The 2022 Amnesty Report
There are some fundamental problems with this latest report, in which Amnesty accuses Israel of 'apartheid'.
Firstly, let's note that Amnesty itself is not without bias. As far back as 2010, the organisation was being accused of links with Islamic terror groups.
A senior Amnesty International official was suspended after attacking the human rights charity for allying itself with 'Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban'.
Gita Sahgal, head of the organisation's gender unit, branded Amnesty's links to former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg a 'gross error of judgment'.
Begg is a spokesman for Cageprisoners - a group which has championed the rights of jailed al-Qaeda members and hate preachers, including Anwar al-Awklaki who allegedly was spiritual adviser to two of the 9/11 attackers.
Miss Sahgal, 53, an expert on religious fundamentalism who has a 30-year history in human rights campaigning, claims the group 'actively promotes Islamic ideas and individuals'.
In addition:
1 -
as expressed in the introduction, the report is premised on the notion that Israel’s existence is intrinsically racist. Apparently it is fine to have Muslim, Hindu and Christian states - but not one tiny Jewish state.
2 -
the report criminalizes Israeli laws designed to safeguard Jewish identity – such as the Law of Return – which are enshrined under international law and parallel the practices of many nation-states.
3 -
Amnesty repeatedly utilizes the term “Jewish domination” to describe Israeli policies. Its use recalls the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion forgery.
And what does it even mean? Amnesty has no problem with the 'Muslim domination' that goes on in the 50 Muslim states.
4 -
Amnesty condemns the Israeli Law of Return, which guarantees any Jew sanctuary and citizenship if they so wish.
But this is no different to other countries with diaspora populations – eg Ireland, Spain and Germany. They too have legislation to simplify emigration from members of their diaspora.
In addition, nothing in Israeli law discriminates against non-Jewish Israeli citizens.
Finally, the Law of Return is consistent with the standards of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which mandates the creation of “special measures” for the “advancement of certain racial or ethnic groups” for protecting the “equal enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
5 -
Amnesty’s methodology section is, frankly, a mess.
It's not consistent with internationally recognized fact-finding standards. It does not name the authors of the report or the experts it consulted for its analysis.
It also claims that “to complement long-standing concerns and analyse them through the framework of apartheid, between February 2020 and July 2021, Amnesty International representatives interviewed 56 people in areas that are the focus of these case studies.”
Who are these 56 people? They 're not named. Nor is it specified how they were selected. And were Palestinian 'minders' present during these interviews...?
6 -
Amnesty whitewashes the long-term terrorism aimed at Israeli civilians, including the anti-Jewish riots during the 2021 conflict.
The 4000 rocket attacks from Gaza against Israeli civilians in May 2021 receive only a fleeting reference.
There is no acknowledgement that these attacks constitute war crimes committed by Palestinian terrorist organizations.
Similarly, the Amnesty portrays the violent anti-Jewish riots as “peaceful protests,” ignoring the murder and injury of Jewish civilians and the widespread vandalism of Jewish-owned property and synagogues.
The report blatantly minimises the Palestinian campaign of suicide bombings and roadside shootings in the early 2000s.
These attacks murdered approximately 1,000 Israelis from 2000-2004.
The report also whitewashes the targeting of buses, pizzerias, family gatherings, religious celebrations, night clubs, and other civilian locations.
The lack of detail about the specific threats faced by Israel – particularly the unique threat posed by waves of suicide bombers – decontexualizes the security policies crafted by Israel to protect its citizens.
Amnesty also utterly misrepresents Hamas terrorism against Israel. Indeed, members are portrayed as victims deserving of sympathy. EG Amnesty condemns the Israeli revocation of residency status of four Jerusalem residents in 2006.
The four men in question are Muhammad Abu Tir, Ahmad Attoun, Muhammad Totah and Khaled Abu Arafeh, all Hamas members.
7 -
Amnesty falsely claims: “Since its creation, the Israeli state has enforced massive and cruel land seizures to dispossess and exclude Palestinians from their land and homes."
It's easy to disprove this claim. In December 2015, the Israeli government initiated a 5-year, NIS 15 billion plan to develop non-Jewish towns in Israel, including by improving planning and building.
According to the Israeli government Planning Authority, in 2020, nearly 38% of all housing approvals issued in 2020 were for homes in Arab communities – nearly double the proportion of Arab citizens in the country.
