ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA

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ZOA Major Analysis: U.S. State Dept. Hostile-to-Israel “Human Rights” Report Relies on Anti-Israel & Terror-Connected NGOs’ Falsehoods

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein, ZOA Chair Mark Levenson, Esq., and ZOA Director of Special Projects Liz Berney, Esq. released the following statement:

It is deeply troubling that the annual U.S. State Department Human Rights Report for 2020, published this week, is strongly biased against the Jewish State of Israel, relies on falsehoods from anti-Israel and terror-connected NGO’s and others, and resumed using the inaccurate term “occupied” to refer to the “West Bank,” Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and eastern Jerusalem. The Trump administration had correctly and appropriately dropped the inaccurate term “occupied.” (See “U.S. State Department Human-Rights Report Returns to Using ‘Occupied’ Territories,” JNS, Mar. 31, 2021.) Israel is not an “occupier” – because Israel has the sovereign rights to these areas under binding international law. Moreover, Israel withdrew from every inch of Gaza, which is now occupied by Hamas; and the Palestinian Authority (PA) governs Areas A and B of the “West Bank” (Judea and Samaria), where 98% of the Palestinian Arabs live.

The Biden administration’s “Israel, West Bank, and Gaza” report notes that “Language in this report is not meant to convey a position on any final status issues to be negotiated between the parties to the conflict, including the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or the borders between Israel and any future Palestinian state.” But, if the language is not intended to convey a position, why did the State Department change to inaccurate, hostile-to-Israel language?

Unfortunately, much, much more is wrong with this lengthy new “human rights” report, including its inappropriate reliance on anti-Israel NGOs (including terror-connected NGOs) and other sources that repeatedly lie to vilify Israel; its adoption of HIAS' attacks on Israel; its extreme under-reporting of Palestinian Arab terror attacks on innocent Jewish Israelis, and resulting Jewish casualties; its failure to identify Israeli victims and Arab perpetrators; its use of false depictions of Israeli defensive actions; and its misleading definitions and statements regarding historical facts. Actually, the report is two separate reports – an “Israel” report and a “West Bank and Gaza” report – although many items hostile to Israel are repeated in both reports. It would literally take a book to set forth all the falsehoods in these reports. Here are just a few of the many problems with these reports:

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Founded in 1897, ZOA played a key role in the Jewish State's re-establishment. Today, ZOA is the leading major American Jewish organization courageously defending Israel and the Jewish people; fighting against all forms of antisemitism, including anti-Jewish boycotts; and promoting the Jewish people's lawful right to live in and settle historic Jewish lands. ZOA exposes that a Palestinian state would endanger Israel's existence; presents the facts about the Arab/Islamic war against Israel; and combats the anti-Israel lie that Israel is an "occupier" of her own land. ZOA spearheaded long battles to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and apply civil rights protections to Jewish students. ZOA provides free legal assistance and programs to pro-Israel students at numerous college campuses. ZOA's bold, unapologetic voice has a significant impact on public discourse and policy.

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