Israel Matzav

Berwick a member of anti-Israel Physicians for Human Rights

I'm sure many of you in the US recall Donald Berwick, President Obama's choice for Medicare administrator, who was pushed through during a Senate recess so that he would not have to be confirmed. Well, it turns out that Berwick is also involved in the anti-Israel Physicians for Human Rights and has quite an anti-Israel record.

Berwick’s backing of the Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) group dates back to the year 2000, when he donated thousands of dollars to the organization after the outbreak of the Second Intifada, also known as the Oslo War.

Part of PHR’s mission was to conduct “a medical and forensic investigation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] from October 20-27, 2000 to investigate allegations of excessive use of force, including the use of prohibited ammunition in the current conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian demonstrators and authorities."

In its probe of the IDF’s counter terrorist operation in Jenin in 2002, the physicians’ group issued seven reports critical of Israel while totally ignoring the fact that the civilians were asked to leave Jenin and that 11 IDF soldiers were killed in hand to hand combat in a residential area infested by snipers. This heavy price was paid as the IDF refrained from prior bombing so as to avoid civilian casualties. They also made no mention of human rights violations in Iran and Iraq. PHR also gav an award to a Gaza activist who justified bombings of Israelis afterwards.

In 2008, Dr. Berwick joined the board of PHR, joining Richard Goldstone, who later authored the United Nations report accusing Israel of war crimes in the three-week Operation Cast Lead against the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza in the winter of 2008-2009, while barely mentioning the prior nine years of rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.

A statement by the PHR was part of the basis of the Goldstone Report. PHR director Frank Donaghue stated about Gaza, ignoring the traumatized children of the Israeli town of Sderot and the Israeli communities near Gaza, "The parties to this horrific conflict are choking an entire population -- threatening access to food, shelter, medical care, and creating daily terror and insecurity. No military objectives can justify this."

I'm sure President Obama knew nothing about this when he appointed Berwick.

/sarc

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:24 AM