B'Tselem (Hebrew בצלם, "in the image of", as in Genesis 1:27) is an non-governmental organization (NGO) that describes itself as The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. It was founded in 1989 by a group of Israeli public figures, including lawyers, academics, journalists, and members of Knesset.

B'Tselem stated goals are to document and inform the Israeli public and policymakers about what it views as human rights violations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to fight what it sees as "denial" (which it believes is common amongst Israelis), and to help inculcate a "human rights culture" in Israel. The organization has published over one hundred reports on what it views as human rights violations, including torture, fatal shootings by security forces, restriction on movement, expropriation of land and discrimination in planning and building in East Jerusalem, administrative detention, house demolitions, and settler violence. The organization serves as a source of information for journalists, researchers and the diplomatic community at the national and international level. B'Tselem's activities receive extensive media coverage.

B'Tselem also campaigns against the death penalty. On 17 February 2005, the organization called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to commute the sentences of Palestinians condemned to death and abolish the death penalty. Abbas had shortly before ratified the death sentences of a number of Palestians accused of collaborating with Israel or of other criminal charges.

B'Tselem is funded by contributions from foundations in Israel, Europe, and North America, and by private individuals in Israel and abroad.

Criticism

B'Tselem has been criticized by NGO Monitor for having a "political agenda" and using "outdated sources" and "abusive and demonizing rhetoric designed to elicit political support for Palestinians" [1]

The organization is also assailed for its casualty statistics. Critics regularly complain that B'Tselem includes armed combatants among its Palestinian casualty counts. According to Tamar Sternthal of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), "B'Tselem has a very loose definition of the term 'civilian', including countless Palestinians who were killed while they attacked Israelis." [2]

The Independent Media Review and Analysis (IMRA) has also taken issue with B'Tselem's statistics. In response to the latter's 2004 summary of casualties, IMRA argued that "the figures reported by B'Tselem about noncombatant minors includes children shielding combatants as they prepare and launch Qassam rockets or shielding gunmen as they engage in battle against Israeli forces." This was in response to a clarification by B'Tselem that the term "did not participate in hostilities" may include individuals killed while next to those participating in hostilities, thereby acting as a "human shield". [3]

External links

• B'Tselem official hompeage
• NGO Monitor's criticisms of B'Tselem