HRW co-founder criticizes Israeli settlers blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza

Shafaq News / Aryeh Neier, co-founder of Human Rights Watch (Hrw), criticized Israeli settlers for blocking trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza without intervention from Israeli forces, stressing that Jews will only be safe if everyone's rights are respected.

In an interview with CNN, Neier, who fled the Nazis with his family as a child, stated, "Accusing anyone of genocide is terrible, but genocide itself is even more terrible." 

Responding to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that the Israeli army is extremely precise and ethical, Neier remarked, "He says this, but I do not think others would agree. At this moment, settlers in the West Bank are blocking trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. They are attacking the truck drivers and destroying the contents of the aid trucks."

Neier continued, "Israeli forces have not intervened to prevent settlers from engaging in such disruptive acts against humanitarian aid. Israeli forces have supported settlers, and many Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed in recent months. Often, Israeli forces either stand by or directly participate in attacks on Palestinians in that region."

Regarding arrest warrants issued for the Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister and the perception that Israel, as a democracy, has a judicial process to address its army's violations, Neier commented, "The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is based on the principle of complementarity. This means that if a government is genuinely investigating violations and taking necessary actions to punish those involved, the ICC should step back. But in Israel's case, there is no indication that Israeli authorities have made any genuine effort to investigate violations in Gaza."

Neier also addressed Netanyahu's accusation of anti-Semitism against ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, noting, "Using the term anti-Semitism to attack critics of Israeli policies diminishes the seriousness of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has been a grave issue, but it does not exempt the Israeli government from being held to the same standards as other governments worldwide."

He added, "The Israeli government has been quite comfortable with some leaders who are genuinely anti-Semitic. For example, Netanyahu formed a relationship with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. I think it is fair to consider Orbán anti-Semitic. But accusing the ICC of anti-Semitism is, in my view, absurd."