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Rights group in hot water over Israel criticism
One of the world's leading human rights groups is battling a barrage of criticism for lashing out at Israel's record while allegedly soft-pedaling violations by Saudi Arabia.
The latest accusation against Human Rights Watch came from an unlikely critic Tuesday, as former chairman Robert Bernstein blasted the group he helped found for "helping those who wish to turn Israel into a pariah state."
Bernstein's charges, in an opinion piece published in The New York Times, revived debate over the organization that ranks as a respected leader in its field along with Amnesty International.
HRW, which counts over 275 staff members posted around the globe and publishes reports on some 90 countries each year, has been forced to issue a series of red-faced statements in recent months amid charges of anti-Israel bias and a soft stance toward authoritarian regimes.