ISRAELI WAR CRIMES IN GAZA WERE OMITTED FROM AMERICA’S “HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT”

Following Alterations, This Year’s Report Scales Back The Scrutiny Of America’s Allies While Intensifying False Claims Against Its Rivals.

The American State Department on August 12^threleased its key annual report on global human rights abuses, but notably omitted many of the violations committed by its allies and partners.

Covering the previous year’s events, the 2024 State Department Human Rights Report was significantly shortened and stripped of many sections compared to past editions.

Notably, the report was issued months later than it was supposed to, after President Donald Trump’s appointees drastically altered an earlier draft to align with “America First” values, according to government officials who spoke under the condition of anonymity.

The report’s approach to individual countries varied sharply, with some American allies facing mild criticism, others spared from any major scrutiny, and adversaries subjected to extensive condemnation – a pattern critics say reflects political selectivity.

Israel’s section was far shorter than in the 2023 edition, omitting last year’s executive summary language that said Israel’s war in Gaza had killed tens of thousands, injured many more, displaced the vast majority of Palestinians in the enclave, and caused a severe humanitarian crisis.

Allegations of torture of Palestinian detainees by security agencies and police, as well as any mention of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, were also removed.

What remains after the alterations is a brief reference to arbitrary arrests and killings, alongside a note that the authorities had taken “credible steps” to identify those responsible, and an entry that refers to Hamas and Hezbollah only in a sparse section on reports of war crimes.

The report delivers mild criticism of some European states, accusing the UK, Germany, and France of imposing “serious restrictions” on freedom of expression.

It applies far harsher language to rivals, citing Russia for the death of opposition figure Aleksey Navalny in a prison known for harsh conditions and alleged torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and war crimes in Ukraine, including deportations of civilians and children and the use of forced labor.

The China section repeats earlier findings of genocide and crimes against humanity against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other minorities, and says Beijing took no credible steps to identify or punish those responsible.

Amanda Klesing of Amnesty International warned that the report sends a “chilling message” that Washington will overlook abuses when they serve its political agenda.

“With the release of the State Department’s Human Rights Report, it is clear that the Trump Administration has engaged in a very selective documentation of human rights abuses in certain countries,” Klesing said.

“We have criticized past reports when warranted, but have never seen reports quite like this,” she added.