Israel Rejects HRW Report Drafted by BDS Activist Deported from Israel

HRW, in the report, examined several case studies that supposedly prove that Israel “unjustifiably relies on these sweeping orders to jail Palestinians for anti-occupation speech, activism, or political affiliations; outlaw political and other nongovernmental organizations; and shut down media outlets.”

HRW called on “other governments and international organizations concerned with the rights of Palestinians should endorse a civil rights framework to highlight the impact of Israel’s restrictive military orders in the West Bank and press Israel to grant Palestinians full civil and other rights at least equal to what it grants Israeli citizens.”

Responding to an inquiry by TPS on the report, Israel’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lior Haiat stated that “this is a report drafted by a man who is known for his hostile and biased attitude toward Israel, whose sole purpose is to defame Israel.”

“There is not enough time or space to cover all Shakir’s disapproving statements against Israel and in support of boycotts against it,” he added.

“Among other things, he signed a petition calling ‘to support delegations to Palestine with the aim of emphasizing the reality of the occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing,’” Haiat noted,

Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at HRW, was deported from Israel last month after months of legal proceedings and court hearings

This is the first instance in which a new Israeli law enabling the deportation of anti-Israel activists had been enacted and upheld by the courts.

The High Court of Justice’s final ruling on the issue stated that Shakir is a long-standing Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) activist and that his role at HRW has been to advance BDS and related anti-Israel campaigns.

Shakir has a long history of advocating against Israel. Before joining HRW when he was a student at Stanford University, Shakir established an organization calling for boycotts and divestment from Israel. Over the years he has consistently called for the support of the BDS movement.

On YouTube, Shakir can be seen calling Israel an apartheid state and promoting anti-Israel boycotts.

Even after joining HRW and entering Israel, he continued to encourage boycott activities through comments on Twitter. He was personally involved in the activity to oust Israeli clubs from FIFA, the international governing body of football, and worked to bring about Israel’s suspension from the organization.

On Twitter, he urged the High Commissioner of the UN Human Rights Council to publish a UN database that includes names of companies operating in Judea and Samaria, exposing them to boycotts.

In addition, HRW prepared a report on Israel’s banking activity in Judea and Samaria, which recommends that investors ensure that their business relationship does not contribute to “serious human rights violations or international humanitarian law.”

Finally, Shakir praised Airbnb’s decision to remove its listings of Judea and Samaria properties, a decision it has since reversed, and called on other companies to follow suit.

Former Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon has called HRW a “blatantly hostile anti-Israeli organization whose reports have the sole purpose of harming Israel with no consideration whatsoever for the truth or reality.”

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