The International Committee of the Red Cross recently had a highly visible role, transporting released hostages out of Gaza in vans displaying plastered with the Red Cross logo and flying their flags. But this has also renewed criticism of the organization, as in spite of their heavy presence in Gaza helping Palestinians this is …
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been heavily criticized for his handling of the Gaza war, including these last few days by Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. To help us understand Guterres’s role better, let’s consider a membership organization like the UN that’s familiar to most of us- a synagogue. A Rabbi’s job is to …
All it means is that the definition of genocide has been watered down to the point that it applies in nearly every war Charges that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza come fast and furious from politicians, demonstrators, and unfortunately even human rights groups. Obviously, this upsets those of us who believe that this war …
Don’t Panic Over Accusations That Israel is Committing Genocide Read More »
Right now we are hearing endless calls for Israel to obey humanitarian law in its war against Hamas. This comes most loudly from Israel’s detractors, along with the accusation that Israel is committing war crimes. They say that if Israel fails to uphold humanitarian law, the international community should not support its war effort …
Today Sweden once again granted permission for a Torah burning protest outside the Israeli Embassy, this time by a woman concerned about children’s rights (the connection with Torah burning is unclear, and only four people are scheduled to attend.) Nevertheless, due to the provocative nature of the Torah burning this became a global story …
I recently had the opportunity to attend RightsCon, a convention which brought over 8000 participants from 174 countries to discuss ‘human rights in the digital age’. The breadth of topics and attendees was astounding. I was able to chat with an investigative journalist from Jordan, a Bolivian environmental defender, and representatives of an organization called …
In the Jewish community, Human Rights Watch (HRW) is frequently accused of anti-Israel bias. It’s fair to say that Human Rights Watch is sometimes even disdained. One main reason is the way Human Rights Watch (and other similar organizations as well) cover conflicts such as the recent wars in Gaza. If Israel is accused of …
Human Rights Watch (Finally) Criticizes Palestinians Too Read More »
On February 28th, the FIFA council, governing body of world soccer, suspended Russia from participating in international soccer matches, including the upcoming World Cup. This was after intense pressure from Western governments to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Read news coverage here. FIFA initially hesitated to take this step, citing its …
Unfortunately, we frequently hear Israel accused of war crimes. On the news, in op-eds, and for that matter in discussions at the gym or supermarket. And there’s certainly no denying the death and destruction that the Israeli military has inflicted on Gaza. When people accuse Israel of war crimes, how can we respond? For …
What We Can Say when Israel is Accused of War Crimes Read More »
Israel need not be so afraid of the ICC’s investigation into Gaza and the West Bank. Consequences for Israel will likely be limited, if at all.
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