April 28, 2021 (Washington, DC) — Jeff Mendelsohn, Executive Director of Pro-Israel America, issued the following statement in response to the new Human Rights Watch report:
“Israel is a thriving democracy that offers all of its citizens full voting rights, including for Knesset members. Human Rights Watch’s outrageous ‘apartheid’ libel is false, and just another thinly veiled attempt to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state.
Pro-Israel America strongly condemns HRW’s report, which effectively states that any Jewish state, by definition, is illegitimate. Given Human Rights Watch’s long anti-Israel agenda and history, this position is not surprising, but it is still dangerous. Palestinians have repeatedly rejected proposed two-state solutions through diplomacy and instead, have continued to prefer using violence and terrorism as political tools. Even as this report was being released, Palestinian militants continued a three-day spree of firing rockets at Israel from Gaza. Israel is constantly under attack from terrorists who routinely use both Israeli and Palestinian women, children, and other innocent civilians as targets and shields. An arms embargo on Israel would cripple Israel’s ability to defend itself and only embolden the hostile terrorists who seek to end the Jewish state and replace Israel’s vibrant democracy with restricted rights and authoritarian rule to Palestinians, Israelis and Arabs alike.
Pro-Israel America works to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and to advance lasting peace in the Middle East. The slanderous Human Rights Watch report undermines the chances for shared peace, progress, and prosperity and encourages continued rejection by Palestinians of peace talks with Israel. This report is a significant insult to the tragic experiences and struggles of true apartheid victims in South Africa and other places around the world, and must be condemned by all.”