Israel accuses Amnesty International of anti-Semitism – Politico

An official claimed the organization “lacks moral authority” to call itself a human rights group

Israel has accused Amnesty International of “bias” and “anti-Semitism,” after the organization said all parties in the current Gaza conflict have violated humanitarian law, including by committing war crimes, Politico reported on Thursday.

Earlier the same day, Amnesty International had called for an immediate ceasefire and an independent investigation into “longstanding impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity.” A statement from the organization also described one of the “root causes” of the conflict as “Israel’s system of apartheid imposed on all Palestinians.” 

The group’s secretary-general, Agnes Callamard, claimed that “serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes,” had been committed by all parties to the conflict.

In response, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat told Politico that “Amnesty International is an anti-Semitic organization that is biased against Israel.” He further argued that it “lacks moral authority to portray itself as a human rights organization.”

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Haiat also reportedly condemned the organization for its alleged silence in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel by militant group Hamas, in which hundreds were killed and more than 200 kidnapped. According to the spokesman, Amnesty International is “a propaganda organization working for Hamas terrorists.” 

Israeli officials have reported 1,405 casualties since the conflict escalated. The Health Ministry in Gaza has estimated the Palestinian death toll to be 7,434, including more than 3,000 children.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday that the Hamas attack “did not happen in a vacuum,” and that the Palestinian people “have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation” while their hopes for a political solution to their plight “have been vanishing.” 

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen responded by accusing Guterres of showing “compassion” for terrorists and murderers, and called on him to resign.