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.
A vile and disgusting accusation by Amnesty International
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 are. They have in fact quite correctly 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 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 state 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 circumstances in Israel. Which 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 in the case of Israel have zero to do with the kind of racism that Apartheid is based upon. That is how pre Mandela South Africa operated.
This is not the first time Amnesty has unfairly criticized Israel. But it is the most egregious expression of it thus far.
To compare what black people in South Africa went through to what Palestinians go through in the West Bank is an outrageous lie. Whether intentional or not. It is an insult to any black person that lived there 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 policy that was the basis of 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 the real Apartheid that was South Africa.
Palestinians are not segregated for racial purposes. This is where they have been living long before the 6 Day War when in 1967 they ended up 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 are fully represented in government and are currently part of the ruling coalition. Israeli Arabs are quite prosperous and happy with their lot.
That West Bank Palestinians continue suffer is the fault of their own leadership that uses them as pawns for purposes of making Israel look bad. And it has worked with Amnesty The reality is that West Bank Palestinians suffer because of the extremists that live among them and continually try to kill as many Jews as they can towards the goal of destroying the Jewish state entirely.
This is still happening today. And it would happen a lot more if not for the security measures Israel has put in place. Security measure that makes life difficult for Palestinians. But necessary for the safety of all Israeli citizens. 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 respect they get inclines the average man in the street to believe them. And when the mainstream media reports their findings - rarely do they offer 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 International is not telling it like it is. That would require context. That's what's missing and 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 needs to be heard and 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.
