search
Gregory Lyakhov
A Student Covering Politics And Policy

The Truth About Israel’s Human Rights Record

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks on the release of the 2022 Human Rights Report at the U.S. State Department on March 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. The annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, also known as the Human Rights Reports, documents and outlines the status of human and workers rights in 198 countries and territories around the world

(Official State Department photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks on the release of the 2022 Human Rights Report at the U.S. State Department on March 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. The annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, also known as the Human Rights Reports, documents and outlines the status of human and workers rights in 198 countries and territories around the world (Official State Department photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Israel is often accused of committing systematic human rights violations, but these claims ignore the brutal realities of the region and the extraordinary lengths Israel goes to protect its citizens—while still extending humanitarian aid to its enemies. These accusations are based on a dangerous oversimplification of the situation, one that overlooks key facts and misrepresents Israel’s efforts to uphold its democratic values in a hostile environment.

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, a region where human rights abuses are the norm. Its laws guarantee freedoms that are nonexistent in most of its neighboring countries, like freedom of speech, religion, and the press. Arab Israelis—20% of the population—are full citizens, voting, running for office, and even serving as judges in the Supreme Court. This is the reality of Israel’s human rights record: a diverse society where all citizens are guaranteed equal protection under the law. Can the same be said for any of its neighbors?

But when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the narrative changes. Critics rush to condemn Israel for the deaths of civilians, often ignoring the larger context: Israel is fighting for its survival. Hamas, the militant group controlling Gaza, launches rocket attacks from civilian areas, using men, women, and children as human shields. This forces Israel to defend itself in a way few countries in the world would ever have to—by targeting military sites in densely populated areas, knowing that some civilian casualties are inevitable. However, unlike most armies, Israel goes to extreme lengths to minimize these casualties. The IDF warns civilians before strikes, using phone calls, text messages, and even leaflets dropped from planes to give people a chance to evacuate. In 2014, Israel’s Operation Protective Edge killed 2,200 Palestinians, but 70% were combatants, not civilians.

Is this really the work of a country committing human rights abuses? Israel’s military is one of the most ethically guided in the world. In comparison, during the same conflict, Hamas used civilian infrastructure—like schools and hospitals— to launch rockets. Does the international community condemn Hamas for using children as shields? Rarely. Instead, they point fingers at Israel, ignoring the fact that Hamas explicitly aims to kill Israeli civilians and has vowed to destroy Israel as a state. Over 4,000 rockets were fired into Israel by Hamas in 2021, targeting cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Despite the threat of terrorism, Israel still extends aid to Palestinians. Every year, Israel allows thousands of Palestinians to enter its hospitals for life-saving medical treatment. In 2019, over 8,000 permits were issued for Palestinians in Gaza to receive care in Israeli hospitals. Can any other nation at war with a hostile neighbor claim the same? Despite the ongoing violence, Israel also provides food, water, and electricity to Gaza. It’s not the actions of a human rights violator; it’s the actions of a country trying to balance self-defense with moral responsibility.

At the same time, critics of Israel ignore its humanitarian efforts in the West Bank. Israel provides advanced medical technologies, water desalination systems, and infrastructure support to Palestinian territories, even though it’s fighting against groups that want to wipe it off the map. Israel’s enemies—Hamas and Iran—are not fighting for peace or coexistence; they are fighting for Israel’s destruction. Meanwhile, Israel is trying to coexist, trying to protect its citizens, and still providing aid to its enemies.

The accusations against Israel are rooted in a selective reading of the conflict. They focus on casualties while ignoring the fact that Israel does everything it can to avoid harming innocent civilians. The real human rights violations are the terrorism, the use of human shields, and the refusal of Israel’s enemies to recognize its right to exist. Israel may not be perfect—no country is—but it is far from the human rights violator it’s made out to be.

In the end, Israel’s human rights record isn’t perfect, but it’s not the one being systematically violated. Israel, despite facing relentless attacks and existential threats, has managed to maintain its democratic principles and protect its people. To accuse Israel of human rights violations is to ignore the brutal truth: Israel’s fight is one for survival in a region that offers no mercy.

About the Author
Gregory Lyakhov is one of the youngest advocates for Israel, still only in high school. His work has been featured in The New York Post, The Jerusalem Post, The Algemeiner, and The Times of Israel. He has also made appearances on Fox & Friends and Newsmax.
Related Topics
Related Posts