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Sunday, March 15, 2009
NGO Monitor to Amnesty, HRW and B'tselem: End Silence on Gilad Shalit

NGO Monitor to Amnesty, HRW and B'tselem: End Silence on Gilad Shalit

Release Date: 15 March 2009

(Jerusalem) - As kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit approaches 1,000
days in captivity and efforts continue to secure his release, Jerusalem
based research organization NGO Monitor today highlighted the almost total
silence and inaction of human rights NGOs over his fate.

Shalit was kidnapped from Israeli territory in June 2006. He has been
denied even one visit by the International Red Cross, a grave contravention
of one of the foundations of international humanitarian law.

In contrast to their intense condemnation of events in Gaza over the past
few years, major international human rights NGOs such as Human Rights Watch
and Oxfam have released no more than a token demand for Shalit's release and
then only in the context of wider issues. Israeli human rights organization
B'tselem has been equally neglectful, failing to highlight Shalit's fate
during the recent Gaza conflict.

Similarly, Amnesty International, an organization founded to campaign on
behalf of political prisoners, has displayed only marginal willingness to
promote Shalit's cause. Beyond isolated examples, Amnesty has done nothing
to campaign for Shalit's fundamental human rights.

NGO Monitor's Executive Director, Prof Gerald Steinberg said, "Gilad Shalit
has been denied even the most basic of human rights for almost 1,000 days.
The unwillingness of human rights organizations such as Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch and B'tselem to campaign on his behalf is
immoral. Their shameful silence on Shalit's fate amounts to a betrayal of
universal human rights".

---------- ENDS ------------

Editors Notes:

NGO Monitor was founded to promote transparency, critical analysis and
debate on the political role of human rights organizations. For more
information, see our website at

www.ngo-monitor.org

Other recent publications and reports by NGO Monitor include:-

Amnesty's Gaza 'Report' and calls for arms embargo: Abolishing Israel's
right to self-defense - February 25, 2009

The NGO Front in the Gaza War - February 5, 2009

NGO 'Lawfare': Exploitation of Courts in the Arab-Israeli Conflict -
October 8, 2008

NGO Monitor's Executive Director is, Prof. Gerald Steinberg.

Members of NGO Monitor's International Advisory Board include Elie Wiesel,
Prof Alan Dershowitz, Sir Martin Gilbert and R. James Woolsey

For further information, comment or interviews contact Dan Kosky

+972 (0) 546-305-504

NGO Monitor - 1, Ben Maimon Blvd. - Jerusalem 92262 - Israel - T:
+972-2-566-1020

F: +972-77-511-7030

E: dan.kosky@ngo-monitor.org

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