Human Rights Watch Director Quits Over Alleged 'Censorship' of Report on Israel-Palestine Conflict
Omar Shakir, a veteran director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), has resigned from his position in protest over what he claims is the organization's new chief blocking a critical report accusing Israel of committing "crimes against humanity" in its denial of Palestinian refugees' right of return.
Shakir, who had worked for HRW for over 10 years and had investigated numerous human rights abuses in Israel and the occupied territories, told Al Jazeera that he lost faith in the organization after being told by Executive Director Philippe Bolopion that a report on this issue would be misinterpreted by critics as a call to "demographically extinguish the Jewishness of the Israeli state."
The report in question had been slated for publication on December 4 and had undergone internal review, but was later put on hold pending further analysis. Shakir claimed that he received criticism from both Israel and Palestine throughout his tenure, but maintained that HRW held its Israel-Palestine work to the same standard as other countries.
Shakir's resignation letter stated that he had lost confidence in the organization's commitment to principled reporting based on facts and the application of law. The report at issue documented how the denial of return amounts to a crime against humanity, with Shakir writing: "Through this process, I have lost my faith in the integrity of how we do our work."
The controversy has sparked criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that HRW's decision to delay publication was an attempt to censor critical reporting on Israel-Palestine issues. The organization has since stated that it is reviewing the report and will publish it once further analysis is complete.
Shakir's resignation follows a long history of controversy surrounding HRW's coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict, including allegations of bias and politicization. Despite this, Shakir remains committed to exposing human rights abuses and advocating for Palestinian rights.
Omar Shakir, a veteran director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), has resigned from his position in protest over what he claims is the organization's new chief blocking a critical report accusing Israel of committing "crimes against humanity" in its denial of Palestinian refugees' right of return.
Shakir, who had worked for HRW for over 10 years and had investigated numerous human rights abuses in Israel and the occupied territories, told Al Jazeera that he lost faith in the organization after being told by Executive Director Philippe Bolopion that a report on this issue would be misinterpreted by critics as a call to "demographically extinguish the Jewishness of the Israeli state."
The report in question had been slated for publication on December 4 and had undergone internal review, but was later put on hold pending further analysis. Shakir claimed that he received criticism from both Israel and Palestine throughout his tenure, but maintained that HRW held its Israel-Palestine work to the same standard as other countries.
Shakir's resignation letter stated that he had lost confidence in the organization's commitment to principled reporting based on facts and the application of law. The report at issue documented how the denial of return amounts to a crime against humanity, with Shakir writing: "Through this process, I have lost my faith in the integrity of how we do our work."
The controversy has sparked criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that HRW's decision to delay publication was an attempt to censor critical reporting on Israel-Palestine issues. The organization has since stated that it is reviewing the report and will publish it once further analysis is complete.
Shakir's resignation follows a long history of controversy surrounding HRW's coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict, including allegations of bias and politicization. Despite this, Shakir remains committed to exposing human rights abuses and advocating for Palestinian rights.
- HRW has been a voice for marginalized communities for decades but now it seems like they're more concerned with not ruffling any feathers 
. Omar Shakir's resignation makes total sense given the circumstances - he can't just sit back and watch his organization be watered down to avoid criticism from one side of the conflict 
. It's a shame, really, because HRW has done some amazing work in the past 
. The fact that they're reviewing the report again doesn't exactly fill me with confidence 
. Something needs to change at the organization if they want to be taken seriously as a human rights watchdog 
.
... seriously though, it's like they're trying to whitewash everything and get a free pass on "principled reporting". I mean, who gets told that their report will be misinterpreted as a call to genocide? sounds like some serious damage control happening over there 
. i'm not surprised tho, HRW has been sketchy on this issue for ages. Shakir's right to lose faith in the org tho - can't just gloss over human rights abuses and expect everyone to be okay with it 
. this is a big deal, ppl need to speak out and hold these organizations accountable 
.
and now they've lost the director who was supposed to be the seasoning master, Omar Shakir 
. It's like they were trying to protect their own flavor profile instead of serving up some truth, you feel?
. I mean, come on, if you're gonna investigate some serious human rights abuses, don't even think about waterin' them down just 'cause it's gonna make some people uncomfortable 
. Shakir was a total straight shooter and now he's out because someone didn't like his take 
. He's been a huge advocate for Palestine and I've always admired his work on Israel-Palestine issues 
. It's really sad that he felt forced to leave HRW due to what seems like some major censorship 
. The fact that they're trying to block a report that accuses Israel of human rights abuses is just unacceptable 
. Shakir's dedication to the cause and commitment to facts-based reporting is something we should all stand behind 
. Omar Shakir sounds like he was just looking for an excuse to leave after 10 years. I mean, come on, "demographically extinguish the Jewishness of the Israeli state"? Sounds like a non-issue to me. And what's with HRW always being accused of bias? Can't they just stick to fact-checking and reporting? The whole thing smells like a PR stunt 
]
]
"]
. I mean, shouldn't journalists be able to report facts without fear of being misinterpreted? 
And to make matters worse, it's like they're giving Israel a free pass for all these human rights abuses 
. I just hope someone else picks up where Omar left off and keeps exposing the truth 
. We need people like Shakir who care about human rights and are willing to speak truth to power 
. It's how we hold those in power accountable, right? So, let's keep advocating for a more balanced reporting style 
It’s crazy that they would try to censor a report just because it might be misinterpreted by critics. That doesn’t seem very courageous or principled to me... 
. I'm still trying to process all this... it feels like such a missed opportunity for HRW to make a real impact on the situation 
... I mean, who wouldn't trust an org that's supposed to stand up for humanity? 
Shakir's whole thing about losing faith in the org's integrity is kinda puzzling too... did he just want to get out? 
. Can we really trust HRW on this issue without more info? 
. I get that critics can be tough to deal with, but shouldn't they be met with fact-based reporting rather than censorship 
We need to have a more nuanced conversation about this topic and hold HRW accountable for its actions