Russell Tribunal on Palestine

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Raji Sourani

Raji Sourani		Is he objective?

		Director of Palestinian Center for Human Rights which describes itself as "dedicated to protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, and upholding democratic principles in the Occupied Palestinian Territories."
		PCHR regularly describes Israel's policies as “apartheid” and accuses Israel of ethnic cleansing and war crimes.
		On January 21, 2009, PCHR alleged that there had been 1,285 Palestinian deaths in the Gaza War, including 895 civilians (nearly 70%). On March 12, 2009, it released different numbers – 1,417 dead, including 926 civilians, 255 police officers, and 236 “resistance fighters” (65% civilians; 83% if police officers considered non-combatants)
		On “resistance”: PCHR Regularly refers to indiscriminate attacks on Israeli civilians as “resistance” and rockets that caused injuries to Palestinians as “misuse of weapons.” PCHR “call[ed] …upon Palestinian resistance groups to be far away from [the Palestinian] civilian populated area when conducting military actions.”
		After then French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin referred to Hezbollah attacks as terrorism, PCHR compared this “legitimate Lebanese resistance against Israeli occupation in Lebanon” to “French resistance during the Nazi occupation.”
		On March 15, 2010, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemned the rededication of the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem as a “war crime,” and called on EU member states to boycott Israeli goods in protest. The Hurva Synagogue, built during the 1700s, was destroyed by Jordanian forces after they attacked and expelled the Jewish population of the Old City in 1948.