Israel to go after human-rights groups

I'm proud to have dedicated this blog to the courageous Israeli human rights groups that tirelessly strive to protect individual rights and never hesitate to reveal the truth.

It turns out that several of them are to be investigated by a panel set up by the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's foreign minister and a settler, unsurprisingly led the drive to get the panel set up saying "leftist groups are terrorist collaborators".

Last week, MK Danny Danon announced the targets for investigation as (I provide links so you can check each one out to see just what Israel considers worthy of investigating)

B'tselem
The Center for Defense of the Individual (HaMoked)
Yesh Din
Ir Amim
The Public Committee against Torture in Israel
Peace Now (the American affiliate is linked)
Gisha
Association for Civil Rights ion Israel
Breaking the Silence
Machsom Watch
The Israeli Committee against Home Demolitions
Center for Alternative Information

I can't think of a more powerful indictment of the Israeli government than that it would go after these groups. This reminds me of the House Un-American Activities Committee that existed until 1975 in the United States, and was terminated because it was an embarrassment and had become a symbol of what truly was un-American.

I'm a big fan of wikileaks because it is instrumental in revealing the truth. Governments are always interested in hiding what they do from the light, Israel in particular because of the nature of what it does to the Palestinians, who are not considered deserving of even the most fundamental respect. What ties all the groups above together is there rejection of the idea that some people should have their rights respected and others should not.

This prompts me to write a letter to my representatives in Congress. This Israeli government is the same one that they automatically support. How can this be? And Monday is Martin Luther King Day!