Omar Shakir and (Human Rights Watch) HRW have had their day in court. In fact, multiple days in different courts, including today’s ruling from Israel’s High Court. The ruling clearly states that Shakir is a long-standing BDS activist and that his role at HRW has been to advance BDS and related campaigns. Shakir’s work has very little, if anything, to do with protecting human rights. NGO Monitor has highlighted these central concerns since Shakir was hired.

NGO Monitor’s Daniel Laufer responded to the ruling saying: “Most important is not whether Shakir remains or is required to leave. Our purpose in joining the case was to set the record straight after seeing HRW’s disinformation campaign regarding Shakir’s active involvement in BDS. We are glad that these issues were fully litigated in public via the Israeli court system under a thorough and open process. The extensive due process afforded Shakir belies HRW’s offensive comparisons of Israel to dictatorships like North Korea and Venezuela, and in the ongoing NGO political warfare.”
Attourney  Maurice Hirsch said in a statement: “The ruling of Israel’s Supreme Court to approve the decision not to renew the work permit of Omar Shakir and to require him to leave Israel is an important expression of Israeli democracy. The Court confirms that, while in Israel, Shakir spent his time unjustifiably vilifying Israel and promoting Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activities. Despite his claims, Shakir’s work had very little, if anything, to do with protecting human rights.”