B'TSELEM

B'Tselem: translation

(The Israeli Information Center For Human Rights in the Occupied Territories)

Israeli group established in 1989 specifically to "document andeducatethe Israeli public and policymakers about [Israeli] human rights violations in theOccupied Territories" and to "help create a human rights culture in Israel." The wordB'TseleminHebrewliterally means "in the image of," as in "And God created humans in his image. In the image of God did He create him" (Genesis 1:27). While highly regarded internationally, B'Tselem has been criticized for employing excessive and inflammatory rhetoric in its depiction of Israeli actions, exaggeratingPalestiniancasualty rates, relying on anecdotal evidence, and automatically rejecting Israeli evidence as "tainted," and giving lip-service to legitimate Israeli security concerns while ignoring Palestinianterroristprovocations.

See alsoArab-Israeli Conflict.