HRW just came out with a report claiming multiple cases where IDF soldiers killed, in cold blood, innocent civilians holding white flags.
I cannot speak to all the details of the report right now, but one part is clear: HRW fully believes the "eyewitness" accounts of liars.
They interviewed the Abed Rabbo family, whose previous statements to reporters were found to be incredibly inconsistent. The fact that HRW is so credulous when many have noted the inconsistencies shows that their research is pretty shoddy. At the very least they should have addressed the issue, but of course that is not HRW's aim.
One simple example: HRW says that
Seven neighborhood residents who spoke to Human Rights Watch said that major fighting in the area had stopped by the morning of January 7, although sporadic exchanges of fire may have continued after that.
Time magazine's report mentions a salient fact that HRW chose to ignore:
Most residents of Jebel al-Kashif claim there were no Hamas fighters in the area at the time of the alleged incident, but a middle-aged farmer in a battered army jacket took me aside and said, in a near whisper, that Hamas had been firing rockets from the vicinity of where the episode took place.
Now, who is more credible? The farmer has nothing to gain by lying, but the Abed Rabbo family - who are members of Fatah and who had earlier told a PA newspaper that Hamas was using them as human shields - just might not want to antagonize their tormenters.
Why are none of these facts mentioned by HRW when it relates the story of the Abed Rabbo sisters told by a family with very shaky credibility?
The reason is, of course, that HRW wants to find human rights abuses and "war crimes," and will ignore evidence to the contrary.
NGO Monitor's critique of the report can be found here.
UPDATE: Here's video of a terrorist trying to get away from the IDF by using a white flag, something HRW seems to not have known about during the past seven months.
(h/t Richard Landes of Augean Stables via email)
This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 19 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.
Jonathan Sacks – Why Civilisations Die TZAV
-
Jonathan Sacks – Why Civilisations Die TZAV IsraelSeen.com
Jonathan Sacks – Why Civilisations Die TZAV In The Watchman’s Rattle,
subtitled Thinking Our Way...
An IDF Sniper’s Story in Gaza
-
[image: An IDF Sniper’s Story in Gaza]
In this incredible video, Adam tells his tale of triumph, miracles and the
aftermath of war that goes beyond the sol...
Anti-Israelism in DC
-
[image: Dry Bones cartoon, Biden, America, Elections, Israel, Obama, DC,
Anti-Israelism,]
A Game of Thrones.
** * ** Dry Bones needs your support. *And i...
The Golden Apple - A Socialist Fairy Tale
-
*Once* *upon a time *there was a street fair. Then the government created a
Ministry of Street Fairs funded by taxing the produce sold at the street
fa...
How Israel Lost the Information War
-
Yesterday I was listening to a news program on the radio while preparing
dinner. The host asked his subject – I don’t recall who it was, probably an
opposi...
Did the "Zionists" Yield on the Negev in 1947?
-
From a February 1947 State Department memorandum:
"...In present discussions, Negeb has been divided into two parts. Northern
or cultivable part carries ...
06-Feb-24: Obituary: Naftali Gordon
-
The obituary that follows was published yesterday by *Times of Israel* under
the headline "*Master Sgt. (res.) Naftali Gordon, 32: A man of ‘honesty and
...
Closing Jews Down Under Website
-
With a heavyish heart I am closing down the website after ten years.
It is and it isn’t an easy decision after 10 years of constant work. The
past...
‘Test & Trace’ is a mirage
-
Lockdown II thoughts: Day 1 Opposition politicians have been banging on
about the need for a ‘working’ Test & Trace system even more loudly than
the govern...