Media’s Silent Partner? Unmasking Anti-Israel Bias in Human Rights Monitor’s Coverage

Can we trust Euro-Med Monitor’s when its narratives reveal bias and anti-Israel conspiracy theories?

By Chaim Lax, Honest Reporting

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor describes itself as a “youth-led independent, nonprofit organization that advocates for the human rights of all persons across Europe and the MENA region, particularly those who live under occupation, in the throes of war or political unrest and/or have been displaced due to persecution or armed conflict.”

However, behind this humanitarian mask lies an organization steeped in anti-Israel bias, conspiracy theories, and activism. This has not, however, stopped international media from citing some of Euro-Med Monitor’s most outrageous charges against Israel.

As noted by NGO Monitor, Euro-Med Monitor has published articles that accuse Israel of “apartheid,” “genocide,” and “ethnic cleansing,” and has issued calls for an arms embargo as well as sanctions against the Jewish state.

Among the more extreme conspiracy theories published by Euro-Med Monitor are claims that Israel is engaged in organ trafficking, that the IDF engages in extra-judicial killing, and that Israel has used doctored photos to cover up these executions.

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🇵🇸🇮🇱ORGAN THEFT IN GAZA | NGO ACCUSES ISRAEL

Euro-Med Monitor, a group of 68 human rights organizations in 30 countries, has accused Israel of harvesting organs from Palestinian bodies in Gaza.

Euro-Med: “Israel is the world’s biggest hub for the illegal trade of human organs… https://t.co/VJXWgEkq51 pic.twitter.com/6M5gvHMc4J

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 27, 2023

The perfect example of Euro-Med Monitor’s anti-Israel obsession is its output following Hamas’ brutal October 7 invasion of southern Israel.

Since that day, the organization has published close to 100 articles on Israel and the war in Gaza, documenting what it deems to be Israel’s transgressions in the coastal enclave.

At the same time, not one article has been published about the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel on October 7, the ongoing hostage situation, or the persistent rocket fire directed at Israeli civilians since then.

In fact, in less than 20% of these Gaza war-related articles are either October 7 or Hamas even mentioned at all. When they are mentioned in passing, it is simply to provide context for Israel’s actions in Gaza.

For an organization that claims to be dedicated to “human rights,” it is clear that the rights of Israelis do not figure into its supposed fight for justice.

Euro-Med Monitor’s troubling agenda is a mirror of the ideology of its staff and leadership.

Founder Ramy Abdu has been accused of being one of Hamas’ “main operatives” in Europe, Chief of Progammes Muhammad Shehada (who was previously profiled by HonestReporting) has a history of whitewashing Palestinian terrorism, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Richard Falk is a former UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories who has promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories and has compared the Jewish state to Nazi Germany.

Yet, despite Euro-Med Monitor’s clear anti-Israel agenda and questionable leadership, both the organization and its staff have recently been cited in both the mainstream and alternative media.

CNN cited the “NGO” in a report on Israel’s detention of suspected Hamas members in Gaza while EuroNews and Metro UK both published articles based on claims made by the organization.

EuroNews’ reliance on the “human rights group” is particularly egregious as it published the organization’s conspiracy theory-driven report on alleged Israeli human trafficking.

In addition, Muhammad Shehada has recently been quoted by the BBC, Metro UK, Middle East Eye, and the anti-Israel outlet Electronic Intifada.

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Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said on that Israeli army forces have been carrying out field executions against civilians, after detaining them from their homeshttps://t.co/8fgkIWFfC7

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) December 26, 2023

With its flagrant anti-Israel bias (which includes stooping to medieval anti-Jewish tropes) and prejudiced leadership, should mainstream news outlets like CNN and the BBC be relying on Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor as a legitimate source for reporting on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas?