In London, Jewish Human Rights Watch Launches With A Demo Against War On Want

These posters can be downloaded via JHRW's website

The UK-based charity War On Want, founded in the 1950s to fight poverty and deprivation in the developing world, has developed into a particularly vicious politically-motivated anti-Israel organisation, as itemised by NGO Monitor here.

Needless to say, the charity is in the forefront of the BDS movement,  and given that, and War on Want's overall Israel-demonising nastiness, it's not inappropriate that one of the first tasks of a new anti-BDS group has been to demonstrate outside War on Want's headquarters.

The new group is called the Jewish Human Rights Watch, and this is what it's had to say in an initial press release:

'Today we announce the arrival of Jewish Human Rights Watch, a new organisation dedicated to exposing the anti-Semitic and racist BDS Boycott Divestment Sanctions.

We are at 0830 this morning [Monday] gathered outside War On Want Headquarters (44-48 Shepherdess Walk, London N17JP) to protest against War On Want’s “War on Jews”.

For several years now War On Want has lead BDS actions against the Jewish community with their boycotting of Jewish goods, businesses, artists and academics.

Having just marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we find it both shocking and distressing that War On Want should be complicit in organising boycotts of Jews, akin to those the Jews suffered in Nazi Germany.

At a time of rising attacks on Jews across Europe, War On Want must understand that their actions are contributing to the incitement of hatred of the British Jewish community.

We therefore call upon War On Want to end its discriminatory policies and dissociate itself from BDS.' 

JHRW's Yochy Davis

Moreover, notes its website here:

'As the Jewish Human Rights Watch (JHRW) movement hit the streets of London this morning with its first Protest, they came face to face with the Head of the target organisation War On Want.

“At a time of rising attacks on Jews across Europe, War On Want must understand that their actions are contributing to the incitement of hatred of the British Jewish community” it was put to Mr Hilary....

A peaceful but passionate exchange of views and opinions were delivered between the Jewish Human Rights protesters and Mr Hilary. When questioned about the BDS drive for boycotting Jewish goods, academia, arts and more, Mr Hilary failed to give direct or convincing responses.

War on Want proudly leads the anti-Semitic BDS here in the UK.  Jewish Human Rights Watch calls on them to dissociate themselves from BDS and its indiscriminatory policies.'

For more on this new group see here

And be sure to look at blogger Richard Millett's post this week on War and Want and blogger Edgar Davidson's current exposé of War On Want