Ken Roth Archives - UN Watch

Human Rights Watch Chief Ken Roth Spreads Israel Coronavirus Vaccination Lie

Luis Pelaez — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 14:28:17 +0000

As Israel’s world-leading coronavirus vaccination program makes international headlines, Human Rights Watch executive director Ken Roth rushed to Twitter to spread the lie that Israel is committing an act of racism by not vaccinating all Palestinians living under Hamas rule in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

But in a January 4th Twitter thread seen more than 200,000 times (see below), UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer explained why Roth’s claims are a deception.

Ken Roth doesn't like good news about Israel's vaccinations, so he's trying to twist it into an act of racism.

Here's how he deceives:

1/ Law. He says "as occupying power," Israel "has not vaccinated a single Palestinian." But the PA is responsible for health & vaccinations. https://t.co/Ag0TIri9zw

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 4, 2021

3/ PA Ministry of Health: “We are working on our own to obtain the vaccine from a number of sources. We are not a department in the Israeli Defense Ministry. We have our own government & Health Ministry, and they are making huge efforts to get the vaccine.”https://t.co/3lRjyHb3ro

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 4, 2021

5/ "A senior official with the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health said that the Palestinians do not expect Israel to sell them, or purchase on their behalf, the vaccine from any country."

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 4, 2021

7/ "Israel’s vaccine operation has run in predominately Arab areas in Israel from day one. Out of a concern that not enough eligible Israeli Arabs have been showing up to vaccination sites, Prime Minister Netanyahu visited two Arab cities in recent days."https://t.co/LXyDfSRJDJ

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 4, 2021

9/ Ironically, while Ken Roth's position has been to argue that the PA has so many powers that it's even legally a state—and so can join the ICC & sue Israel—he pretends not to know about the legal power the PA actually does have, per the Oslo Accords, over Health & Vaccinations.

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 4, 2021

11/ Now read this thread on those “suffering under the intense stress of watching Israel do something good & not knowing how to reconcile that with the burning theological commitment they have to the proposition that everything Israeli is touched by sin.”https://t.co/rNhPw0rYXQ

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 6, 2021

Neuer also called out Roth’s colleague Omar Shakir, as well as Amnesty International, for propagating the same libel:

The same group that always cites the Palestinian Ministry of Health now wants you not to know that it exists, is responsible for vaccinating its population & has rejected Israeli help. See this thread for key facts: https://t.co/GmnBe20xrs

Amnesty just wants you to hate Jews. https://t.co/7YulTFjAPn

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 6, 2021

Palestinian Authority Officials Contradict Themselves

Since then, the Palestinians have contradicted themselves numerous times. In late December, PA Health Ministry officials said that they did not ask Israel to provide the Palestinians with the vaccine. But when they saw that anti-Israel critics began propagating the successful smear, the PA suddenly released a statement claiming that Israel is nevertheless responsible for providing vaccines. The PA made this statement even as they were busy signing their own deal with the AstraZeneca pharmaceutical firm, as well as procuring the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.

Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization’s mission to the Palestinians, Gerald Rockenschaub, has clarified that “informal discussions” between Israel and the WHO took place — contrary to false claims that Israel had refused an official WHO request to supply Palestinians with vaccines.

Liked and Shared

Neuer’s Twitter thread was liked or shared by former Member of European Parliament Bas Belder, former Dutch MP Jacques Monasch, former and current Israeli diplomats Daniel Carmon, Arthur Lenk, Tania Berg-Rafaeli and Galit Peleg, former Canadian ambassador to Israel Vivian Bercovici, Jewish Agency spokesperson Yigal Palmor, editor David Hazony, Toronto Sun columnist Lorrie Goldstein and French lawyer and columnist William Goldnadel.

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Human Rights Watch chief mocks Jews

Luis Pelaez — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 18:26:35 +0000

Following is an open letter from UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer to Human Rights Watch chief Ken Roth, which went viral on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/hillelneuer/photos/a.424734911728/10160003094311729/?type=3&theater

Dear Ken Roth,

Today you revealed you love peace like the harlot revealed her love for the baby whom she asked King Solomon to cut into two.

You chose to use a Yiddish word—something you never do—purely to mock Jews celebrating the Israel-UAE peace accord.

Otherwise, you never use Jewish words or ideas, or make any positive Jewish references at all.

Your contemptuous actions, comments and attitude toward Jews, Judaism and the Jewish state over decades make one thing clear: you are ashamed of your Jewish identity.

That is why, every single day, you devote your foul, fervid fury to depicting the Jewish state in Nazi-like terms.

This year alone, you accused Israel of “war crimes” 10 times more than you did against Iran, Syria, Hamas, Russia, China and Venezuela — put together. Likewise, over an 18-month period in 2017-2018, you devoted more than 70% of your tweets alleging “illegal” acts to the criticism of only one single country: Israel. By contrast, only 1% of your tweets accused Syria, Russia, Iraq, Libya or Yemen of the same.

Even the founder of your organization, my late friend Robert Bernstein, saw how your pathological self-hatred led you down the dark path of defending terrorist groups that seek Israel’s destruction — and Bob denounced you for it in the New York Times.

Human rights is not your real motive, but invoking its precepts grants you the cover of virtue even as you act out your bigotry, aggression and hostility toward a people that, throughout history, has always been the easiest and most career-enhancing to target.

It’s time for you to go — and if not, I call on Human Rights Watch to fire you.

Sincerely,
Hillel C. Neuer
Executive Director
United Nations Watch
Geneva, Switzerland

Ken Roth’s every comment on the UAE-Israel peace accord has been negative or condemnatory:

Two concerns with the Israeli-Emirati deal just announced:
1. Netanyahu makes clear that annexation is "still on the table," just temporarily delayed.
2. The deal doesn't address the oppressive, discriminatory "one-state reality" that remains in place.https://t.co/PCRFlKsp64 pic.twitter.com/LjaP1IPgLD

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) August 13, 2020

Of course we all want a just peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but we've been saying that for 50+ years and getting nowhere. Isn't it time to press for equal rights within the "one-state reality." An endless "peace process" is no longer an excuse to delay. https://t.co/rq8Mnu6Bwb

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) August 16, 2020

The UAE-Israeli deal did nothing to advance the moribund Palestinian "peace process." "A new generation of Palestinians" is giving up on the elusive idea of two states and is focusing more on the "reality based on one state." Will it have equal rights? https://t.co/hTOJXJOOFT

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) August 17, 2020

Even before the latest deal, Emirati use of Israeli hardware and software "has contributed to a constraint of the freedom of speech over the past decade that is unprecedented in its rigidity, even in the Gulf." Now authorities threaten critics of the deal. https://t.co/zPtKKD8kJt

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) August 22, 2020

1. Ken reveals he loves peace like the harlot revealed her love for the baby she asked King Solomon to cut in 2.

2. He uses a Yiddish word to mock Jews celebrating the Israel-UAE peace accord.

3. Ken never makes positive Jewish references. He's uncomfortable with his identity. https://t.co/4z9GAmrp6b

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) August 31, 2020

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Human Rights Watch debating Ken Roth’s "judgment and leadership" over controversial Saudi donation

unwatch — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 01:14:55 +0000

Human Rights Watch’s Ken Roth solicited a Saudi billionaire for a $470,000 gift by promising not to use the funds to defend LGBT people in the Middle East — just after his organization had cited the donor’s abuse of workers in a report on “slavery-like conditions.”
According to The Intercept, “the controversial donation is at the center of a contentious internal debate” about Roth’s “judgment and leadership.”

The controversial donation is at the center of a contentious internal debate about the judgment and leadership of Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth. https://t.co/a5lMn8oU3b

— The Intercept (@theintercept) March 3, 2020

1. @HRW chief @KenRoth solicited a $470,000 gift from a Saudi billionaire promising NOT to defend #LGBT rights

2. HRW had just reported on the donor's slavery-like abuse of workers

3. Roth's HRW had $223 million of net assets & didn't even need the moneyhttps://t.co/D0nEGQGAp8

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) March 8, 2020

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Obsessed: 93% of Ken Roth's "illegal" accusations targeted Israel last month

unwatch — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 08:27:09 +0000

Executive Summary
A new study shows that over an 18-month period Ken Roth, the head of Human Rights Watch, devoted more than 70% of his tweets alleging “illegal” acts to the criticism of one single country: Israel. By contrast, Roth devoted only 1% of his tweets to accusing Iraq, Libya, Russia, Syria or Yemen of illegal actions, according to an examination of his tweets over an 18-month period from January 1, 2017 to June 2018.
In addition, a study of Roth’s tweets over the past two months shows that, in November and December 2019, out of 57 tweets where Roth accused a country of “illegal” actions, 50 of them, or 88 percent, targeted Israel. In November, Roth tweeted one similar accusation each on the U.S., Lebanon, Turkey and Brazil.
In November 2019 alone, out of 42 tweets in which Ken Roth accused a country of “illegal” actions, 39 of them — being 93 percent — targeted Israel. Roth tweeted one similar accusation each on Bolivia, Brazil and Indonesia.
In the same 2-month period, despite widespread and systematic acts of oppression by the world’s worst regimes, in violation of international human rights law including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Roth failed to tweet any such accusation against China, Russia, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Iraq, Cuba, Hamas, Myanmar, Pakistan or Venezuela.

Accused by @KenRoth of "illegal" actions in past 2 months:
🇰🇵 North Korea 0
🇻🇪 Venezuela 0
🇮🇩 Indonesia 1
🇲🇲 Myanmar 0
🇱🇧 Lebanon 1
🇵🇰 Pakistan 0
🏴‍☠️ Hamas 0
🇧🇴 Bolivia 1
🇹🇷 Turkey 1
🇷🇺 Russia 0
🇨🇳 China 0
🇸🇦 Saudi 0
🇮🇱 Israel 50
🇧🇷 Brazil 2
🇸🇾 Syria 0
🇮🇶 Iraq 0
🇮🇷 Iran 0
🇺🇸 US 1

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 29, 2019

Methodology
The study searched the word “illegal” in Ken Roth’s twitter feed, and from within those results, counted every instance in which Roth accused a country of illegal actions.
The word “illegal” is a powerful term. Lawyer Ken Roth appears to be using this term and accusation deliberately and repeatedly concerning one country only. In other contexts, for example in opposing the use of the word “illegal” to describe immigrants, Roth has confirmed that he considers this term significant. (See here, here and here.)
In one instance, Roth actually managed to employ the “illegal” accusation against Israel twice in a single tweet, even as, in the same year, he failed to use the same term concerning gross and systematic violations of international law by the oppressive regimes of Venezuela, China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, the Palestinian Authority, Myanmar, Pakistan or Qatar — to name but a few.

Israel isn't only building illegal settlements. It's also illegally demolishing Palestinian homes. https://t.co/ExDGx3tKW8

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) October 31, 2017

In a rare moment on January 31, 2017, Roth accused another Middle Eastern country of illegal actions: “Iraq demolishes homes of families of alleged ISIS members—illegal collective punishment.” However, he couldn’t complete this tweet without first referencing his favorite obsession, which appears to have been the primary point of the tweet after all, and so the full text actually reads: “Borrowing page from Israel, Iraq demolishes…”

Borrowing page from Israel, Iraq demolishes homes of families of alleged ISIS members–illegal collective punishment https://t.co/ursQlNJu77 pic.twitter.com/PDEZtRLE6F

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) January 31, 2017

DATA ON KEN ROTH TWEETS
2019 in November-December: Who Ken Roth Accused of “Illegal” Actions
December 2019
Ken Roth Tweets accusing Israel of “illegal” actions:

Ken Roth tweets accusing other countries of “illegal” actions:

November 2019
Ken Roth Tweets accusing Israel of “illegal” actions:

Ken Roth tweets accusing other countries of “illegal” actions:

Bolivia: https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/1196318814599884801
Indonesia: https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/1192092188924088320
Brazil: https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/1191468818872360961

In 2017-2018, 74% of Ken Roth’s tweets alleging illegality targeted Israel:
Israel                                                   53 74%
U.S.                                                      5 7%
EU 3 4%
Italy 3 4%
Iraq 1 1%
Libya                                                    1 1%
Thai junta 1 1%
South Africa (Jacob Zuma) 1 1%
Russia (Putin) 1 1%
Syria (Assad) 1 1%
Yemen (Houthi-Saleh forces) 1 1%
Internet companies 1 1%
TOTAL 72

2018: Who Ken Roth Accused of “Illegal” Actions
June 13, 2018 Israel
June 8, 2018               Internet companies
June 7, 2018               Israel
June 6, 2018 Israel
May 29, 2018              Israel
May 24, 2018              Israel
May 24, 2018              Israel
May 23, 2018              Israel
May 23, 2018              U.S. & Israel
May 22, 2018              Israel
May 9, 2018                Israel
May 8, 2018                EU & Italy
April 30, 2018             Israel
April 27, 2018             U.S.
April 25, 2018             Israel
April 3, 2018               Israel
March 15, 2018          U.S.
February 4, 2018        Israel
February 4, 2018        Israel
February 1, 2018        Israel
January 12, 2018        Israel
January 11, 2018        Israel
January 8, 2018          Israel
Breakdown of 2018 accusations:
Israel 19
U.S. 3
EU 1
Italy 1
Internet companies 1
TOTAL 25

2017: Who Ken Roth Accused of “Illegal” Actions
December 15, 2017    Israel
December 13, 2017    EU, Libya
December 4, 2017      Israel
December 2, 2017      Israel
November 27, 2017    Israel
November 24, 2017    Italy
November 3, 2017      Israel
October 31, 2017        Israel (“illegal settlements” and “illegally demolishing” in one Tweet)
October 27, 2017        Israel
September 29, 2017   Israel
September 13, 2017   Israel
August 23, 2017          Israel
August 3, 2017            Italy
July 4, 2017                 Jacob Zuma (South Africa)
June 15, 2017              Israel
June 9, 2017                Israel
June 7, 2017                Israel
May 18, 2017              Thai junta
May 11, 2017              Israel
May 9, 2017                Israel
April 25, 2017             Israel
April 20, 2017             Houthi-Saleh forces (Yemen)
April 12, 2017             Putin-Assad (Russia, Syria)
April 1, 2017               Israel
March 23, 2017          Israel
March 20, 2017          Israel
March 8, 2017            Israel
March 7, 2017            Israel
February 23, 2017      Israel
February 18, 2017      EU
February 16, 2017      Israel
February 15, 2017      Israel
February 14, 2017      Israel
February 11, 2017      Israel
February 6, 2017        Israel
February 5, 2017        Israel
February 3, 2017        Israel
February 1, 2017        Israel
January 31, 2017        Iraq, Israel (says Iraq “borrows illegal collective punishment” from Israel)
January 23, 2017        Israel
January 11, 2017        U.S.
January 10, 2017         U.S.
January 10, 2017        Israel
January 8, 2017          Israel
January 6, 2017          Israel

Breakdown of 2017 accusations:
Israel 35
U.S. 2
EU 2
Italy 2
Iraq 1
Libya 1
Thai junta                                            1
Jacob Zuma (South Africa) 1
Putin (Russia)                                      1
Assad (Syria)                                       1
Houthi-Saleh forces (Yemen)              1
TOTAL 47

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HRW's Ken Roth should apologize for invoking Holocaust terminology in abortion debate

unwatch — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 22:57:51 +0000

GENEVA, Jan. 23, 2017 – UN Watch today called on Kenneth Roth, head of the New York-based activist group Human Rights Watch, to apologize for trivializing the Holocaust by making a thinly-veiled comparison to the Nazi genocide to support abortion rights.
In a Twitter post supporting reproductive freedom, Roth endorsed a pro-choice protester’s use of the term “Never Again,” with a photo of a hanger to symbolize unsafe, self-induced abortions. “It’s important for us all to rally behind this ‘Never Again,’ wrote Roth.
“Never Again” became famous as the post-Holocaust motto by which Jews condemned the Nazi genocide, “a prayer, a promise, a vow,” wrote Elie Wiesel.
“Paradoxically, by making offensive use of Holocaust imagery, Roth now joins pro-life campaigners who compare abortion to the Holocaust, except that Roth’s implied Holocaust comparison is with unsafe and self-induced abortions,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a non-governmental watchdog organization based in Geneva, Switzerland.

“I am disappointed that Roth would stoop to make a case for reproductive rights in America through the cynical abuse of the memory of those killed in the Holocaust,” said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer.
“Roth’s thinly veiled invocation of Nazi Germany in the abortion debate is an inappropriate comparison on the merits, diminishes the horror of the Holocaust, and only further coarsens our discourse.”
“With the Holocaust symbolizing absolute evil in the Western world, Roth and others in the political and public arena should resist the temptation to resort to Holocaust comparisons as an instrument for their own ideological purposes, seeking to exaggerate the evil nature of a phenomenon they seek to condemn.”

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Why does Ken Roth keep blaming Egyptian abuses on Israel?

zadmin — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 16:41:51 +0000

The post Why does Ken Roth keep blaming Egyptian abuses on Israel? appeared first on UN Watch.