The recent flap over the Goldstone Report reminded me of some of the false accusations made against Israel during Operation Cast Lead — that the death toll was as high as Hamas claimed, that Israel was targeting UN schools, that the operation was part of some strategy of maintaining the hopes of “Greater Israel,” etc. Organizations like Human Rights Watch have even tried to raise money in the Arab world by highlighting their criticism of Israel. So I was surprised and intrigued to see Robert Bernstein, the founder of Human Rights Watch, blast his former organization for its disproportionate and dishonest approach to Israel in a Times op-ed today:
Human Rights Watch has lost critical perspective on a conflict in which Israel has been repeatedly attacked by Hamas and Hezbollah, organizations that go after Israeli citizens and use their own people as human shields. These groups are supported by the government of Iran, which has openly declared its intention not just to destroy Israel but to murder Jews everywhere. This incitement to genocide is a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Leaders of Human Rights Watch know that Hamas and Hezbollah chose to wage war from densely populated areas, deliberately transforming neighborhoods into battlefields. They know that more and better arms are flowing into both Gaza and Lebanon and are poised to strike again. And they know that this militancy continues to deprive Palestinians of any chance for the peaceful and productive life they deserve. Yet Israel, the repeated victim of aggression, faces the brunt of Human Rights Watch’s criticism.
Hi Dan,
First of all, nice post, I like your thoughts on this matter.
It’s just another example of how an organization’s behavior is more dependent on the personality its members than on it’s initial founding values. Sort of like the Supreme Court.
Steve