The head of Human Rights Watch has said Israel would not be seeking to expel the organisation's country director without US President Donald Trump in power.
Israel has been trying to expel HRW's American director for Israel and Palestine, Omar Shakir, after accusing him of advocating a boycott of the Jewish state, a claim he denies.
HRW's executive director Ken Roth told AFP late Thursday Trump had provided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the protection he needed to crack down on criticism of the state's human rights record.
"Would the Netanyahu government have tried to expel Omar without Trump in the White House? I doubt it. I think Trump has given a green light to whatever Netanyahu wants to do," Roth said.
"You can't appeal to Trump to promote human rights when he is so busy embracing autocrats around the world."
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