Robert Bernstein, who serves as chairman emeritus for Human Rights Watch, joined the group's critics in a very public way: today's NY Times op-ed page.
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. These groups are supported by the government of Iran, which has openly declared its intention not just to destroy Israel but to murder Jews everywhere. This incitement to genocide is a violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Leaders of Human Rights Watch know that Hamas and Hezbollah chose to wage war from densely populated areas, deliberately transforming neighborhoods into battlefields. They know that more and better arms are flowing into both Gaza and Lebanon and are poised to strike again. And they know that this militancy continues to deprive Palestinians of any chance for the peaceful and productive life they deserve. Yet Israel, the repeated victim of aggression, faces the brunt of Human Rights Watch’s criticism.
The organization is expressly concerned mainly with how wars are fought, not with motivations. To be sure, even victims of aggression 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.
HRW pushed heavily for a UN inquiry into the Gaza war, and Richard Goldstone was on the group's board when tapped to lead the investigation. So many key HRW figures have been so embarrassing that a break in the ranks was inevitable. To wit:
- Joe Stork, a Marxist who authored some of HRW's reports on Israel, thought the Munich massacre was great for Palestinian morale.
- HRW suspended military analyst Marc Garlasco when the extent of his passion for Nazi memorabilia became too awkward.
- Sarah Leah Whitson raised money for HRW in Saudi Arabia by emphasizing the group's demonization of Israel.
Suffice to say, Goldstone is the straw that broke Bernstein's back.
