'Human rights' NGOs contribute to mainstreaming of antisemitism in West

As International Human Rights Day approaches, these NGOs must be held accountable for their blatant hypocrisy. 

By GERALD M. STEINBERG, OLGA DEUTSCH DECEMBER 2, 2024 03:39

DOUGLAS MURRAY, Gerald Steinberg, and Olga Deutsch (R-L) speak at an NGO Monitor event in Jerusalem. (photo credit: YEHOSHUA HALEVI)

In a recent NGO Monitor event in Jerusalem, renowned author, political commentator, and member of NGO Monitor’s International Advisory Board, Douglas Murray, highlighted how “an organized and well-funded lobby” of prominent NGOs continues to spread antisemitism and hate.

This moral failure is highlighted as we approach International Human Rights Day on December 10, which is meant to commemorate the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Composed in the shadow of the Holocaust, the UDHR was supposed to protect vulnerable people from discrimination and oppression. Today, powerful NGOs have weaponized its ideals and selectively apply its values, contributing to increased antisemitism. The abysmal state of human rights around the world highlights the abject failure of these organizations. 

“All of these NGOs have gone rotten; [they] all have this sort of smoke screen facade of decency and placeness of morality,” Murray said. “And under that smoke screen, they can get away with doing absolutely evil things.”

The double standard: Human rights for all, except Jews

In the US and Canada, the powerful NGO network exploits the vocabulary of human rights to support antisemitic mobs. On university campuses, chants of “from the river to the sea” and “globalize the intifada” openly call for Israel’s destruction, and speakers often glorify terrorism. 

BRITISH JOURNALIST and author Douglas Murray was honored with special recognition by Israel for his advocacy on behalf of the country in the wake of October 7. (credit: Moshe Mizrachi )

Moreover, Jewish students and faculty have been systematically targeted. Antisemitic slogans and imagery are disturbingly common, normalizing hatred against the Jewish people. 

These activities are falsely framed as advocacy for legitimate human rights but serve to mask dangerous and violent ideologies. Despite the violence and harassment directed at Jews in these countries, NGOs claiming to advance human rights led by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) continue to provide funding, legitimacy, and infrastructure to sustain this campaign of intimidation and hate. 

The selective outrage of human rights NGOs

The systematic erasure of the human rights of Jews and Israelis is reflected in the – obsessive targeting of Israel while whitewashing atrocities elsewhere. They lead campaigns demanding international arms embargoes and other sanctions against Israel, and, in parallel, the NGOs downplay and erase Hamas and Hezbollah crimes.

The selective application of human rights also extends to influential organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has miserably failed Israelis in our darkest hour.

Since October 7, when Hamas and its allies abducted more than 240 hostages – including children and babies – the ICRC has done nothing to gain access to these hostages. This is in stark contrast to its interventions in other conflicts, such as Yemen and Colombia, where the ICRC visited captives and provided medical care. 

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The message is clear – the rules and moral principles don’t apply to Israeli victims. 

This pattern of selective outrage is not just about neglect – it actively emboldens and enables those who perpetrate violence and hate. By focusing totally disproportionate attention on Israel while ignoring egregious human rights violations elsewhere, these organizations provide moral cover for the perpetrators of terror. 

Spreading false narratives to influence policy

As Douglas Murray emphasized at our event, ceaseless NGO campaigns against Jews and Israel have tangible consequences beyond driving popular narratives of the conflict. Rather than opposing rising antisemitism, these organizations encourage policies that endanger Jewish communities and seek to weaken Israel’s security. 

For instance, in the aftermath of October 7, NGOs such as HRW, Amnesty International, and Oxfam campaigned intensely for arms embargoes against Israel, lobbying governments and initiating litigation. These efforts, based on false claims of “genocide” and “war crimes,” seek to block Israel’s right to protect its citizens against terror armies.

In response, France, Canada, and the UK meekly implemented restrictions on arms sales to Israel. Belgium and the Netherlands suspended ammunition exports earlier this year, and Italy ceased arms shipments immediately after October 7. 

Far from advancing peace, these measures weaken Israel’s ability to defend itself against threats posed by Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iranian-backed groups.

The absurd and immoral International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant are also the products of intensive, years-long NGO campaigns. They have enjoyed privileged access to ICC prosecutors, accompanied by propaganda “reports” that ignore massive war crimes committed by Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian regime.

A call for accountability

“Human rights” NGOs contribute to the mainstreaming of antisemitism in the West, betraying the principles of universal rights. Instead of standing against this hatred, they distort the language of human rights, lending credibility to those who seek to demonize and isolate the Jewish people.

As International Human Rights Day approaches, these NGOs must be held accountable for their blatant hypocrisy. 

Antisemitism is not just a threat to Jews – the hate undermines the foundations of liberal Western society. The “Jewish exception” to universal human rights must not be tolerated, and the same holds for the NGO industry.

Gerald M. Steinberg is the founder and president of NGO Monitor, and Olga Deutsch is the vice president of NGO Monitor.