A leading Israeli rights group said Wednesday it will stop seeking investigations of Israeli soldiers suspected of abusing Palestinians, arguing that internal military probes have failed to deliver justice and effectively help whitewash half a century of occupation.
In a rebuke to the military justice system, the Israeli group B'Tselem said military investigations are deeply flawed and create a "mere semblance of justice."
Hagai El-Ad, the group's executive director, said B'Tselem would stop cooperating with a system it cannot trust.
"The system's real function is cover-ups," he said. He said once the group reached that "painful conclusion ... we found it morally unacceptable for us to continue working in the same way."
Israel is the only country in the mid-east where a rights group such as this could exist. If such a group existed in an Arab country they would all be thrown in prison and never seen again. Except in Saudi Arabia, where they would be publicly flogged.
I disagree with many policies of Israel and I am strongly opposed to Netanyahu, but it is the only country in the mid-east where the actions government can be freely criticized. And that is one of the most fundamental of all human rights.
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