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1332 points Qem | 52 comments | | HN request time: 2.511s | source | bottom
1. eej71 ◴[] No.45267482[source]
It's always useful to balance these claims against their critics.

Towards that end I offer up unwatch.

https://unwatch.org/

replies(8): >>45267583 #>>45267597 #>>45267620 #>>45267690 #>>45267692 #>>45267730 #>>45268425 #>>45269114 #
2. random9749832 ◴[] No.45267583[source]
Nice critic. I remember on Reddit watching someone get blown up the other day while carrying water while it was still up. I think they were under 10.

Not sure if they died or just lost all their limbs.

replies(1): >>45268439 #
3. bix6 ◴[] No.45267597[source]
Is there a specific report arguing that Israel is not committing genocide? I don’t see it on the home page.
replies(5): >>45267872 #>>45268476 #>>45271788 #>>45272177 #>>45272385 #
4. shadowgovt ◴[] No.45267620[source]
True. And in the interest of balancing the claims of the critics, I offer up the observation that UN Watch is "a lobby group with strong ties to Israel" (AFP article: Capella, Peter. "UN Gaza probe chief underlines balanced approach." 7-Jul-2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20111222162658/https://www.googl...).
replies(1): >>45268456 #
5. rzk ◴[] No.45267690[source]
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Watch:

> Agence France-Presse has described UN Watch as "a lobby group with strong ties to Israel" ... Primarily, UN Watch denounces what it views as anti-Israel sentiment at the UN and UN-sponsored events.

replies(1): >>45272011 #
6. DaveExeter ◴[] No.45267692[source]
Isn't that an Israeli "hasbara" site? The Israelis have admitted that they use the false cry of "antisemitism" to attack.

"Calling it antisemitism - it’s a trick we always use." Shulamit Aloni, former Israeli Minister

https://x.com/SuppressedNws/status/1896748975207952758

replies(3): >>45267932 #>>45268164 #>>45268550 #
7. ◴[] No.45267730[source]
8. bjoli ◴[] No.45267872[source]
Unwatch is, and has always been, critical of everything the UN does with regards to Israel. Had the UN made one statement like "Israel should not arbitrarily detain children and hold them without fair trials", I am pretty sure unwatch would twist it into antisemitism.
9. gspencley ◴[] No.45267932[source]
How is that a refutation?

If I want to understand any position I would look for first sources. Say I want to understand why Russian invaded Ukraine, I would seek out Russian sources. When I try to understand the Palestinian position, I seek out Palestinian sources.

The beautiful thing about intellectual honesty and openness is that you don't have to agree with any position. You can expose yourself to things that deeply conflict with your personal values and walk away with a deeper understanding of why you value what you value, and how to refute ideas that you strongly disagree with.

To dismiss a source because it is Israeli ironically gives fuel to the antisemitism charge. You're saying that the very reason to dismiss it, to not even bother entertaining its arguments is because it is Israeli and no other reason. Beyond that, you are even arguing that any claims of prejudice can be dismissed outright on the basis of one thing that one Israeli Minster once said [allegedly].

That is the very definition of prejudice.

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10. breppp ◴[] No.45268164[source]
You are aware that Shulamit Alloni was on the extreme left and was criticizing this supposed misuse of Antisemitism, this is not some playbook

The american equivalent would be to quote Bernie Sanders saying "America is fascist" and then saying, see? therefore the USA system of government is fascism, even Congress agrees!

replies(1): >>45269938 #
11. alexisread ◴[] No.45268257{3}[source]
Quite simply Israelis and Jews are not the same group, otherwise you would be holding all Jews on the planet responsible for this genocide. Dismissing the source for being Israeli is not antisemitic.

There are many examples of Israeli sources lying about the state of things, from the baseless claims against UNRWA to the unconscionable excuse of burying medics and the ambulances they were in, to avoid wild dogs eating them.

Israeli sources rarely offer evidence to refute the claims presented in this report, and a cry of antisemitism, as stated, conflates Judeism with Israeli nationality, hence these sources are worthless at best.

replies(1): >>45268286 #
12. amelius ◴[] No.45268425[source]
You can criticize it, but the fact that we're here should tell you enough already.

There is no "yes, but" when genocide is taking place.

13. dotancohen ◴[] No.45268439[source]
That was a young Gazan girl who tripped a Hamas IED that had been set for Israeli troops. That's why there was a camera pointed at it.
replies(1): >>45268466 #
14. random9749832 ◴[] No.45268466{3}[source]
>That was a young Gazan girl

Are we sure we are talking about the same child who got blown up? There is quite a few.

replies(1): >>45268569 #
15. DaveExeter ◴[] No.45268482{3}[source]
"To dismiss a source because it is Israeli ironically gives fuel to the antisemitism charge."

We agree it is an Israeli source.

All the unwatch site does is accuse Israel's critics of being antisemites. When you can't respond to the message, attack the messenger. Accuse them of being antisemitic and being funded by Hamas.

The Israelis have taken it to the point of farce!

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/09/stop-antisem...

replies(1): >>45268631 #
16. dotancohen ◴[] No.45268550[source]
If we're on the subject of damning historic quotes, I've got one for you:

  > Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement.
- Hamas founding charter
replies(1): >>45268659 #
17. alexisread ◴[] No.45268621{5}[source]
Which are not validated by the UN, Norway etc. https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148821 If the claims were valid, countries would not have restarted funding to UNRWA. Simple.

I note you've not denied the issues with claims of antisemitism which are important.

replies(1): >>45268823 #
18. eej71 ◴[] No.45268631{4}[source]
Receipts: https://unwatch.org/report-unrwas-terrorgram/
19. ViewTrick1002 ◴[] No.45268659{3}[source]
Of course ignoring that Hamas was deliberately funded by Israel to cause a split between the politics of the West Bank and Gaza to prevent a unified political authority in Palestine.
replies(2): >>45268725 #>>45268786 #
20. dotancohen ◴[] No.45268725{4}[source]
And today they are promoted by second and third world countries who oppose the first world, specifically to divide the first world nations.

They are succeeding.

replies(1): >>45268862 #
21. eej71 ◴[] No.45268786{4}[source]
I can well imagine a parallel universe where Israel gave them NO money whatsoever. You know what would have happened? Hamas would do the usual Islamic fundamentalist thing. Form a terrorist group and attack Israel. And then media commentators and intellectuals would accuse Israel of failing to help Hamas get put on the right path by helping them at the start, and instead Israel's inaction was like strangling a baby in the cradle. Typical Israel! Damned if they do, damned if they don't.
replies(1): >>45285021 #
22. eej71 ◴[] No.45268823{6}[source]
There is considerable evidence that there is a deep connection between members of Hamas and its extensive support network and UNRWA.

Receipts: https://unwatch.org/report-unrwas-terrorgram/

If that's not antisemitic, I'm not sure what would be in your mind.

But I think for you, you are able to dismiss it because the rest of the world choose to not see it.

replies(1): >>45269014 #
23. ViewTrick1002 ◴[] No.45268862{5}[source]
This sounds to me like you are trying portray poorer countries as lesser worth because they had the guts of calling Israel out.

The solution to rich countries being divided on an the issue of an ongoing genocide is you know, not committing said genocide.

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24. dotancohen ◴[] No.45268941{6}[source]

  > This sounds to me like you are trying portray poorer countries as lesser worth because they had the guts of calling Israel out.
No, I'm portraying non-US-aligned nations as having an interest in dividing the US-aligned nations.

What does "poorer" have anything to do with it? Is that some tactic to garner sympathy?

replies(1): >>45269096 #
25. alexisread ◴[] No.45269014{7}[source]
I was referring to your conflation of Israelis with Jews, and calling dismissal of an Israeli news source antisemitic, which it is not.

I'm saying that a biased Israeli news source is less valid than the actions of dozens of countries, which decided to restart funding.

It is telling that UN votes for a ceasefire are only opposed by the US, Israel and a handful of client states. This is a genocide, and most countries seem to agree on that.

replies(1): >>45269304 #
26. ViewTrick1002 ◴[] No.45269096{7}[source]
> However, Third World is still used as a (pejorative) term for the traditionally less-developed world (e.g. Africa)

So now the entire west, NATO and other US allies should with blinded conviction approve of the genocide?

This seems like you are afraid of isolation and the fallout of the ongoing genocide.

There’s cracks showing and you know when they open Israel will lose its privileged position.

replies(1): >>45270107 #
27. buyucu ◴[] No.45269114[source]
unwatch is funded by religious lunatics in Israel. Nobody takes it seriously.
replies(1): >>45270088 #
28. eej71 ◴[] No.45269304{8}[source]
First, I think you are conflating two different authors in this thread.

Second, you dismissed what you deemed to be Israeli sources as "lying about the state of things, from the baseless claims against UNRWA". I brought up evidence otherwise - specifically that their claims are not baseless. Dismiss _that_ as biased all you want, but its just links to social media posts from Hamas members. Members of Hamas that also work for UNRWA in some fashion.

We do agree that the US and Israel standing alone is telling. But we will disagree on what it means. For me it confirms just how morally bankrupt the United Nations is. I see no epistemological value in just conforming to the majority when I see clear evidence otherwise.

replies(1): >>45272691 #
29. DaveExeter ◴[] No.45269938{3}[source]
Not sure how that's the equivalent.

Lets see if there is a pattern.

Roger Waters criticizes Israel, Roger Waters is an antisemite.

Tucker Carlson criticizes Israel, Tucker Carlson is an antisemite.

Edward Said criticizes Israel, Edward Said is an antisemite.

Even "legends" get called antisemites! [1]

Hannah Einbinder criticizes Israel, Hannah Einbinder is an antisemite? Hmmm.

According to Jerry Seinfeld, anyone who says "free palestine" is antisemitic.

Any website, or any person, that claims "antisemitism" has lost all credibility for me.

[1] https://moguldom.com/454177/silicon-valley-legend-paul-graha...

replies(2): >>45271686 #>>45282302 #
30. throwaway3060 ◴[] No.45270560{6}[source]
Many (not all) of those countries are fine with when it's a member of the second or third worlds committing atrocities. So no, there's no guts here. They perceive it's in their interest to call out some acts but not others - just like almost everyone else.
31. ThrowMeAway1618 ◴[] No.45270943{5}[source]
>It could have been another, unfortunately many children are dying right now.

Yeah. It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes.[0]

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOXvDGRvX70

32. breppp ◴[] No.45271686{4}[source]
You have simply given a false example.

Regarding antisemitism, it is unfortunately a two millennium old racist phenomenon, which shows itself in an obsession many persons had with Jews and their "influence on world politics". Behaviors include use of ritual scapegoating, where double standards are applied to the jews and then blame is shifted to them, culminating in ritual violence.

It's hard to delete 2000 years of western culture, so what you are seeing is mostly a rehash of this

This predated Israel by much and can be seen online for example by the unhealthy obsession with this conflict or even paranoid delusions considering Israel ("Israel killed Charlie Kirk cause I saw Nethanyahu respond to the murder" as can be seen in this thread)

In the above mentioned UN human right council you can see it in the fact 40% of decisions are about Israel while countries like Iran chair the committee. Or the fact there is a permanent clause (Article 7) meant to condemn Israel permanently, the only such country that had such a clause

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33. 8note ◴[] No.45271747{3}[source]
i saw this comment before going to take a look, but scrolling down from the top, the page seems to all be character assasination about Francesca Albanese and not disputing facts.

you can look for yourself - its the same as the "its funded by lunatics" comment, just swapping which lunatics.

if they've got arguments, they arent putting them forward as what they consider the most important.

replies(2): >>45272227 #>>45275570 #
34. protocolture ◴[] No.45271788[source]
The purpose of a tool like unwatch is to disseminate information to help zionists pollute discussions like these. They dont care about being right, or contributing information to the discussion, as much as they want to hand out gotchas, whatabouts, ad homs and so forth. Thats why its all just character assassination.
replies(1): >>45275824 #
35. ukblewis ◴[] No.45272177[source]
Proving the absence of something is kinda impossible… depends on if you believe in guilty until proven innocent or if you’re totally okay with going gung-ho into trusting the UN, a body led by the majority of non-democratic governments and used to try to destroy democracies
replies(1): >>45273240 #
36. ukblewis ◴[] No.45272385[source]
https://unwatch.org/un-watch-rebuttal-legal-analysis-of-pill... If you’re interested to see a rebuttal
replies(1): >>45278479 #
37. buyucu ◴[] No.45272591{3}[source]
Are you ok with ypu goverment comitting mass murder? That is the only question that matters.
replies(1): >>45277763 #
38. alexisread ◴[] No.45272691{9}[source]
The points still stand and remain unaddressed, that are:

Conflation of Israelis and Jews and the false claim of antisemitism.

The lack of evidence of UNRWA-Hamas association, such that Israel's claims are deemed baseless by multiple countries and they restart funding. That is not a UN decision, it is by each country and serves as a good benchmark for baseless.

As to some posts to Hamas members, Israel have called reporters Hamas members simply for reporting with Hamas members, so as far as a few posts go, classification is the issue here, to the point where Reuters and other news agencies have stopped sending the IDF their locations, as the IDF label them Hamas supporters and deliberately target them. Actions are a much more clear signal. In Lebanon, the IDF saying there were Hamas tunnels under hospitals was debunked by numerous news organisations like the BBC, Sky etc. This is the IDF here misclassifying and outright lying, let alone an Internet site.

Lastly, given that both Trump and Netanyahu have openly and on TV advocated ethnic cleansing, and that these comments get next to zero blowback, the US and Israel appear to be the morally bankrupt ones. If an internet site takes precedence over open admission by presidents, multiple country's decisions, evidence presented from an acknowledged organisation (and confirmed from multiple sources), then I'd argue that there's something amiss here.

39. rzk ◴[] No.45272718{3}[source]
> Except no-one has ever offered any proof UN Watch is “tied to Israel”

Here is Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch (https://x.com/HillelNeuer/status/1711844160804638980): “I just got off the phone with a third call with Prime Minister Netanyahu

40. raxxorraxor ◴[] No.45272953{6}[source]
It doesn't take "guts" to call out Israel in the forum of the UN. It is in 95% of cases just simple populism and nobody has to fear any consequences.
41. a_paddy ◴[] No.45273240{3}[source]
> guilty until proven innocent

Like how Israel treats Palestinians?

42. Hikikomori ◴[] No.45275570{4}[source]
Can't reply to the other guy.

The report states on the first page "most likely pro-Hamas lobby groups in those countries", very conclusive indeed.

The supposedly pro Hamas groups: The Australian Friends of Palestine Association and Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, as well as the Free Palestine Melbourne and Palestinian Christians in Australia.

Just regular old "its antisemitism" to say that Israel shouldn't be killing so many civilians. Hasbara has become so bad its laughable that they think this is a website worth taking seriously, or it would be if they were using Hasbara to keep killing civilians.

43. cowboylowrez ◴[] No.45275824{3}[source]
labeling information as pollution is sort of a red flag for me. I see this tactic used often, and its often followed up with accusations that don't even address the information labelled as pollution. now don't get me wrong, this tactic does work, it won trump two terms didn't it? I guess its just sort of a red flag for me as I'm not a trump fan. at least you didn't call it "fake news" so have an upvote, I'll take progress where I can get it lol
replies(1): >>45283797 #
44. gosub100 ◴[] No.45277762{5}[source]
I get the formula: commit genocide and then call critics an antisemite.
replies(1): >>45280107 #
45. dotancohen ◴[] No.45277763{4}[source]
No, I am not. That is why I oppose Hamas.
46. bigyabai ◴[] No.45278479{3}[source]
UN Watch is a documented Israeli lobbying group, and was discredited decades ago:

https://web.archive.org/web/20111222162658/https://www.googl...

I'd like to see a rebuttal from a government that isn't accused of genocide.

47. breppp ◴[] No.45280107{6}[source]
No, antisemitism is historically based on shifting blame and scapegoating. That's why the nazis were blaming Jews of genocide ("Germany must perish") while they were working on their destruction.

That's why an organization that used death squads to mass-execute civilians in entire towns (as was done by the Einsatzgruppen) gets to blame the side that bombs military targets (exactly the tactic used against nazis) with genocide

replies(1): >>45280599 #
48. blast ◴[] No.45280267{5}[source]
I don't think you responded to the argument there. He's not saying antisemitism isn't real. Of course it's real, and has been for a long time. He's saying that automatically tarring critics of Israel as antisemites is invalid.
49. this2shallPass ◴[] No.45282302{4}[source]
Plenty of people criticize Israel and are not antisemites. This is true of most Israelis. They generally criticize Israel in non-antisemitic ways. It is quite easy to do so.

Roger Waters is an antisemite.

Do people who have known Roger Waters his entire life think he is an antisemite because of his obsessive criticism of Israel, or because of all the other anti Jewish things he has said and done AND his singular obsession with Israel?

* https://variety.com/2023/music/news/roger-waters-antisemitic...

>In the 2023 documentary The Dark Side of Roger Waters, the >saxophonist Norbert Stachel recounts Waters refusing to eat >vegetarian >dishes in Lebanon, calling them “Jew food”. When >the musician explained >that most of his relatives had been >killed in the Holocaust, the singer did >a crude and offensive >impersonation of a Polish peasant woman, and said, >“Oh, I can >help you feel like you’re meeting your long-lost relatives. I >can introduce you to your dead grandmother.” > >Tellingly, Stachel also claimed to overhear Waters telling a >girlfriend that Judaism was not a race, saying, “They’re >white European men that grow beards and they practise the >religion Judaism, but they’re no different than me; they have >no difference in their background or their history or their >culture or anything.”

* https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/rogers-waters-anti...

I know less about Said.

He did write the forward to Shahak's Jewish History, Jewish Religion: The Weight of Three Thousand Years. The book is framed as an attack on Jewish fundamentalism.

Werner Cohn, Professor Emeritus at the University of British Colombia, writes: “He [Shahak] says (pp. 23-4) that "Jewish children are actually taught" to utter a ritual curse when passing a non-Jewish cemetery.[b] He also tells us (p. 34) that "both before and after a meal, a pious Jew ritually washes his hands....On one of these two occasions he is worshiping God... but on the other he is worshiping Satan..." I did take the trouble to question my orthodox rabbi nephew to find what might be behind such tall tales. He had no clue. If orthodox Jews were actually taught such hateful things, surely someone would have heard. Whom is Dr. Shahak kidding?”

Edward Said wrote the foreward to the second edition, calling Shahak “one of the most remarkable individuals in the contemporary Middle East.” Said writes that the book is “nothing less than a concise history of classic and modern Judaism, insofar as these are relevant to the understanding of modern Israel.”

At best Said endorses antisemites.

Tucker Carlson hosted Darryl Cooper, a podcaster known for promoting Holocaust revisionism and making historically inaccurate claims about World War II. He labeled Winston Churchill as the "chief villain" of the conflict. They perpetuated downplayed Nazi atrocities.

Sure seems antisemitic.

50. protocolture ◴[] No.45283797{4}[source]
Yeah thats a fair statement. Feel free to check me on this, but the front page of unwatch appears to be covered in attack/slander/talking points on Francesca Albanese, compare and contrast with say,the wiki talk page for her, which goes through each claim individually.
replies(1): >>45287929 #
51. FireBeyond ◴[] No.45285021{5}[source]
Hamas had much less power.

You imagine the future that suits your perspective and act like it's a fait accompli.

In reality, the PLO would have (and had been) quelling Hamas effectively. And then they were sitting at the negotiating table (after a rather ugly period). So Israel was facing awkward questions of "If Arafat is willing to negotiate, why aren't you?", so the Israeli far right locked in on the idea of "surreptitiously fund Hamas against the PLA/PLO".

Your imaginings count for nothing, because they're just your preconceived notion.

52. cowboylowrez ◴[] No.45287929{5}[source]
I read through some items regarding Albanese and I'll certainly confess to some bias against palestinians that hasn't really abated since the october 7 attacks. But the unwatch page was pretty helpful to me precisely because of its attention to detail. I doubt that my opinion is that important tho lol