Talk:Hillel Neuer

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[edit] Notability

I have removed the tag as no justification has been given anywhere for it. Neuer is the head of a major organization and featured in a remarkably ironic incident. If you want to restore the tag, give a reason. Mangoe 02:37, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

No justification for notability. UN Watch appears to have only one small offfice and does not seem to be a major organization.Jeanratelle 00:42, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

I agree with the comedian (Seinfeld1966) who created this item but then admitted his error: there is not any notability here. The Jew Neuer has not been the subject of published secondary sources that are reliable, intellectually independent, or independent of the subject. Second, no multiple independent sources have been cited to establish notability. Just because he is a human rights activist does not make him notable. (The wise Malayisan Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad proved anyway in his Ocotber 2003 speech that the creation of human rights and democracy were a Jewish conspiracy to obtain equal rights.) Thirdly, Neuer has not been the subject of a credible independent biography. Fourthly, there is neither evidence of significant recognized awards or honors, demonstrable wide name recognition, or widely recognized contribution that is part of the enduring historical record in his specific field. To summary on this, there is no notablity and I move to strike. Freepalestine 00:45, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Overall Tone

When I created this page I offered what I think was a pretty unbiased presentation of the two main reasons why anyone would have heard of Hillel Neuer, to wit: his firebrand speech to the UN Human Rights Council and his arrest in Needham, Massachusetts. Since then, a couple of Mr. Neuer's supporters have gotten hold of this page and turned it into what comes across as campaign literature. The original two items in the article are now presented as evidence of Mr. Neuer's martyrdom. I read it and wonder to myself, who was mightier: Hillel Neuer or Mohandas Gandhi? Based on their Wikipedia entries, it's tough to tell.

So, there are now too many hyperbolic statements in this article to list; it would be nice if the article were presented in a toned-down, slightly more balanced way. I might try editing this myself...the next time I have a couple of hours on my hands!

Many critics of Mr. Neuer might observe that his strong human-rights record is marred by his unwavering support for the Israeli government and its countless violations of UN resolutions and, ironically, his defense of that country's violation of Palestinian human rights. It would be nice if something about this were presented in a balanced way; I'll try to write something myself but it's amazing how the defenders of Israel's weapons industry (and their political proxies) are quick to censor anything that makes them look bad. Hopefully, though, the editors here are all reasonable people (fingers crossed). Seinfeld1966 04:57, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Objectivity and Precision

The facts show that Seinfeld1966 is interested to score partisan political points against a certain country (Israel) rather than to objectively describe a certain individual (Neuer). Seinfeld1966 claims that Neuer was essentially unknown before his March 23, 2007 speech to the UN. In fact, a quick search of the data shows that long before that testimony, Neuer was publishing books, confronting dictatorships at the UN, testifying before the U.S. Congress, being interviewed on CNN, and lecturing at major universities around the world. In September 2006, the chair of the US congressional sub-committee on UN and international affairs described Neuer as "a leading commentator on UN human rights reform, appearing on CNN and the BBC. As a former international lawyer, the U.S. District Court of New York cited Mr. Neuer for his superb work in human rights advocacy." [1] The McGill Law School's human rights program elaborates on the same. [2]

But Seinfeld1966 shows himself entirely oblivious to and uninterested in facts, authoritative citations, or dates. He's looking for an ad hominem smear. Hence he plays up the Nov. 2 pizza lady's report that was quickly proven false by the Massachusetts state court, Boston's leading newspapers, and for which the police themselves expressed regret. Seinfeld1966's main motive is to attack Neuer for his support of a UN Human Rights Council that does something other than criticize Israel, a simple point shared by UN secretaries-general Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Seinfeld1966 can disagree, but that does not entitle him to distort a biography out of a biased political agenda.

"A pretty unbiased presentation" indeed!

Jeanratelle 12:41, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

Although I created this article, I'm not so sure that we've established Mr. Neuer's notability. Jean, could you reference a primary source to back up the statement that "the U.S. District Court of New York cited Mr. Neuer for his superb work in human rights advocacy"? The two references you cite, i.e. a conference bio on the McGill webiste and an introduction read by Congressman Smith, were almost certainly composed by either Mr. Neuer himself or one of his assistants. Is there any chance of linking to the original citation/commendation? Seinfeld1966 10:20, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

The reference shows up in legal databases in the US district court ruling of Reynolds v. Goord, No. 98 Civ. 6722 (DLC), 2001 WL 118564, at *3 (S.D.N.Y. Feb 13, 2001). Jeanratelle 16:14, 12 November 2007 (UTC)