Dear Ms. Woodruff,
On last Tuesday’s PBS Newshour (27 April 2021) News Wrap, you reported that a report critical of Israel had been prepared by Human Rights Watch (HRW), a “leading human rights group”. If only.
HRW is anything but a “leading human rights group”. Their most recent report is only one in a long line of reports regarding Israel that is based on distortions, half-truths, and out-and-out lies. So much so that in 2009, Robert Bernstein criticized HRW, the very organization that he himself founded, due to its anti-Israel fanaticism.(1)
Think about that for a second. The founder of an NGO feels compelled to publish an Op-Ed in the New York Times no less criticizing the organization he founded as they have lost their way when it came to covering Israel. That should be enough right there to not even report on anything that HRW publishes regarding Israel.
This recent HRW report does it best to unjustly attack, undermine, and demonize Israel. Not surprisingly, there is not even an attempt at balance. Nowhere in this 216-page report is there mention of any Palestinian terror attacks or suicide bombings. Without context, for instance one cannot even begin to debate Israel’s Security barrier without acknowledging its origins.
Furthermore, the “apartheid” report is authored by Omar Shakir, a known anti-Israel, pro-BDS activist. Shockingly he did no actual fact checking or investigating for his report. He simply relied on other anti-Israel NGOs to do his dirty work, so the outcome was baked before he typed his first word. Mr. Shakir likely has an ax to grind as he was forced to leave Israel due to his subversive anti-Israel activities that violated Israeli law.(2)
CAMERA has done an excellent job debunking the baseless HRW charges in this report - of water theft & discrimination, explaining Israeli’s Law of Return, and the supposed seizure of Arab lands.(3) Other organizations have exposed the fundamental flaws in this latest HRW publication as well.(4)
The report has been criticized by major media outlets as being one-sided and even disavowed by the current US administration.(5) Consequently HRW has now pivoted to say they are not actually comparing Israel to South Africa, but instead just giving apartheid a new definition.
But just wait, next week they will have a new way to slander Israel. I would hope the PBS Newshour has a more nuanced coverage on HRW by then.
Regards, ER Seidman Richmond, VA
1) https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/opinion/20bernstein.html 2) https://honestreporting.com/media-fail-to-ask-tough-questions-after-preposterous-hrw-claim-about-israeli-apartheid/ 3) https://www.camera.org/article/human-rights-watch-report-maligns-israel-with-lies-on-top-of-lies/ 4) https://www.ngo-monitor.org/reports/hrws-apartheid-demonization-bds-lawfare/ 5) https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-rejects-human-rights-watchs-accusation-of-israeli-apartheid/