Group says UN report based heavily on ‘biased groups’

NGO Monitor, an NGO that follows and critiques pro-Palestinian organizations, says in a press statement that the new UN report published today is an “improvement” over the Goldstone Report, which was published in the wake of Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s 2008-9 war with Hamas.

“The report of the Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza War is different both substantially and methodologically than its predecessors, including the 2009 Goldstone Report,” says NGO Monitor.

“However, it still quotes extensively from biased and unreliable political advocacy NGOs. By repeating the unverified and non-expert factual and legal allegations of groups such as Amnesty International, B’Tselem, Palestinian Center for Human Rights, and Al Mezan, the UN investigation is irrevocably tarnished.

“NGO Monitor’s initial review of the Commission of Inquiry’s ‘detailed findings’ shows that NGOs were referenced, cited, and quoted at a high volume: B’Tselem was the most referenced NGO with 69 citations, followed by Amnesty International (53), Palestinian Center for Human Rights (50), and Al Mezan (29). UNWRA and UN-OCHA were also featured throughout the report. As repeatedly demonstrated by NGO Monitor, these groups are not appropriate for professional fact-finding.”

Eastern Gaza City, six months after 2014's Operation Protective Edge (Aaed Tayeh/Flash90)
Eastern Gaza City, six months after 2014’s Operation Protective Edge (Aaed Tayeh/Flash90)

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