This Palestine Researcher RESIGNED From Human Rights Watch Over Blocked Report

Quick Overview

Omar Shakir, the former Human Rights Watch (HRW) Director for Israel and Palestine, resigned after HRW blocked his report that accused Israel of committing the crimes of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity concerning the denial of the Palestinian right of return, which Shakir asserts is a fundamental human right.

Key Points: Omar Shakir resigned from his role as HRW Director for Israel and Palestine after the organization blocked his report accusing Israel of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. The blocked report focused specifically on Israel's denial of the Palestinian right of return, which Shakir considers a fundamental human right that should not be denied based on political preference. Shakir noted that the report was ready for publication in December after taking seven months to draft and involved interviews with numerous displaced Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. Ken Roth, HRW's legendary former Executive Director, allegedly told Shakir that the report's claim of 'crime against humanity' regarding the denial of return could come off as 'novel and unsupported legal theory.' Shakir revealed that the decision to block the report was not based on the facts or the legal analysis, but rather stemmed from a concern about being seen as challenging the 'Jewishness of the Israeli State,' indicating political preference over human rights documentation. The former HRW director stated that he and his colleagues often disagreed but maintained fidelity to their core work, which this decision appeared to undermine. Shakir expressed that the denial of the right of return to Palestinians, including those displaced in 1948 and 1967, amounts to a severe abuse of fundamental rights.

Context: The video features an interview between host Mehdi Hasan and Omar Shakir, the former HRW Director for Israel and Palestine. The discussion centers on Shakir's resignation from HRW following the organization's decision to block a comprehensive report he authored detailing alleged Israeli actions against Palestinians, specifically focusing on the denial of the right of return.