It is not real news that Btselem, the self-proclaimed “Israeli Information Center for Human Rights,” is far more devoted to assisting Israel’s enemies than actually being a human rights organization. The way Btselem demonizes Israel for doing even less than the absolute minimum necessary for self defense is a topic for a book. However, at least some of their lies are being uncovered.
Amos Harel, writing in Ha’aretz (sorry, Hebrew only), reports about Jonathan Dahuah-HaLevy article for the JCPA criticizing Btselem for publishing unreliable and misleading data, which is later accepted as gospel by the international community.
Of course, a Ha’aretz writer could not actually publish an entire piece critical to such an organization without some sort of comment about Dahuah-HaLevy’s political views. “There is no doubting [his] ideological identification… in 2001, while still [a high-ranking officer] in military intelligence, he wrote a document blaming Arafat and the PA leadership for deliberately initiating the second Intifada and never intended to arrive at a real comprise with Zionism.”
Yet Harel does give some modicum of credit where much more is due: “[Nevertheless], Dahuah-HaLevy is a systematic and thorough researcher of the Palestinian side, and his claims should be paid attention, regarding the quality of data supplied by Btselem.”
Dahuah-HaLevy’s findings, while not truly surprising, are very valuable. In 2007 Btselem counted 373 Palestinian deaths (although their list has 380 names on it), categorized as follows:195 participated in fighting, 119 did not participate in any fighting, and 66 uncategorized, meaning that at least 31.3% of the dead were uninvolved civilians.
Using Palestinian media, PA websites, and a number of terrorist organizations’ announcements, Dahuah-HaLevy arrives at drastically different conclusions. According to Btselem, anyone who wasn’t actually on the front line, who was transporting ammunation or participated in other such activities “did not particpate in any fighting.” Of the 119 Palestinians thus categorized, 55 were active members in terorrists organizations (and one member of the PA’s security forces), 60 were uninvolved civilians and 3 were not even killed by Israeli forces. Of the 66 “uncategorized” deaths, 60 were found to be terrorist activists and 6 civilians. To sum up: 66 dead civilians – 17.5% of the total, a much lower figure than Btselem’s 31.3%.
He also faults Israel for not publishing data regarding the ongoing fighting, including casualties, in order to counter organizations such as Btselem. This is so true. Israel is just plain lazy – everyone passes the buck and claims it is someone else’s responsibility to defend Israel in the eyes of the world, and so Israel is the world’s favorite scapegoat, and is always on the wrong side of whatever issue is at hand.
Btselem claims that the IDF’s data is not always accurate (ignoring Dahuah-HaLevy’s actual sources), and that placing someone in one category or another is not determination of guilt or innocence. Really? They are either stupid or naive. How else do they think the phrase “uninvolved in any fighting” is to be understood?
It means that seven of them were killed, then carried away in stretchers, then fell off the stretchers and came back to life, then ran away and were eventually killed again, the second time for real.
Or it means that seven had a nom de guerre (eg, Abu Mazen, Abu Amar, Abu Hitler, Abu Jihad) that nobody bothered to double-check.
Possibly … or maybe the people directing everything at the top actually don’t want to win.
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