New York, NY, August 4, 2006 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today criticized a Human Rights Watch report for its "irrational rush to judgment" against Israel for its military actions in south Lebanon.  The report, "Fatal Strikes: Israel's Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians in Lebanon," ignores Hezbollah's indiscriminate targeting of civilians in Israel while focusing on civilian casualties in Lebanon.

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

Once again, Human Rights Watch has reached a skewed conclusion in its review of Israel's actions in an armed conflict with its neighbors.  In an irrational rush to judgment, Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of indiscriminately attacking Lebanese civilians.

The report looks at Israel's military activity in a vacuum, ignoring the threats to Israel's security and existence, ignoring the intentions and growing capabilities of its enemies, and ignoring the cynical actions of those who seek to hurt Israel and its citizens on the ground, or to make Israel look bad in the eyes of the world.

Israel, like any country, has a right to defend itself, and does so with every effort to prevent civilian casualties that, while tragic, are unavoidable during war.  It is especially difficult to minimize the harm to civilians against an enemy who purposely operates from within the midst of a civilian population in callous disregard of the consequences to those civilians.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.