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Last update - 15:59 14/11/2009
Rights group: Israel 'personally attacking' us over Gaza report
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Gaza war, Human Rights Watch 

Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of launching an "organized campaign" of lies and misinformation against it in the wake of the organization's support of the Goldstone report, British newspaper the Guardian reported Friday.

The Goldstone report claims Israel and Hamas both committed war crimes during the winter conflict in Gaza, but levels harsher criticism toward Israel.

"I really hesitate to use words like conspiracy, but there is a feeling that there is an organized campaign, and we're seeing from different places what would appear to be co-ordinated attacks...from some of the language and arguments used it would seem as if there has been discussion," Iain Levine, Human Rights Watch's program director, told the Guardian.
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"We are having to spend a lot of time repudiating the lies, the falsehoods, the misinformation."

Human Rights Watch told the Guardian that the campaign to discredit it includes allegations that its reports on Israel are written by "anti-Israel ideologues" and that it has attempted to raised funds in Saudi Arabia by highlighting its criticism of Israel.

The group also said that it sees the campaign as part of the government's pledge over the summer to combat what it called "biased" human rights groups.

Levine told the Guardian he believes the criticism waged against Human Rights Watch is an attempt on Israel's part to distract attention from discussion of the Goldstone report. Richard Goldstone, who compiled the report that has since been endorsed by the United Nations Human Rights Coucil, is a former Human Rights Watch board member.

Human Rights Watch said that the criticism has come from right-wing blogs, but also from Israeli non-profit groups, such as NGO Monitor in Jerusalem, which is funded by U.S. donors and includes Elie Wiesel on its advisory board.

Wiesel and others published a letter in the Guardian calling attention to an op-ed written in the New York Times by Human Rights Watch founder Robert Bernstein, which accused the group of disproportionate criticism of Israel.

"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," he wrote.

However, levine told the Guardian that Bernstein published his opinion piece only after the group's board rejected his call for a change in direction.

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      1.   Even if true it would only be a taste of their own medicine 11:18  |  Nemesis 14/11/09
      2.   pr offensive 11:26  |  harry wald 14/11/09
      3.   above 11:32  |  moishe 14/11/09
      4.   If you can`t stand the heat.... 11:49  |  Peter Williams 14/11/09
      5.   They don`t mention what "lies, falsehoods and misinformation". 12:25  |  jane 14/11/09
      6.   If you seed wind you harvesting storm 13:59  |  Dani 14/11/09
      7.   # 5 jane, agreed, there surely is a lot of "debate" in Israel.... 14:01  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/11/09
      8.   No one ever recognizes their own crimes 14:36  |  Gary 14/11/09
      9.   There surely are a lot of posts from Swiss Dino 14:53  |  fergie 14/11/09
      10.   Crying babies?!! 15:14  |  Abecassis 14/11/09
      11.   Whaaa! We Dish it Out to Israel, but can`t Spoon it in 16:26  |  David P. 14/11/09
      12.   deal with it or shut up 16:44  |  ky 14/11/09
      13.   So Called NGO 16:53  |  Rani 14/11/09
      14.   opposited attract 17:03  |  Bob 14/11/09
      15.   Memo to HRW - your founder is attacking you Wake up! 17:17  |  Dan 14/11/09
      16.   HRW I really feel sorry for you; I gonna cry 17:23  |  Dan 14/11/09
      17.   Israel Isolated and alone 17:35  |  Josh Regev 14/11/09
      18.   Bib baby Human Rights Group 18:10  |  Chaphari 14/11/09
      19.   Why so hesitant ? It`s true ! 18:23  |  David 14/11/09
      20.   Only Israel "attacking" them? See "The Economist"... 18:38  |  S 14/11/09
      21.   human rights groups are a joke 18:42  |  charro 14/11/09
      22.   Just Bu Illiciting Funds From Saudi is Enough to Discredit HRW 19:33  |  Eli Wapniarski 14/11/09
      23.   Now this is funny. 19:47  |  Jordan 14/11/09
      24.   Sounds Good to Me 20:04  |  Happy 14/11/09
      25.   Only Israel "attacking" them? See "The Economist"... 20:10  |  S 14/11/09
      26.   HWR can dish it out but can`t take critcism 20:22  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 14/11/09
      27.   Human Rights Watch and Gaza. 20:29  |  Catarin Smith 14/11/09
      28.   Getting a dose of ones own medicine 20:32  |  Joe 14/11/09
      29.   Too funny to be true 20:33  |  David 14/11/09
      30.   Human Rights Watch (HRW): Two Year Old`s 21:11  |  Brad 14/11/09
      31.   #1 you took the words right of my mouth 21:44  |  Ki`emli 14/11/09
      32.   It`s not personal. Their own founder said so. 23:02  |  Joe Sittizen 14/11/09
      33.   Lie in the bed one makes 01:35  |  howiej 15/11/09
      34.   Rights group 16:03  |  Sam McFarland 15/11/09
      35.   catarin smith 27 05:52  |  potobac 16/11/09
      36.   joe sittizen 32 05:57  |  potobac 16/11/09
      37.   howlej 33 06:00  |  potobac 16/11/09
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