Pastelli
Platinum Member
- Nov 6, 2023
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Comment. This seems highly timely, as Kristof 'tale tail' mentioned B'tselem alongside Hamas-linked terror propagandist EuroMed lies
Criticism and Controversies Surrounding Unreliable B’Tselem. By just sayin
Over the years, the Israeli NGO B'Tselem has faced extensive criticism from journalists, politicians, activists, researchers, and advocacy organizations who accuse it of political bias, manipulation of facts, cooperation with anti-Israel campaigns, and reliance on foreign funding.
A 2008 article in Ynet titled “Collaborating with the enemy” criticized B’Tselem’s camera distribution project among Palestinians, claiming the organization selectively documented Israeli misconduct while ignoring Palestinian violence. The article described the initiative as part of a “propaganda cooperation with the enemy” and accused activists of orchestrating “photogenic provocations” against Israeli soldiers and settlers.
In another Ynet opinion article from 2016, “A wakeup call for the left,” criticism intensified around left-wing activism associated with figures such as Ezra Nawi. The article argued that parts of the Israeli left had moved from opposing occupation policies to opposing Israel itself, accusing some activists of demonization rather than criticism.
Coverage in 2009 by Ruthie Avraham discussed support given by senior left-wing figures to activist Ezra Nawi after his conviction for assaulting police officers and reminding his sexual crimes like molesting minor. The report highlighted statements from former Deputy Attorney General Yehudit Karp defending Nawi and describing him as a “redeemer and savior.”
B’Tselem has also been repeatedly criticized over the reliability of its casualty statistics and investigative methods. A 2008 article titled “Bending the truth” accuses that B’Tselem classified Palestinian militants involved in deadly attacks against Israelis as “civilians killed by Israeli security forces.” The article cited examples including Abdul Salaam Sadek Hassouneh and members of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
Following the 2014 Gaza war, reports in The Jerusalem Post stated that both NGO Monitor and the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Center refuted B’Tselem’s methodology for verifying casualty figures. Additional criticism came when Israel’s National-Civilian Service administration barred B’Tselem from participation, with officials accusing the organization of spreading falsehoods about Israel and the IDF internationally.
Another 2014 Ynet piece, “Holocaust deniers in B’Tselem,” accused the organization of contributing to anti-Israel and antisemitic narratives. The article focused on researcher Atef Abu a-Rub, a Holocaust denier, and accused B’Tselem personnel of portraying Israel through comparisons to Nazi crimes and false genocide accusations.
Jonathan D. Halevi wrote in 2015 that B’Tselem “manipulates and distorts facts to defame Israel,” criticizing executive director Hagai El-Ad for falsely accusing Israel and the IDF of deliberate war crimes during Operation Protective Edge.
That same year, Arab Palestinian activist Bassam Eid contrasted his own human rights work with B’Tselem’s activities. Eid said his organization focused on abuses committed by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, while criticizing the imbalance among Israeli and Palestinian rights organizations.
Israeli [rather leftis] politician Yair Lapid sharply attacked B’Tselem in a 2016 article titled “B’Tselem’s lies.” Lapid described one of the organization’s Gaza reports as “incitement” and accused it of using distorted casualty figures to delegitimize Israel internationally.
Questions regarding B’Tselem’s labeling of militants also surfaced in 2017, when Ynet reported that several Palestinians identified by Israel’s Shin Bet as terrorists were not designated as such on the organization’s website.
B’Tselem’s international advocacy work has generated additional controversy. In 2017, Hagai El-Ad called on European governments and NGOs to pressure Israel in connection with UN Security Council Resolution 2334. In 2018, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman called for a criminal investigation into B’Tselem after the organization told Israeli soldiers not to shoot at Palestinians near the Gaza border fence, despite IDF's targeting terri4rusts using them.
The issue of foreign funding has been central to many criticisms. A 2018 Ynet article points out that NGOs such as B’Tselem, Breaking the Silence, and Yesh Din exercised disproportionate political influence through extensive European government financing. A later 2021 Jerusalem Post report detailed funding from European governments and private foundations to Israeli NGOs supporting International Criminal Court investigations into Israel. According to the report, approximately half of B’Tselem’s funding between 2017 and 2019 came from foreign governments.
Read more at the link
Criticism and Controversies Surrounding Unreliable B’Tselem. By just sayin
Over the years, the Israeli NGO B'Tselem has faced extensive criticism from journalists, politicians, activists, researchers, and advocacy organizations who accuse it of political bias, manipulation of facts, cooperation with anti-Israel campaigns, and reliance on foreign funding.
A 2008 article in Ynet titled “Collaborating with the enemy” criticized B’Tselem’s camera distribution project among Palestinians, claiming the organization selectively documented Israeli misconduct while ignoring Palestinian violence. The article described the initiative as part of a “propaganda cooperation with the enemy” and accused activists of orchestrating “photogenic provocations” against Israeli soldiers and settlers.
In another Ynet opinion article from 2016, “A wakeup call for the left,” criticism intensified around left-wing activism associated with figures such as Ezra Nawi. The article argued that parts of the Israeli left had moved from opposing occupation policies to opposing Israel itself, accusing some activists of demonization rather than criticism.
Coverage in 2009 by Ruthie Avraham discussed support given by senior left-wing figures to activist Ezra Nawi after his conviction for assaulting police officers and reminding his sexual crimes like molesting minor. The report highlighted statements from former Deputy Attorney General Yehudit Karp defending Nawi and describing him as a “redeemer and savior.”
B’Tselem has also been repeatedly criticized over the reliability of its casualty statistics and investigative methods. A 2008 article titled “Bending the truth” accuses that B’Tselem classified Palestinian militants involved in deadly attacks against Israelis as “civilians killed by Israeli security forces.” The article cited examples including Abdul Salaam Sadek Hassouneh and members of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
Following the 2014 Gaza war, reports in The Jerusalem Post stated that both NGO Monitor and the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Center refuted B’Tselem’s methodology for verifying casualty figures. Additional criticism came when Israel’s National-Civilian Service administration barred B’Tselem from participation, with officials accusing the organization of spreading falsehoods about Israel and the IDF internationally.
Another 2014 Ynet piece, “Holocaust deniers in B’Tselem,” accused the organization of contributing to anti-Israel and antisemitic narratives. The article focused on researcher Atef Abu a-Rub, a Holocaust denier, and accused B’Tselem personnel of portraying Israel through comparisons to Nazi crimes and false genocide accusations.
Jonathan D. Halevi wrote in 2015 that B’Tselem “manipulates and distorts facts to defame Israel,” criticizing executive director Hagai El-Ad for falsely accusing Israel and the IDF of deliberate war crimes during Operation Protective Edge.
That same year, Arab Palestinian activist Bassam Eid contrasted his own human rights work with B’Tselem’s activities. Eid said his organization focused on abuses committed by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, while criticizing the imbalance among Israeli and Palestinian rights organizations.
Israeli [rather leftis] politician Yair Lapid sharply attacked B’Tselem in a 2016 article titled “B’Tselem’s lies.” Lapid described one of the organization’s Gaza reports as “incitement” and accused it of using distorted casualty figures to delegitimize Israel internationally.
Questions regarding B’Tselem’s labeling of militants also surfaced in 2017, when Ynet reported that several Palestinians identified by Israel’s Shin Bet as terrorists were not designated as such on the organization’s website.
B’Tselem’s international advocacy work has generated additional controversy. In 2017, Hagai El-Ad called on European governments and NGOs to pressure Israel in connection with UN Security Council Resolution 2334. In 2018, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman called for a criminal investigation into B’Tselem after the organization told Israeli soldiers not to shoot at Palestinians near the Gaza border fence, despite IDF's targeting terri4rusts using them.
The issue of foreign funding has been central to many criticisms. A 2018 Ynet article points out that NGOs such as B’Tselem, Breaking the Silence, and Yesh Din exercised disproportionate political influence through extensive European government financing. A later 2021 Jerusalem Post report detailed funding from European governments and private foundations to Israeli NGOs supporting International Criminal Court investigations into Israel. According to the report, approximately half of B’Tselem’s funding between 2017 and 2019 came from foreign governments.
Read more at the link
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