HRW, Amnesty, and the Reuters Cameraman Incident

August 19, 2008

On April 16, 2008, in the context of on-going warfare in Gaza, four non-combatants, including a Reuter’s cameraman, were killed by a shell fired from an Israeli army tank. HRW and Amnesty immediately accused the IDF of “deliberately” targeting the journalist, relying on questionable secondary sources for their information. Following the exoneration of the soldiers, Amnesty issued a highly prejudicial press release condemning the Israeli army, even though Amnesty did not have access to the IDF’s report of its detailed investigation.  more »

July 2008 Digest (Vol. 6 No. 11)

August 07, 2008

NGO Monitor featured in JTA series; HRW and false allegations; MIFTAH’s “apartheid” strategy; Terrorism minimized by AIC; Amnesty on UN Special Rapporteur; Campaign for Al-Haq leader; B’Tselem vs Mekorot; PHR-I accusations of torture  more »

Our 5 newest items

B´Tselem

Following the bulldozer terror attack of July 2, 2008, in which 3 Israelis were murdered, B’Tselem issued a harsh condemnation, demanding that “the Palestinian Authority…prosecute the persons responsible for planning and carrying it out.” B’Tselem was the only NGO to immediately condemn the bulldozer attack. In contrast to B’Tselem’s strong response, Addameer - Prisoners’ Support and Human Rights Association, reportedly, criticized Israel for the “execution” of the bulldozer driver. In the statement, Addameer “described the execution as ‘violation of the right to life.’”  more »

Legal Definition of Terrorism

Did you know that many NGOs refer to Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad as militants or armed groups, not terrorist organizations, even though the UN clearly defines terrorism as “unlawfully and intentionally deliver[ing], plac[ing], discharge[ing], or detonat[ing] an explosive or other lethal device in … a place of public use, a State or government facility, a public transportation system or an infrastructure facility…with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury; or…to cause extensive destruction...” (International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, Article 2).   more »