NGO Monitor's 2007 HRW report generates media converge and responses from HRW officials
Report: Rights group shows clear anti-Israel bias, Ynet, May 1, 2008.
[Excerpts:]
"Commenting on the report’s release, NGO Monitor’s Executive Director, Professor Gerald Steinberg said, ‘This report shows, yet again, that any claim of even-handedness by Human Rights Watch is hollow. Their exclusive condemnation of Israeli ‘collective punishment’ is discriminatory, and should end immediately.’
"’NGO Monitor should have a better understanding of international law,’ HRW’s Middle East Director Sarah Leah Whitson said."
"’It’s hard to comprehend how NGO Monitor thinks that merely devoting an alleged 9% of Human Rights Watch’s energies in the Middle East to Israel constitutes a disproportionate focus,’ Whitson added. ‘Since NGO Monitor has never endorsed any criticism of Israeli abuses, it seems to be content only when there is no attention paid to Israel at all.’"
"Commenting on the report’s release, NGO Monitor’s Executive Director, Professor Gerald Steinberg said, ‘This report shows, yet again, that any claim of even-handedness by Human Rights Watch is hollow. Their exclusive condemnation of Israeli ‘collective punishment’ is discriminatory, and should end immediately.’
"’NGO Monitor should have a better understanding of international law,’ HRW’s Middle East Director Sarah Leah Whitson said."
"’It’s hard to comprehend how NGO Monitor thinks that merely devoting an alleged 9% of Human Rights Watch’s energies in the Middle East to Israel constitutes a disproportionate focus,’ Whitson added. ‘Since NGO Monitor has never endorsed any criticism of Israeli abuses, it seems to be content only when there is no attention paid to Israel at all.’"
NGO accuses HRW of Israel obsession, Abe Selig, The Jerusalem Post , May 1, 2008.
[Excerpts:]
"This report shows, yet again, that any claim of even-handedness by Human Rights Watch is hollow," said NGO Monitor’s executive director, Bar-Ilan University Prof. Gerald Steinberg. "Their exclusive condemnation of Israeli ‘collective punishment’ is discriminatory, and should end immediately. HRW’s continued disproportionate focus on Israel is not only an injustice, but it also allows some of the worst human rights abusers in the Middle East, countries like Syria and Libya, to escape serious scrutiny."
"The idea that we exclusively condemn Israel is absurd," said HRW Middle East Division Deputy Director Joe Stork. "We do criticize the Israeli blockade of Gaza as collective punishment, and solidly so. But I haven’t seen this report from Mr. Steinberg, and he seldom has anything useful or truthful to say – you can quote me on that."
"This report shows, yet again, that any claim of even-handedness by Human Rights Watch is hollow," said NGO Monitor’s executive director, Bar-Ilan University Prof. Gerald Steinberg. "Their exclusive condemnation of Israeli ‘collective punishment’ is discriminatory, and should end immediately. HRW’s continued disproportionate focus on Israel is not only an injustice, but it also allows some of the worst human rights abusers in the Middle East, countries like Syria and Libya, to escape serious scrutiny."
"The idea that we exclusively condemn Israel is absurd," said HRW Middle East Division Deputy Director Joe Stork. "We do criticize the Israeli blockade of Gaza as collective punishment, and solidly so. But I haven’t seen this report from Mr. Steinberg, and he seldom has anything useful or truthful to say – you can quote me on that."
