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Updated Friday, November 6, 2009 10:32 am TWN, By Raphael Gamzou, Special to The China Post

Correcting the correctors on HRW story

In his November 1 article entitled “Bashing of Human Rights Watch unfair,” Scott MacLeod wrongly accused Robert L. Bernstein of unfairly bashing Human Rights Watch (HRW), the organization Bernstein himself founded. The organization and its role are extremely dear to Bernstein and this is exactly the reason of his concern about its credibility and moral force heavily damaged due to the organization's way of handling human rights in the Middle East (The New York Times Oct. 20). “Israel,” says Bernstein, “is home to at least 80 human rights organizations, a vibrant free press, a democratically elected government, a judiciary that frequently rules against the government...political parties and judging by the amount of news coverage, probably more journalists per capita than any other country in the world...”

Bernstein doesn't call for exempting Israel, the only democracy and open society in the Middle East, of scrutinizing its status of human rights. But he wants the HRW to bear in mind the critical difference between that society and “the Arab and Iranian regimes...most remain brutal, closed and autocratic” and to correct its distorted and obsessive way of dealing with Israel while losing critical perspective on a conflict in which Israel has been repeatedly attacked by Hamas and Hezbollah, organizations that go after Israeli citizens and use cynically their own people as human shields. These extreme Islamist fascist terrorist organizations are supported by Syria and fully sponsored by Iran, which has openly declared its intention not just to destroy Israel but to murder Jews everywhere.

Clearly, Bernstein agrees that even victims of aggression like the Israelis are bound by the laws of war and must do their utmost to minimize civilian casualties. Nevertheless, “there is a difference between wrongs committed in self-defense and those perpetrated intentionally.” It is important to remind the readers that the Israeli military operation last December took place only after 8 years of daily rockets and mortar attacks launched from the Gaza Strip on Israeli civilians, 8 years of Israeli restraint and diplomatic efforts of no avail, to stop these attacks.

One should wonder how many reports were issued by HRW during 8 years of these daily attacks on innocent Israeli civilians. How loud was HRW's voice in accusing Hamas of violation of basic human rights and publicly warming the terrorist organization that in the end of the day a self-defense act by Israel will be a legitimate act! Had they done it, they could have saved the lives of many Palestinian civilians!

If HRW cares about its credibility, like Bernstein does, it should distinguish itself from the chorus of world's worst abusers, the darkest regimes, some of them among the champions of U.N. Human Rights Council that happily sponsored the ridiculous Goldstone Report that treats Israel and Hamas in an equal footing fashion. HRW members should listen to one courageous voice of a British Colonel who decided not to join the chorus (Watch Video at: http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=7536409)

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