What Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli right really mean when they invoke ‘Greater Israel’ | Daniel Levy The concept is about much more than acquiring territory, it is also about Netanyahu’s desire for Israel to become a regional superpower, says Daniel Levy, president of the US/Middle East Project

What Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli right really mean when they invoke ‘Greater Israel’ | Daniel Levy

Hungary: New Government Needs to Restore Rule of Law Hungary’s incoming government should take immediate steps to restore fundamental rights, dismantle abusive laws and institutions, and strengthen democratic institutions, after years of backsliding, Hu...

🚨 New from @hrw.org: #Hungary’s New Government Needs to Restore Rule of Law

Suspend Sovereignty Protection Office; End Rule by Decree; Restore Assembly Rights

👀Countries elected to the UN's (anti) NGO Committee:

Cameroon, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Estonia, India, Israel, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, UAE, UK & US.

"Unfortunately, the near-total lack of competition meant other abusive governments had seats on this crucial committee handed to them on a silver platter, a jarring reminder of why all UN elections should be competitive.” - Widad Franco for @hrw.org

“UN member countries rightfully rejected #Belarus, a government that persecutes human rights defenders and has effectively outlawed civil society, as unfit for the NGO Committee." - Widad Franco, UN advocate at @hrw.org.

But there's also some bad news...

😀 Some good news from the UN. ECOSOC elected new members of the NGO Committee, the UN's gatekeeper for civil society. (Most members are hostile to civil society, esp. human rights groups.)

BUT - fortunately Central/East Europe's group had competition. #Belarus lost!👏

@hrw.org's reaction follows. 🧵

The obscure UN committee in New York that can freeze out NGOs - Geneva Solutions An obscure body in New York holds outsized power over which NGOs can enter the United Nations. Campaigners say states hostile to scrutiny have turned it into a tool to keep critics out.

📰: ISHR's Maithili Pai and @loucharb.bsky.social spoke to @genevasolutions.bsky.social ahead of the election.

'In the current context of shrinking civic space, when something gets lost, it’s very hard to get back.'

🚨 @hrw.org Amnesty USA @aclu.org and 200+ other groups & experts call for an end to #Trump’s threats of war crimes and call for accountability.

The signatories say: "A threat to wipe out 'a whole civilization' may amount to a threat of genocide."

Full statement 👉 www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/u...

Landmark UN Resolution on the Slave Trade Commemorating the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the United Nations General Assembly passed a landmark resolution on March 25.

A global majority adopted a landmark UN resolution to advance reparations for injustices linked to enslavement legacies.

Who didn't vote in favor of the resolution? Many Global North countries facing calls for reparatory justice.

The time for action is now.

www.hrw.org/news/2026/03... @hrw.org

Starting shortly!

Fearing economic collapse after war, Iran cracks down on dissent A month into its war with the United States and Israel, Iran is trying to forestall any spark of domestic unrest with arrests, executions and massive street deployments by security forces and supporte...

Fearing economic collapse after war, #Iran cracks down on dissent—@reuters.com

Quotes me: "Iranian authorities continue to carry out waves of arrests targeting real & perceived dissidents, members of Iran's ethnic and religious minorities including Baha'is & people who share reports...of strikes."

UN Committee Should Promote, Not Oppose, Civil Society The United Nations will hold elections in April for the 19 members of the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which controls UN accreditation for nongovernmental groups.

Countries that support civil society should run for seats on the UN’s NGO Committee. The election is largely uncompetitive, which means almost everyone running will get a seat. We can see prevent that with competition! www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

Middle East Conflict: Rhetoric, Actions Flout Laws of War The geographic spread, speed of escalation, and open disregard for international norms by all parties one month into the Middle East conflict are a critical stress test for the international legal ord...

🚨 New from @hrw.org: Statements by top officials from US #Israel & #Iran demonstrate willingness to violate fundamental protections of int’l humanitarian law & reveal callous disregard for civilian life.

World leaders should speak up and defend int’l law

UN Committee Should Promote, Not Oppose, Civil Society The United Nations will hold elections in April for the 19 members of the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which controls UN accreditation for nongovernmental groups.

Unfortunately the UN's NGO Committee acts more like an anti-NGO committee. The candidates include countries that suppress & in some cases persecute civil society: Belarus, Saudi Arabia, UAE, US, Israel, Turkey, Cuba, China, Nicaragua, India. More from @hrw www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: HRW & ISHR: Assessing the UN's NGO Committee. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Human Rights Watch and the International Service for Human Rights are pleased to invite members of the press in New York and Geneva to a virtual joint press conference on March 31, 2026, at 9 am EDT o...

🚨 Virtual Press Conference!! @hrw.org and @ishr.ch invite media to virtual joint news conference on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 9 am EDT/1500 CET on upcoming election for the UN's NGO Committee - gatekeeper for civil society at the UN. Register here: hrworg.zoom.us/j/84733557530

UN: Western Sahara Peoples’ Self-Determination at Risk A United Nations Security Council resolution on the dispute around Morocco’s claims to Western Sahara does not ensure that a new framework to end the long-standing impasse on the issue upholds the rig...

New from @hrw.org: UN Security Council's new framework to deal with the impasse around #Morocco’s claims to Western Sahara does not ensure that the right to self-determination for the territory’s peoples is upheld and is consistent with international law.

🚨 @hrw.org: #Israel’s Displacement of Civilians in #Lebanon is a Possible War Crime

HRW's Nadia Hardman: "Displacement of the Shia population looks less like a temporary military necessity and more like a move to permanently displace the civilian population based on their religion."

Jehad Khaled, a young Egyptian activist, said she felt utter panic when her mother—Hoda Abdel Moneim, 67, a prominent lawyer and human rights defender—was arrested by Egyptian authorities in 2018.

Jehad is still advocating for the release of her mother.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4bJNNt4

Buddhistische Extremisten in Myanmar verfolgen und ermorden Minderheiten Buddhistische Extremisten in Myanmar machen immer wieder Stimmung gegen Muslime und Christen. Allein bei Stimmungsmache bleibt es jedoch nicht.

In #Myanmar werden Minderheiten im Namen Buddhas verfolgt und ermordet: @phfrisch.bsky.social im Interview beim DLF.

🎧Podcastempfehlung:
www.deutschlandfunk.de/buddhistisch...

Iran: Deliberate Attacks on Civilian Ships Apparent War Crimes Iranian forces appear to have deliberately targeted at least two civilian commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, 2026, which would amount to war crimes, Human Rights Watch sa...

🚨 New from @hrw.org: #Iran forces attacks apparently attacked at least 2 civilian commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz on March 11.

HRW’s Niku Jafarnia: “Deliberately targeting civilian ships and their crew members is a war crime.”

Israel’s displacement of civilians in Lebanon is a possible war crime The Israeli tactics of mass expulsion of Lebanese civilians risk directly violating international law.

#Israel's mass displacement in #Lebanon follows the same strategy used in Gaza, the West Bank and Syria. Forced displacement of civilians, widespread destruction and prevention of return.

In short, potential war crimes.

My opinion for @AJEnglish:

aje.news/gn8v60

Do not use safety as a pretext to curb protest Legislation that seeks to block demonstrations near to places of worship is misguided, argues Lindsay Saligman

My @hrw.org colleague Lindsay Saligman writes that the UK is using concerns about antisemitism as a pretext to restrict protest, just like in the US. She writes that as a Jewish human rights lawyer, she's seen this before. See her op-ed in
@churchtimes.bsky.social

Concerns (finally!) without condemnation: #EU statement on #Israel attacks' impact in #Lebanon shows once again the bloc's double-standard & inaction.

@eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu: Words remain empty without action to stop killings & mass displacement.

www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/lebanon...

How Human Rights Watch Mitigates Harm when Publishing Open-Source Analysis During wars and crises, publicly available information is essential for the documentation of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

Since January, HRW has documented massacres of protesters and bystanders and their arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances in Iran.

With no physical access to the country and severe comms restrictions, read how HRW mitigates harm when publishing open-source analysis.👇

https://bit.ly/4dC8Lwu

Academic Freedom in the US Under Threat The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that education should be available to all and should promote “respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” In order for universities to do that,...

📣 My remarks on behalf of @hrw.org at a March 16 "teach-in" on academic freedom at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice:

"Academic Freedom in the US Under Threat: Book Bans, Distorted Curricula and Crackdowns on College Campus Protests"

My full remarks are below 👇

NGO Committee election Imagine a world where the voices of those with clear demands, expertise and solutions come together to fulfil the promise of the UN Charter. In that world, States would welcome the essential…

Here’s a helpful preview of the NGO Committee election by our partners at @ishr.ch

Only the Central and Eastern Europe Group has a competitive slate. Belarus, which has effectively outlawed civil society and prosecutes human rights defenders, is vying with #Estonia and #Ukraine for two spots and should be rejected.

Abusive governments that restrict civil society have long held a majority on the panel. Instead of vetting applications responsibly so that organizations can interact with UN bodies and officials, it has largely blocked applications, particularly of #humanrights groups.

UN Committee Should Promote, Not Oppose, Civil Society The United Nations will hold elections in April for the 19 members of the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which controls UN accreditation for nongovernmental groups.

🚨NEW ▶️ @hrw.org: UN’s NGO Committee election in April is largely uncompetitive.

And quite a few candidates are hostile to civil society organizations, restricting or even persecuting them, such as #Belarus.

📢 Rights-respecting governments shld seek seats on the UN’s NGO gatekeeper body.🧵

Iran: Unlawful Strikes Across Gulf Endanger Civilians Civilians in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are at grave risk from ongoing Iranian strikes in response to US and Israeli military attacks on Iran.

HRW: Civilians in Gulf countries are at grave risk from Iranian strikes in response to US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Iranian attacks have struck residential buildings, hotels, civilian airports, embassies, and civilian objects like financial centers www.hrw.org/news/2026/03...