In response to the Human Rights Watch press release regarding the June 9
Gaza incident -- http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/13/isrlpa13544.htm

1) HRW's "military expert", Mark Garlasco is the author of HRW's
publication, Razing Rafah, (October 2004) which included many unverifiable
claims.
See www.ngo-monitor.org/editions/v3n02/ResponsetoHRWPressRelease.htm ;
www.ngo-monitor.org/archives/correspondence/state_dept_21.12.05.html
This report was produced in order to justify the active involvement of HRW
in the anti-Israel boycott campaigns. The nature of Garlasco's knowledge
and claims of expertise have never been examined independently.

2) HRW officials have a long and carefully documented history of exploiting
human rights claims to promote a clear anti-Israel political and ideological
bias.
See www.ngo-monitor.org/archives/infofile/hrw_2005_060406.html
. HRW officials played an active role in the infamous 2001 Durban
conference and have been actively involved in the demonization process.

3) Garlasco does not explain the discrepancies between his claims and the
IDF data, or the impact of the Palestinian efforts to alter the area and
evidence at the scene of this incident.

4) Therefore, as will be detailed in today's conference on NGO politics and
ethics, there is no basis for accepting HRW's version as being more valid
than the IDF's analysis.

5) HRW calls for an independent investigation of this incident, but has
never published a report on or called for an investigation of the source of
Palestinian missile components, or on those responsible for these attacks.
This is another example of HRW's double standard in use of human rights
claims.

Gerald Steinberg
Editor, NGO Monitor
www.ngo-monitor.org