freepalestine
11th January 2011, 04:57
Israeli FM says leftist NGOs aid terror
Published today 01:35
http://www.revleft.com/vb/images/ViewDetails/Eng-1.jpg http://www.revleft.com/vb/images/ViewDetails/Eng+1.jpg
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Outspoken Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday accused local left-wing activist groups of aiding militants who seek to harm Israel's security.
"It is clear that we are talking here of organisations which are pure accomplices to terror," he told members of his ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party in remarks broadcast on army radio.
"Their entire aim is to weaken [the Israeli military] and to weaken its resolve to defend citizens of the state of Israel," he said.
The radio said Lieberman also criticised members of his party who did not support a measure last week to launch a parliamentary investigation into the funding of human rights groups allegedly helping to build war-crimes cases abroad against Israeli military personnel.
The scope and details of the inquiry, which is being championed by Yisrael Beitenu, are still to be finalised by the parliament's House Committee.
Physicians for Human Rights, one of the NGOs likely to be a target if such an inquiry goes ahead, challenged Lieberman on Monday to find any impropriety in its accounts.
"If Minister Lieberman, or other officials for that matter, have suspicions about our work or grounds on which to file a complaint against us, we encourage them to do so. We don't have anything to hide," it said in a statement.
"Our activities, which aim to bring about a more fair and inclusive society, are carried out by hundreds of committed volunteers, physicians, and staff. Minister Lieberman could learn a thing or two from them, especially with regards to the values of fairness, compassion, and democracy," it said.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said on Monday that Lieberman's anger showed that his policies did not have wall-to-wall support even among fellow conservatives in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.
"It turns out that even among right-wing Knesset members, he finds potential traitors," it said in a statement.
"Time and again, the foreign minister proves that he does not understand how civil society operates in a democratic country. The role of human rights organisations is to criticise, hold up a mirror and point out possible failures by the authorities," it added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=349983
Published today 01:35
http://www.revleft.com/vb/images/ViewDetails/Eng-1.jpg http://www.revleft.com/vb/images/ViewDetails/Eng+1.jpg
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Outspoken Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday accused local left-wing activist groups of aiding militants who seek to harm Israel's security.
"It is clear that we are talking here of organisations which are pure accomplices to terror," he told members of his ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party in remarks broadcast on army radio.
"Their entire aim is to weaken [the Israeli military] and to weaken its resolve to defend citizens of the state of Israel," he said.
The radio said Lieberman also criticised members of his party who did not support a measure last week to launch a parliamentary investigation into the funding of human rights groups allegedly helping to build war-crimes cases abroad against Israeli military personnel.
The scope and details of the inquiry, which is being championed by Yisrael Beitenu, are still to be finalised by the parliament's House Committee.
Physicians for Human Rights, one of the NGOs likely to be a target if such an inquiry goes ahead, challenged Lieberman on Monday to find any impropriety in its accounts.
"If Minister Lieberman, or other officials for that matter, have suspicions about our work or grounds on which to file a complaint against us, we encourage them to do so. We don't have anything to hide," it said in a statement.
"Our activities, which aim to bring about a more fair and inclusive society, are carried out by hundreds of committed volunteers, physicians, and staff. Minister Lieberman could learn a thing or two from them, especially with regards to the values of fairness, compassion, and democracy," it said.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said on Monday that Lieberman's anger showed that his policies did not have wall-to-wall support even among fellow conservatives in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.
"It turns out that even among right-wing Knesset members, he finds potential traitors," it said in a statement.
"Time and again, the foreign minister proves that he does not understand how civil society operates in a democratic country. The role of human rights organisations is to criticise, hold up a mirror and point out possible failures by the authorities," it added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=349983