Human Rights Watch has become known for its scathing reports on Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, accusing the country of committing apartheid and carrying out acts of genocide in Gaza. So why did the organization suddenly decide to block a report on Palestinian refugees’ right of return?

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In this ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ interview, Mehdi speaks with the author of that report, Omar Shakir – who resigned from his role as HRW’s Israel and Palestine Director this week, after nearly a decade of leading the team.

Shakir tells Mehdi why felt he had “no choice” but to resign after the blocking of his report. The conversation was both shocking and substantive, with Shakir discussing:

Changes under HRW’s leadership (“A move like this has no precedent.”)
Why his report was shelved (“Selectivity that’s more akin of politics than human rights.”)
His report’s findings (“A crime against humanity.”)
Progressive institutions reluctance to endorse Palestinians’ right of return (“It remains a third rail.”)
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Shakir also explains to Mehdi why he believes Israel’s denying of Palestinians’ right of return is, “simply locking in the prior ethnic cleansing of 1948.”

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