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Scapegoat to the World

(National Post-Canada) Alan M. Dershowitz - By heaping disproportionate blame for the evils of the world on the Jewish state, anti-Israel zealots are providing excuses to the perpetrators of real evils. Consider, for example, a recent report by Amnesty International (AI) on violence perpetrated against Palestinian women by Palestinian men in the West Bank and Gaza. The AI report places substantial blame for "honor" killings of women on - you guessed it - Israel! According to AI, "Palestinian women in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are victims of multiple violations as a result of the escalation of the conflict, Israel's policies, and a system of norms, traditions and laws which treat women as unequal members of society" - in that order. On Aug. 23, 2005, I spoke with Donatella Rovera, AI's researcher on Israel and the Occupied Territories, and asked her to provide the data on which she had based her conclusion that violence against women had escalated to an "unprecedented level" during the occupation. Rovera acknowledged that AI could provide no such comparative data and confirmed that the report was based on anecdotal information, primarily from Palestinian NGOs. "We talk to anyone who would talk to us," she said.
2005-09-23 00:00:00
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