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C&P: Pro-Israel groups slam State Department right
HAIRY
Member Posts: 23,606
Pro-Israel groups slam State Department rights report
By Janine Zacharia
WASHINGTON (February 28) - Pro-Israel and Jewish groups yesterday attacked the State Department's human rights report as unfair and distorted, and defended Israeli practices which the document deems human rights abuses.
In a country-by-country report on human rights practices released on Monday, the State Department said Israel had committed numerous serious abuses since the outbreak of the intifada, used excessive force against Israeli Arabs and Palestinians during demonstrations, and poorly treated Palestinian security detainees.
Ken Bricker, a spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, said the report fails to portray the events in their proper context.
"It ignores the fact that Israel is engaged in a war," he said. "The report ignores the fact that... the Palestinian Authority made a strategic decision to opt for violence."
The Anti-Defamation League called the report "unfair and distorted" and said it ignored "ongoing incitement by the PA and the daily attacks against Israeli civilians."
"In light of the continuing violence, which has been fomented by the PA, and more than 3,000 acts of live ammunition used against Israeli soldiers and civilians, Israel has demonstrated enormous restraint in its handling of the uprising," the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said in a statement.
It said Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinians who were involved in carrying out or planning attacks against Israelis is legitimate since it helps avoid "larger numbers of casualties on both sides."
The conference expressed concern that the report would be used "for mischief on the part of those engaging in distorted, one-sided criticism of Israel."
A State Department spokesman said no formal complaints by Jewish groups or other individuals frustrated by the report's portrayal of Israel had been filed and that the human rights report reflected statements by US officials over the past few months.
Israel said in response that it had "reacted in a proportionate, measured, and responsible fashion to the systematic, ongoing attacks by Palestinian militia and members of the PA."
Lamia Lahoud adds:
Palestinian officials and Fatah leaders, meanwhile, rejected the report's criticism of the PA's human-rights record.
Hussein Sheikh, a leader of the Fatah Tanzim in the West Bank, said the report is unfair, since the Palestinians are fighting against the occupation and are responding to Israeli attacks.
Fatah leaders said attacking settlers is justified since they are occupying Palestinian land.
Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a senior aide to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat said that "the settlers... are an accessory to the Israeli army. If they were civilians, they should be in Israel, not in the occupied territories."
There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
Hypocrisy is the homage paid by vice to virtue.
Don't assume malice for what stupidity can explain.
By Janine Zacharia
WASHINGTON (February 28) - Pro-Israel and Jewish groups yesterday attacked the State Department's human rights report as unfair and distorted, and defended Israeli practices which the document deems human rights abuses.
In a country-by-country report on human rights practices released on Monday, the State Department said Israel had committed numerous serious abuses since the outbreak of the intifada, used excessive force against Israeli Arabs and Palestinians during demonstrations, and poorly treated Palestinian security detainees.
Ken Bricker, a spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, said the report fails to portray the events in their proper context.
"It ignores the fact that Israel is engaged in a war," he said. "The report ignores the fact that... the Palestinian Authority made a strategic decision to opt for violence."
The Anti-Defamation League called the report "unfair and distorted" and said it ignored "ongoing incitement by the PA and the daily attacks against Israeli civilians."
"In light of the continuing violence, which has been fomented by the PA, and more than 3,000 acts of live ammunition used against Israeli soldiers and civilians, Israel has demonstrated enormous restraint in its handling of the uprising," the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said in a statement.
It said Israel's policy of assassinating Palestinians who were involved in carrying out or planning attacks against Israelis is legitimate since it helps avoid "larger numbers of casualties on both sides."
The conference expressed concern that the report would be used "for mischief on the part of those engaging in distorted, one-sided criticism of Israel."
A State Department spokesman said no formal complaints by Jewish groups or other individuals frustrated by the report's portrayal of Israel had been filed and that the human rights report reflected statements by US officials over the past few months.
Israel said in response that it had "reacted in a proportionate, measured, and responsible fashion to the systematic, ongoing attacks by Palestinian militia and members of the PA."
Lamia Lahoud adds:
Palestinian officials and Fatah leaders, meanwhile, rejected the report's criticism of the PA's human-rights record.
Hussein Sheikh, a leader of the Fatah Tanzim in the West Bank, said the report is unfair, since the Palestinians are fighting against the occupation and are responding to Israeli attacks.
Fatah leaders said attacking settlers is justified since they are occupying Palestinian land.
Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a senior aide to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat said that "the settlers... are an accessory to the Israeli army. If they were civilians, they should be in Israel, not in the occupied territories."
There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
Hypocrisy is the homage paid by vice to virtue.
Don't assume malice for what stupidity can explain.