Copies of Amnesty International’s report named “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity” are seen at a press conference at the St George Hotel, in East Jerusalem, February 1, 2022. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

i24 News – The executive director of Amnesty International’s Israel branch criticized the human rights organization’s recent report accusing Israel of apartheid.

In an interview with Zman Yisrael, Molly Malekar said that the report released earlier this month does more harm than good.

“I do not see what goals this report promotes, and I do see how it may harm our goals — the promotion of human rights in Israel and the occupied territories,” Malekar said.

She described the report as too broad, for example failing to distinguish between Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank.

“They are treated as perpetual, passive victims of apartheid, devoid of any rights and agency,” Malekar said. “They [Amnesty] turn them into victims, into an object. This is neither true nor helpful.”

Malekar continued: “There is discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel, but they have rights, some in key positions; they are campaigning and influencing, and this should be recognized, appreciated and encouraged.”

The report, which claims that Palestinians are treated as “an inferior racial group,” drew a harsh rebuke from the Israeli government, with Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid saying that “Amnesty quotes lies spread by terrorist organizations.”

The US rejected the findings of the report that Israel commits apartheid against the Palestinians. The UK also dismissed the accusations of apartheid leveled at Israel.

Malekar said that the report was written by Amnesty International’s London-based Secretariat, taking four years to complete. During that period, there were heated arguments between some employees and board members of the local Israeli branch and the World Secretariat, as well as Israeli activists who supported the report.