(Washington, D.C., May 23, 2022)–B’nai B’rith President Seth J. Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

In a response to the forthcoming first report by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) latest anti-Israel “Commission of Inquiry,” or COI, B’nai B’rith International is releasing the first video in a four-part series of interviews with victims of Hamas rocket fire upon Israeli civilians last year.

In May 2021, the UNHRC created an unprecedented open-ended COI to “investigate” the new round of Palestinian-Israeli hostilities—and their “root causes”—in a resolution that, in typical fashion for the council, assigned blame to Israel and did not even mention Hamas. The UNHRC then announced a slate of commissioners with long records of anti-Israel attacks and built a swelling bureaucracy within the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to write a report based on the predetermined conclusions. B’nai B’rith has opted not to make a direct submission to a COI that is uninterested in the truth about Palestinian enmity toward Israel.

Instead, we are publicly releasing a video series to refute a COI that is in mandate and composition grossly biased against the Jewish state. The interviews in the series, conducted by B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Director Alan Schneider, will show viewers the reality of life in expansive parts of Israel that have endured terrorist rocket barrages for years.

Each interviewee, in their testimony, discusses the horror they experienced when Hamas rocket fire struck their apartment building in Ashdod, Israel, and their life since then. The interviews, starting with the first discussion with Rivka Gorenshtein, show the physical condition of the building months later, and the long-term trauma undergone by the victims, as well as their resiliency.

The most effective refutation of the lies chronically spread at the U.N. about Israel is the testimony of ordinary Israelis themselves. B’nai B’rith’s videos will be released once a week in the run-up to the COI’s first report and the upcoming UNHRC session, during which it will be discussed. All videos will be released on YouTube and B’nai B’rith’s other social media platforms.

The interviewees in this series were all recipients of aid through B’nai B’rith’s Israel Emergency Fund, which remains permanently open to ensure a quick response when Israel is under attack from enemies or suffers a natural disaster. Please click here to donate to our efforts to ensure basic security for all Israelis.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org.