That journalists rely uncritically on non-governmental organizations, especially in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict, is well established. Legal and factual claims by groups that purport to promote human rights are often treated as automatically credible, while their political biases, lack of methodology, and even ties to terror organizations are ignored.
On December 15, 2017, AJ+ – part of the Al Jazeera network – posted a video on its Twitter, that was also widely disseminated in an offensive tweet by Human Rights Watch Executive Director Ken Roth, alleging that Israel “systematically harasses and abuses Palestinian kids.” The video parrots blatantly false and/or misleading claims by non-governmental organization (NGO) regarding Israel’s treatment of Palestinian minors, and goes so far as to claim that Israel has no reason to arrest minors (0:27) – regardless of the fact that some minors are perpetrators of violent terror attacks, including murder.
Gerald Steinberg argues that the Canadian radio station CBC Radio, like most media outlets, focuses heavily on condemnations of Israeli actions and policies while ignoring the context of Palestinian terrorism.
Gerald Steinberg asserts that when the media promotes the unchecked power of political groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty, and suppresses criticism of these NGOs, democracy is ill-served.
Response to the AP Ban on NGO Monitor and Prof. Steinberg.
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