Gerald Steinberg of NGO Monitor argues that instead of being part of the solution to the Mideast conflict, non-governmental organizations actually hamper the possibility of Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation:
With their multi-million-dollar (and euro) budgets, superpowers such as Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, Christian Aid, Oxfam, and dozens of smaller allied groups in the region have contributed to incitement to terrorism–when they should support reconciliation. Their activities amplify Palestinian rhetoric that labels Israel as an “apartheid regime”, and Jews as “imperialists” and “colonialists”, while whitewashing terror and condemning the Israel defensive actions.
In contrast to their PR images as peace-makers, the one-sided approach boosts the most radical Palestinians and undermines moderate voices. The double standards by which HRW and Amnesty excuse non-state terrorism as being outside the framework of international law, while using terms such as “war crimes” to condemn Israeli defensive actions, help to fuel violence.
Last year, one Danish NGO called Rebellion even gave $8,500 to the PFLP shortly before the terror group sent a 16-year old boy for a suicide attack in Tel Aviv. Although the bombing left three Israelis dead and dozens injured, Rebellion regrettably insisted it had no regrets.
(Hat tip: Daily Alert)
