Human Rights Watch Director Tweet Blames Israeli Gov’t for Rise in UK Antisemitism

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Executive Director Kenneth Roth appeared to blame the Israeli government in part for the recent spike in antisemitism in Britain.

Roth tweeted on July 18, “Antisemitism is always wrong, and it long preceded the creation of Israel, but the surge in UK antisemitic incidents during the recent Gaza conflict gives the lie to those who pretend that the Israeli government’s conduct doesn’t affect antisemitism.” His tweet linked to a July 15 Haaretz article stating that antisemitic incidents have increased by 365% from May 8-June 7.

https://twitter.com/KenRoth/status/1416677432904585217

Various Jewish groups and pro-Israel Twitter users accused Roth of justifying antisemitism.

“There should be no justification for #antisemitism or those who perpetrate it,” Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted. “Blaming Israel for the recent rise in violent antisemitic incidents, instead of blaming the antisemitic actors themselves, is plainly false and offensive.”

There should be no justification for #antisemitism or those who perpetrate it.
Blaming Israel for the recent rise in violent antisemitic incidents, instead of blaming the antisemitic actors themselves, is plainly false and offensive. pic.twitter.com/nAEsK6UGPx

— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) July 19, 2021

American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris similarly tweeted, “[Roth] tries to have it both ways: ‘Antisemitism is always wrong…but.’ No, antisemitism is always wrong, period. Just as racism is always wrong, period. Coming from an alleged human rights defender, totally & utterly despicable.”

Single most vile word in @KenRoth tweet? “but”

He tries to have it both ways: “Antisemitism is always wrong…but.”

No, antisemitism is always wrong, period.

Just as racism is always wrong, period.

Coming from an alleged human rights defender, totally & utterly despicable. https://t.co/qL2e7Z0q5A

— David Harris (@DavidHarrisNY) July 19, 2021

Tablet Senior Writer Yair Rosenberg also tweeted, “Here’s the director of Human Rights Watch blaming Jews for antisemitism. Antisemites, like all bigots, have used alleged acts of their targets to justify attacks on them (‘they killed Jesus! they swindle!’). Obscene for an ostensible human rights group to push their propaganda.” He added in a later tweet: “Antisemitism wasn’t caused by Jews ‘killing Jesus’ in the Middle East centuries ago. That was the bigot’s excuse. Antisemitism isn’t caused by Israeli actions in 2021. That’s the bigot’s excuse. Antisemitism is caused by the hate of the bigot, who will always find a new excuse.”

https://twitter.com/Yair_Rosenberg/status/1416788247490056195?s=20

https://twitter.com/Yair_Rosenberg/status/1416792989867954182?s=20

Human rights attorney and International Legal Forum CEO Arsen Ostrovsky asked in a tweet if Roth has ever said, “’Racism is wrong, but … ‘ ‘Homophobia is wrong, but … ’ ‘Islamophobia is wrong, but … ’ No. So, why the excuse for #antisemitism? What a shameful and inexcusable post!”

Has @KenRoth of @hrw ever said:

* "Racism is wrong, but … "
* "Homophobia is wrong, but … "
* "Islamophobia is wrong, but … "

No.

So, why the excuse for #antisemitism?

What a shameful and inexcusable post! https://t.co/6lX4XXgQi3

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) July 19, 2021

UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer noted that Roth had issued his tweet during Tisha B’Av “when Jews mourn the destruction of their Temple & sovereignty in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Since then, the Jews faced burnings, expulsions and the Holocaust. Now there is Israel. We’re thrilled & proud. And we’ll never take lessons from an antisemite.”

Ken, today is Tisha B'Av, when Jews mourn the destruction of their Temple & sovereignty in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.

Since then, the Jews faced burnings, expulsions and the Holocaust.

Now there is Israel. We're thrilled & proud. And we'll never take lessons from an antisemite.

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 18, 2021

Roth defended his tweet, writing on Twitter: “Interesting how many people pretend that this tweet justifies antisemitism (it doesn’t and I don’t under any circumstances) rather than address the correlation noted in the Haaretz article between recent Israeli government conduct in Gaza and the rise of UK antisemitic incidents.”

Interesting how many people pretend that this tweet justifies antisemitism (it doesn't and I don't under any circumstances) rather than address the correlation noted in the Haaretz article between recent Israeli government conduct in Gaza and the rise of UK antisemitic incidents.

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) July 18, 2021

But Sam Sokol, the author of the Haaretz article, tweeted that Roth had used “an article I wrote to try and bolster his point. And it does nothing of the sort.”

And he had to use an article I wrote to try and bolster his point. And it does nothing of the sort

— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) July 18, 2021

British journalist David Collier tweeted in response to Roth’s defense, “Not what people are saying Ken – People are talking about your ‘but’. You would never write a tweet about another racism with the word ‘but’ included. Is your revelation that the existence of Israel – the Jewish state- makes antisemites angry? Or did you have another point?”

Not what people are saying Ken –

People are talking about your 'but'. You would never write a tweet about another racism with the word 'but' included.

Is your revelation that the existence of Israel – the Jewish state- makes antisemites angry?

Or did you have another point?

— David Collier (@mishtal) July 18, 2021

Benjamin Weinthal, The Jerusalem Post’s European Affairs Correspondent and Research Fellow for the Foundations for Defense of Democracies, tweeted that Roth was “scrambling to do damage control. @KenRoth praised the Iranian regime’s antisemitic foreign minister [Javad Zarif] Roth remains silent about Iranian regime Holocaust denial and genocidal antisemitism.”

https://twitter.com/BenWeinthal/status/1416817973105500168?s=20

Human Rights Watch did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment.

UPDATE: Roth announced on July 20 that he deleted his earlier tweet on antisemitism, stating it had been “misinterpreted.”

I deleted an earlier tweet because people misinterpreted its wording. I repost the Haaretz article here without commentary: "UK Antisemitism Rose to Record Levels During Israel-Gaza Fighting" "The most intense period of anti-Jewish hatred in recent years." https://t.co/DjpKpjzmo6

— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) July 20, 2021