[Opinion] Goliath vs David: The 2018 Version
Professor Gerald Steinberg discusses forces arrayed against Israel on the soft-power battlefield of manipulated images and perceptions.
Professor Gerald Steinberg discusses forces arrayed against Israel on the soft-power battlefield of manipulated images and perceptions.
The international community has long ignored the Palestinian weaponization of children. The Palestinian Authority, Fatah, Hamas, and other armed factions routinize the grooming of children from an early age as combatants in the Palestinian war against Israel and Jews. They have enacted a widespread and systematic program of violent and antisemitic incitement.
On February 13, 2018, Human Rights Watch (HRW), along with Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-I), issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s procedures for granting access for Gaza residents to Israel for medical treatment. The groups cite a December 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) document that claims that 54 Gazans died while awaiting approval to travel to seek medical attention in Israel or in the West Bank. The WHO paper does not provide a source for this figure.
Human Rights Watch is a powerful NGO, with a massive budget, close links to Western governments, and significant influence in international institutions. Its publications reflect the absence of professional standards, research methodologies, and military and legal expertise, as well as a deep-seated ideological bias against Israel. HRW’s review of “Israel and Palestine: Events of 2017,” reflects these same methodological flaws, resulting in a highly skewed representation of Israeli domestic and international law.
HRW was one of a number of NGOs that set the agenda for a Policy Note published by Watchlist, urging the UN Secretary General to add Israel to the list of "parties known to commit grave violations against children." The publication lacks methodology and evidence, and promotes impunity for Palestinian terror groups.
Josh Bacon describes the issue of aid diversion to terrorist groups and calls for more safeguards and oversight on the work of aid groups in Gaza.
The Swiss government is again reportedly directly involved in reconciliation efforts between Fatah and Hamas. This is not the sole example of the Swiss government partnering with anti-Israel NGOs to legitimize Hamas.
A number of important questions remain for World Vision to answer following the arrest of one of its workers.