A UK Jewish organisation has said Amnesty International UK’s cancellation of a debate about the UN and human rights in Israel is “disgraceful” and in breach of its claim to protect freedom of expression.
A panel discussion organised by the Jewish Leadership Council was due to be held on Wednesday at Amnesty International’s UK headquarters. But the human rights organisation pulled the event on Friday, saying it was not appropriate for it to host supporters of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The panel was to discuss the role of the UN human rights council in Israel, and included a speaker from UN Watch, an organisation that is highly critical of UN policies on Israel’s 50-year occupation of Palestinian territories and claims the global body is biased against Israel.
According to the JLC, Amnesty originally agreed to take part in the debate as well hosting the event. It withdrew from the panel several months ago but agreed it could still take place at its London offices.
On Friday Amnesty wrote to the JLC saying it was “currently campaigning for all governments around the world to ban the import of goods produced in the illegal Israeli settlements. We do not, therefore, think it appropriate for Amnesty International to host an event by those actively supporting such settlements.”
Settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law, and many diplomats believe they are a serious impediment to establishment of a Palestinian state.
The EU has said produce from the settlements should be clearly labelled to allow consumers to make informed choices about whether or not buy them. A grassroots campaign to boycott Israeli settlement produce has gained momentum in recent years.
The JLC, an umbrella body of 32 Jewish organisations, says it has no position on settlements, although it opposes the boycott campaign and its member organisations have a “range of opinions”. Its chief executive, Simon Johnson, said: “We support the state of Israel and strongly advocate for a two-state solution.”
Johnson addressed a rally in London 13 months ago against UK support for a UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements. He told protesters the UN was attempting to “delegitimise” Israel’s claim to holy sites in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Jonathan Goldstein, the JLC’s chairman, said Amnesty’s decision was disgraceful. “By withdrawing their offer to host an event on the role of the UN human rights council, it is clear that Amnesty International UK’s claim ‘to protect freedom of expression’ is only on their terms,” he said.
“We have long argued that aggressive criticism of Israeli government policy creates an environment where antisemitism thrives, and it is highly regrettable that on this occasion Amnesty International UK’s decision has targeted the Jewish community.”
Kerry Moscogiuri, of Amnesty International UK, said: “We reserve the right to withhold permission for our building to be used by organisations whose work runs directly counter to our own.
“The presence of UN Watch is of significant concern and they have been active in the promotion of the event. We have partners and colleagues – both Israeli and Palestinian – working on the ground and this does put some of their working relationships at risk.”
The JLC said it would announce a new venue for the debate in due course.
