Soccer Dad

Cry "conspiracy" and let slip the dogs of human rights

Recently the member of a group resigned and accepted an assignment from the UN that further promoted the group's agenda. The group then endorsed the result of that assignment. Faced with criticism, the group turns to a sympathetic newspaper that uncritically reports on its plight.

The group's efforts, then, have the support of the UN and a media outlet. So what's its complaint? That there's a conspiracy against it!

There's an element of chutzpah for Human Rights Watch (HRW) to complain that there's a conspiracy against it. Those of us who have been criticizing HRW are motivated by a similar disgust with its anti-Israel agenda and its dishonest methodology. So how does HRW defend itself? By complaining to the anti-Israel Guardian and resorting to dishonest arguments!

Given that those of us who have been criticizing HRW don't have the resources of the UN or even of the Guardian at our disposal, why would HRW fear a "conspiracy?" Might it be that the criticism its receiving has been effective because its been accurate? Perhaps what it really fears is scrutiny.

I was particularly struck by the following section of the Guardian's report (h/t Solomonia):

Criticism has particularly focused on the director of HRW's Middle East division, Sarah Leah Whitson, over a visit to Saudi Arabia.

NGO Monitor accused Whitson of attempting to raise money from Saudi officials by highlighting HRW's criticism of Israel, a charge also made in a comment piece for the Wall Street Journal online that was subsequently widely distributed by the most powerful of the pro-Israel lobby groups, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac). Shortly afterwards, the director of policy planning in the Israeli prime minister's office, Ron Dermer, denounced Human Rights Watch.

"We are going to dedicate time and manpower to combating these groups; we are not going to be sitting ducks in a pond for the human rights groups to shoot at us with impunity," he said.

Levine said that Whitson's visit to Saudi Arabia was similar to trips by other HRW officials to Tokyo, Johannesburg and Tel Aviv to win the support of individuals interested in supporting human rights in their own countries and abroad.

But, tell me, would Whitson have gone to, say, Efrat to raise funds to promote the rights of women to drive in Saudi Arabia?

Whitson went to a country still officially at war with Israel to raise funds by advertising that her organization does the Saudis work for them. Sorry but there's no way to dress such an action up as benign. If HRW's critics attacked Whitson's fundraising, well that was well earned.

But if you think there was nothing wrong with Whitson's fund raising, read the sympathetic account in Arab News (h/t Daled Amos)

HRW presented a documentary and spoke on the report they compiled on Israel violating human rights and international law during its war on Gaza earlier this year.

"Human Rights Watch provided the international community with evidence of Israel using white phosphorus and launching systematic destructive attacks on civilian targets. Pro-Israel pressure groups in the US, the European Union and the United Nations have strongly resisted the report and tried to discredit it," said Sarah Leah Whitson, director of HRW's Middle East and North Africa Division.

Whitson pointed out that the group managed to testify about Israeli abuses to the US Congress on three occasions. "US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Israel and the Hamas authorities in Gaza to cooperate with the United Nations fact-finding mission to investigate the allegations of serious Israeli violations during the war on Gaza. The mission will be headed by the reputable Justice Richard Goldstone."

Keeping with its mission of even-handed criticism, Human Rights Watch has also leveled criticism at other states in the region, including Saudi Arabia. The organization recently called on the Kingdom to do more to protect the human rights of domestic workers.

Given the Saudi disregard for equal rights for women, due process or religious minorities, calling for great protection for domestic workers isn't even handed, but a fig leaf.

Just as HRW works with the UN, the Saudis and other anti-Israel organizations, so too Israel's defenders work together. Call it a conspiracy, but I'd prefer to have the resources that HRW and its allies have. Of course, they are missing one thing: integrity, and I and my friends are all too happy to point that out.

Elder of Ziyon and Augean Stables have more on the conspiracy.

Posted by SoccerDad at November 16, 2009 7:00 AM