Release Date: 12 August 2009

NGO Monitor: Will HRW's 'White Flags' Report Raise Red Flags?

(Jerusalem) - Jerusalem based research organization NGO Monitor highlighted
a number of anticipated problems and inconsistencies in advance of Human
Rights Watch's (HRW) release of the report "Civilians Killed Holding White
Flags in Gaza".

· The report is HRW's third lengthy publication condemning IDF
actions during the Gaza conflict (following allegations over white
phosphorous http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/03/25/rain-fire and drones
http://www.hrw.org/node/84080), in five months.

· Timed only one week after HRW's release of a publication
http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/08/06/rockets-gaza-0critical of Hamas,
the 'white flags' report seems designed to shift the focus back onto
condemning Israel. This theme was reported
http://www.ngo-monitor.org/digest_info.php?id=2450 as central in the HRW
fundraising event in Riyadh in May 2009.

· The 'white flags' report describes seven supposed incidents, an
entirely insufficient basis for accusations of systematic war crimes.

· Should the 'white flags' report follow a similar pattern to HRW
allegations in "Rain of Fire"
http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/hrw_s_rain_of_fire_neither_thorough_nor_impartial
(on white phosphorous) and "Precisely Wrong"
http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/absolutely_wrong_analysis_of_hrw_drone_report
(on drones), it is likely to be based wholly on speculation, unprovable
Palestinian claims and unreliable 'evidence' from politicized NGOs.

· HRW's allegations against Israel over 'white flags' incidents
during the Second Lebanon War proved to be false
http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/amnesty_and_hrw_claims_discredited_in_detailed_report .
In one case HRW claimed no Hezbollah presence as the IDF allegedly killed 3
and wounded 14 civilians fleeing in a van in Kafra while they "waved a white
flag". Independent analysis showed that Hezbollah admitted flying white
flags to prevent IDF attacks, 17 rockets were fired from within Kafra
village houses and Hezbollah regularly transported arms in vans.

NGO Monitor's President Prof Gerald Steinberg said, "The release of a third
lengthy publication condemning Israel over Gaza within the space of a few
months, is reflective of HRW's Israel obsession. Its timing, only a week
after criticizing Hamas, confirms that this was no more than a token attempt
by HRW to display artificial balance. If the methodology and ideology
repeat past 'reports', this will be more evidence of HRW's moral collapse in
promoting the agendas of Hamas and Hezbollah."

-------- ENDS ------------

Editors Notes:

Please click here to view the NGO Monitor review of HRW's 2008 activities
http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/hrw_annual_report_

NGO Monitor was founded to promote transparency, critical analysis and
debate on the political role of human rights organizations. For more
information, see our website at

http://www.ngo-monitor.org

NGO Monitor's President is, Prof. Gerald Steinberg.

Members of NGO Monitor's International Advisory Board include Elie Wiesel,
Prof Alan Dershowitz, Sir Martin Gilbert, R. James Woolsey and Elliot Abrams

For further information, comment or interviews contact Dan Kosky

+972 (0) 546-305-504

NGO Monitor - 1, Ben Maimon Blvd. - Jerusalem 92262 - Israel - T:
+972-2-566-1020

F: +972-77-511-7030

E: dan.kosky@ngo-monitor.org