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June 21, 2018 7:20 am
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Hamas Praises Human Rights Watch – and Shooting Rockets at Israel

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avatar by Elder of Ziyon

Opinion

A burning factory in Sderot that was hit by a rocket from Gaza during Operation Cast Lead in 2014. Photo: Natan Flayer via Wikimedia Commons.

On Sunday, Hamas issued a press release praising Human Rights Watch (HRW)’s latest report blaming Israel for responding to the violent Gaza riots:

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) received great satisfaction and high appreciation of Human Rights Watch’s report regarding the violations of the occupation against the residents of the Gaza Strip and the demand for the protection of the Palestinians, which revealed the facts that confirm the involvement of the Israeli occupation in what appeared to be war crimes against Palestinian demonstrators [as] well as the use by the occupation of policies, laws, arguments, and pretexts to justify and cover their deliberate killing and harm to Palestinians by using live and lethal bullets.

The findings of the report reflect a part of the reality of the suffering and injustice inflicted on the Palestinians by the unjust siege imposed on Gaza and its inhabitants twelve years ago. The suffering continues and escalates. As a flagrant form of Israeli violence threatening Palestinian life and rights through a long series of killings, sniping, starvation, and siege, which constitute a flagrant and serious violation of international law and international humanitarian law that amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Earlier this week, Hamas issued another statement, supporting the barrage of rockets recently fired into Israel:

All praise for the valiant resistance that responded to the Israeli shelling of its positions in Gaza. This is a legitimate right. The message of shelling is to confirm that the resistance is the one who determines the rules of engagement in its own way and will not allow the enemy to unite our people or impose any new equations.

On the one hand, Hamas pretends to care about humanitarian issues, and to oppose violence that targets civilians. On the other hand, Hamas praises shooting rockets at civilians.

Of course, there is no contradiction there. Because Human Rights Watch, like Hamas, doesn’t really care about human rights for Jews. HRW’s report mentioned, but didn’t comment on, the incendiary kites and balloons that have devastated Israeli forests and fields — and also threatened lives. HRW also didn’t even pretend to be even-handed by saying a negative word about Hamas or the Gaza rioters.

The Gaza riots are primarily a public relations war; their main purpose is to force Israel to shoot and kill people — all so Gazans can attack Israel in front of Western cameras. If they were peaceful demonstrations, Israel wouldn’t shoot anyone, so the riots are calibrated to appear like they are simply protests. Meanwhile Hamas sends people, sometimes children, to try to breach the Gaza fence — as well as to send incendiary objects into Israel. Hamas uses the trappings of non-violence to cover violence and Western “human rights” organizations buy into it.

The rare times that HRW and Amnesty International issue reports against Hamas, those reports are “balanced” and include as much blaming of Israel as of the terrorists. But their reports against Israel don’t mention any responsibility by Hamas. That’s why a terrorist organization is so effusive in praising a supposed human rights NGO.

HRW’s report proved to Hamas that Israel’s arguments about the purposes of the riots — and its defensive measures — are being ignored by the West. It proved to Hamas that the West completely buys the lies about peaceful protests and the lies that Israel’s response is cruel and wanton.

HRW proved to Hamas that it has little to lose by escalating things, because major Western “human rights” organizations will support Arab violence against Jews — but not Israelis defending themselves.

Elder of Ziyon has been blogging about Israel and the Arab world for a really long time now. He also controls the world, but deep down you already knew that.

The opinions presented by Algemeiner bloggers are solely theirs and do not represent those of The Algemeiner, its publishers or editors. If you would like to share your views with a blog post on The Algemeiner, please be in touch through our Contact page.

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