Washington (CNN) The US State Department is considering declaring that several widely respected human rights organizations are anti-Semitic, according to multiple sources who have been made aware of the conversations. The organizations include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam with sources telling CNN that many diplomats believe a declaration would be dangerous and undercut US policy on countries such as China, Cuba or Venezuela where the Trump administration has joined with these groups, and relied on their work, to call out human rights abuses. This week, through informal channels, a State Department official asked some of the human rights groups to clarify their position on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Human Rights Watch has urged businesses, on human rights grounds, to suspend activity in Israeli settlements in the West Bank because they are illegal under international law, but they have never taken a position for or against the BDS movement. Similarly Oxfam opposes trade with those Israeli settlements but does not fund or support any activities calling for a boycott, divestment or sanctions.

Source: CNN October 22, 2020 15:56 UTC