assistance, child protection and youth development.” Despite a humanitarian mandate, some of these programs include major political and partisan advocacy that fuels the conflict, echoing the Palestinian narrative of victimization.
The NGOs and UN agencies continue the immoral exploitation of universal human rights for political objectives, using the faade of human rights and humanitarian aid while callously ignoring indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.
According to NGO Monitor, the false allegations and double standards in the Amnesty report reflect the employment of Deborah Hyams, whose history of anti-Israel activism is well documented.
Anne Herzberg and Jason Edelstein discuss Israel's Gaza policy in the wake of the release of Gilad Shalit and calls by NGOs to "lift the Gaza siege."