It should be pointed out that “Jeremy Haber” is the nom de plume used by the person blogging as “The Magnes Zionist.” He is another admirer of Phil Weiss and Mondoweiss, and his commendation of HRW should be understood in light of this.

It is ridiculous to congratulate Mr. Kampeas for this sham of an “interview” with Ms. Whitson.  That was not an interview in the real sense of the word, but rather the provision of an open mike for her to spin her story without any serious questioning.

“conscientiously reached out to me to answer my questions” - those were questions?

For a real critique of Ms. Whitson and HRW, have a look at David Bernstein’s posts to the Volokh Conspiracy (http://www.volokh.com).  The points Professor Bernstein raises are what Ms. Whitson and HRW should be called upon to answer.

This interview of Ms. Whitson by Mr. Kampeas reminds me very much of Bill Moyer’s interview of Reverend Wright after he became such a controversial figure because of his anti-Israel expressions.  Moyers, known for fawning interviews, outdid himself with that one.  Though Reverend Wright had gone to radio silence before then in an attempt to spare Obama and himself further embarassment during the campaign, and Moyers was getting an exclusive interview with this “progressive” firebrand UCC minister, Moyers challenged not a single thing Wright said, asking only the most softball of questions.

This is particularly so in this case, when folks like Steinberg of NGO Monitor are publishing lies about HRW, calling it a “subsidiary of Saudi Arabia” a “Saudi-supported human rights organization” (direct quotes from NRO, July 21). But Steinberg is known for his instinctive ability for tarring by association (in the same piece he writes that “HRW’s annual income grew as fast as Bernie Madoff’s balance sheets,” i.e., HRW=Madoff.

Your post brings needed perspective here. Yasher Koah.