To the Editor:

Bravo to Adrian Karatnycky and Arch Puddington for their article about Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch [“The Human-Rights Lobby Meets Terrorism,” January]. I had not known that both groups support the Palestinians’ “right of return”—a “right” that even a dove like Amos Oz agrees would mean “the elimination of Israel”—but I cannot say that I was surprised to learn of the depth of their animosity toward the Jewish state.

Some months ago, I attended a Human Rights Watch film festival in New York and was shocked by the audience’s response to Souha: Surviving Hell, a documentary about Souha Becharre. In 1989, this young Lebanese woman—a Christian and a Communist—slipped into the home of General Antoine Lahad, leader of the South Lebanon Army, Israel’s ally at the time, and shot him twice in the chest. Somehow, he survived. After serving ten years in prison, Souha was released. The film takes us with her as she journeys triumphantly through Lebanon, cheered by admirers at Communist and Hizbullah rallies held in her honor.

The audience at the film festival cheered happily along with Souha’s admirers on screen. I had never quite grasped the ugly, partisan nature of much “human-rights” activism.

Gary Spruch
New York City

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