New York, NY, October 14, 2003 … Incensed over Amnesty International's most recent misguided foray into Mideast politics, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today criticized the human rights organization for its "blatant disregard of context and facts" with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.  In a press release issued from its London headquarters, Amnesty International condemned Israel for its military actions on October 10 and 12 in Rafah, Gaza, and accused Israel of committing "war crimes" against the Palestinians.

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

Once again, Amnesty International has condemned Israeli actions with barbed rhetoric while ignoring Palestinian terrorism against civilians.  Amnesty has consistently shown blatant disregard of context and facts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and this is just the latest in a long line of one-sided proclamations against the Jewish state. 

Israel was forced to undertake this action to prevent the barefaced smuggling of weapons and military equipment by Palestinian terrorist groups across the border with Egypt.  The underground tunnels Israel destroyed were situated in highly populated residential areas, with many of them deliberately placed adjacent to or connected to private homes. 

As we have come to expect, Amnesty proceeded to condemn Israel while ignoring or dismissing the context and facts that led to the Israeli operation.