Sunday, October 31, 2010
Elder of Ziyon
In May, Amnesty released a strongly worded communique condemning Israel for arresting a "human rights activist:"
Amnesty International has called on the Israeli authorities to end their harassment of a human rights activist whose week-long detention by the Israeli authorities was extended today.Last week, this "key human rights defender" admitted to being a spy for Hezbollah.
Ameer Makhoul, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, was arrested in a dawn raid at his home in Haifa, northern Israel, by the Israeli security services and police on 6 May. He has been charged with "contact with a foreign agent" on the basis of “secret evidence”.
"Ameer Makhoul is a key human rights defender, well-known for his civil society activism on behalf of the Palestinian citizens of Israel," said Philip Luther, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme.
"His arrest and continued detention smacks of pure harassment, designed to hinder his human rights work. If this is the case, we would regard him as a prisoner of conscience call for his immediate and unconditional release.”
As Yaacov Lozowick asks - will Amnesty apologize to Israel for accusing them of harassing someone for their human rights work?
The other story is about a kangaroo court called the Russell Tribunal for Palestine. It plans to meet in November to create its second show trial against Israel, with members of the "jury" including such rabid Israel bashers as Mairead Corrigan Maguire, John Dugard, Ronald Kasrils and even conspiracy theory nutjob Cynthia McKinney. It is sponsored by the Law Society of England.
A meeting to discuss the goals of this farce is going to take place on November 8th. The venue? The Amnesty Human Rights Action Centre!
UPDATE: Summing up the Russell Tribunal for Palestine:
From the Israel Embassy in Spain, h/t Elder of Lobby
