Quantcast
Channel: Emes Ve-Emunah
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 3605

Amnesty International's Israel Problem

$
0
0

A vile and disgusting  accusation by Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all.

 This is how Amnesty International describes themselves on their website. It is their mission statement.

What moral and ethical person wouldn’t be in favor of such an organization? I certainly would. That’s probably why they have 10 million supporters. But are they true to their mission? 

I’m sure they believe they. They have in fact quite justifiably reported on numerous injustices throughout the world in their long history. Their record makes them quite believable. Which is why when they declare Israel an Apartheid state, people listen. Especially the mainstream media that often trumpets the Amnesty’s latest findings.  

A comment like this about Israel by an organization that gets so much respect makes it particularly troubling. The truth must be told. Those of us that know that truth must speak out against what they said That they declared Israel an Apartheid shows an almost complete disregard for the truth. It may not be intentional but that doesn’t make it untrue. When something like this happens it undermines their integrity. By refusing to see the complicated reality of the situation in Israel, they fall victim to the narrative of the Palestinian leadership. 

I’m not sure that they are motivated by antisemitism. My guess is that they are not. They are probably indifferent to issues of race,  ethnicity, and religion What they seem to be guilty of is a superficial examination of the circumstance in Israel that is characteristic of much of the left. They see injustices that are real and call them out. without the slightest bit of context. Without understanding why things are as they are - which have zero to do with the kind of racism that Apartheid is based upon. That is how pre Mandela South Arica where Apartheid operated.  This is not the first time they have unfairly criticized Israel. But it is by for the most egregious expression of it thus far.

To compare what Palestinians go through in the West Bank to what black people in South Africa went through is an outrageous lie. Whether intentional or not. It is an insult to any black person that lived through and suffered through it. Had Amnesty taken the time to examine what is really going on in Israel, they would know that.

The cruelty that pre-Mandela South Africa inflicted on its black citizens under the segregationist policies that are the basis for Apartheid is no where near what Palestinians on the West Bank experience. Although it’s true that the circumstances that Palestinian are living in are difficult, they are far from being tortured the way black people were under real the Apartheid that was South Africa.

Palestnians are they segregated for racial purposes. This is where they have been living long before  the 6 Day War when in 1967 placed them under Israeli jurisdiction. Israeli Arabs that live within in pre 67 borders are full citizens of the state with all the rights and privileges that go with that. They and are fully represented in government and are part of the ruling coalition. Israeli Arabs are quite prosperous and happy with their lot. 

That West Bank Palestinians suffer that was us the fault of their own leadership that uses them as pawns for purposes of making Israel look bad. It has worked with Amnesty Why do West Bank Palestinians suffer? Because the extremists that live among them have tried to kill as many Jews as they can in the goal of destroying the Jewish state entirely. Israel has no choice but to take measures to protect themselves. That involves some pretty tough security measures. That is what causes Palestinians hardship. This does not mean there are no occasional abuses by the government, military, or by some overly zealous settler types. But there is no systematic oppression of the Palestinian people because of racism.

When Amnesty International speaks - the natural respect they get inclines the average man in the street to believe them. And when the mainstream media reports their findings - rarely do offers a counter narrative. On the occasional circumstance when they do, the bias they present it with makes that counternarrative seem false.  

When an organization fails do its homework properly and comes out with a condemnation like this, they lose their moral authority. That is clearly the case here. Amnesty is International not telling it like it is. They are telling it without any context which makes all the difference.

That narrative must not be allowed to stand. The Jewish people have suffered enough over the course of history. We cannot afford any longer to let this kind of thing go unchallenged.  the truth neds to be heard and has to be made clear to all. Which means we should speak out wherever and whenever this happens in the loud clear voice of truth.  That is what I have just done here.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 3605

Trending Articles