Hillel Neuer
Encyclopedia
Hillel C. Neuer is executive director of UN Watch
, a human rights
NGO
in Geneva, Switzerland.
Originally from Montreal, Neuer has written on law, politics and international affairs for publications such as the International Herald Tribune
, Juriste International, Commentary
, The New Republic
Online and the Christian Science Monitor. He appears regularly before the UN Human Rights Council, intervening for a range of causes including the rape victims of Darfur
, political prisoners in Cuba, and Middle East peace. He recently testified as an expert witness before a hearing of the U.S. Congress on UN reform, and is regularly quoted by major media organizations including the New York Times, Al Jazeera
, Die Welt
, Le Figaro
, Reuters
, Al Ahram. Neuer has debated UN human rights issues on CNN
, Fox News, and the BBC
.
Prior to joining UN Watch, Neuer practiced commercial and civil rights litigation at the international law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Active as a human rights defender, Neuer was cited by the Federal Court of New York for the high quality of his pro bono
advocacy on a precedent-setting First Amendment case for prisoners’ rights and freedom of religion, as reported in AIDS Litigation Digest and the New York Law Journal. Neuer served as a law clerk to the Supreme Court of Israel
and a Graduate Fellow at the Shalem Center
think tank. He holds a BA in intellectual history and political science from Concordia University
, a BCL and LLB from the McGill University
Faculty of Law, and an LLM in comparative constitutional law from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Neuer is a member of the New York bar and co-author of the Annotated Copyright Act of Canada and Directors and Officers—A Canadian Legal Manual.
In August 2007, Neuer was the keynote speaker at the Save Darfur Canada rally in Montreal. Neuer spoke together with Gen. Lewis MacKenzie
, former commander of UN peacekeepers in the Balkans; Prof. Payam Akhavan, international law professor at McGill, and former senior advisor to the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; Simon Deng, a black Christian from the south of Sudan who was sold into slavery into the Muslim north; Miss World Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam
; and Ayaan Hirsi Ali
, author of Infidel.
victims of violations in Iran. In 2004 he intervened on behalf of victims of torture and censorship in Cote d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Nepal, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Neuer also spoke out for the Lebanese victims of Syrian political assassinations.
advocacy on a precedent-setting First Amendment case for prisoners’ rights and freedom of religion, as reported in AIDS Litigation Digest and the New York Law Journal. As an associate in the case of Reynolds v. Goord (United States District Court, Southern District of New York), Neuer helped defend the rights of a prisoner and contributed to the successful challenge of the coercive New York State prison tuberculosis control program. Neuer also worked on a major action for thousands of African-American members of the U.S. Air Force who claimed a pattern and practice of discrimination on the basis of race.
Neuer was an associate in the Paul, Weiss legal team that successfully represented Raytheon Company in various claims against Hughes Electronics Corporation surrounding Raytheon's acquisition of Hughes’ defense business in 1997. Under terms of a 2001 settlement agreement, Hughes Electronics reimbursed Raytheon $635.5 million of its $9.5 billion purchase price.
Neuer's legal work as an associate also contributed to achieving victory for the California Public Utilities Commission in its efforts to uphold the validity of its settlement of various regulatory disputes with Pacific Gas and Electric Company arising from that company's bankruptcy. On December 22, 2003, Judge Montali of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California entered an order confirming a plan of reorganization for PG&E that was based on PG&E's settlement with the Commission. The Commission had approved the underlying settlement agreement with PG&E by a vote of three Commissioners in favor and two Commissioners opposed.
The two dissenting Commissioners then purported to appeal to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California from the confirmation order entered by the bankruptcy court. The dissenting Commissioners argued, among other things, that the confirmation order unlawfully restricted the future exercise of their duties as Commissioners and infringed their rights under the First Amendment to oppose the settlement. On July 15, 2004, Judge Walker of the United States District Court heard oral argument on motions by the Commission and PG&E to dismiss the appeal on the ground that the dissenting Commissioners lacked appellate standing. Later that same day, Judge Walker issued a 23-page opinion granting the motions. Neuer was credited for his work on the Paul, Weiss legal team that achieved the victory.
and was almost killed in a case of mistaken identity after he entered a local restaurant. An employee, gripped by hysteria after learning of a murder in the town, called the police and falsely reported that he was carrying a gun, leading to a charge of disorderly conduct that was quickly quashed by a clerk and a judge. On the next business day, the Norfolk County
court fully cleared Neuer and, in a rare move, ruled that the police acted without probable cause and refused to issue a complaint. Initial media reports of a "stand-off" were found to be false and police confirmed that Neuer himself had called 911 twice seeking to exit from the police action that he believed was in pursuit of criminals near the restaurant. "Mr. Neuer was an innocent victim who went to a restaurant in Needham and was traumatized and almost killed," said attorney David G. Eisenstadt. "There was no justification to charge Mr. Neuer with anything." The Boston Herald, under a photo of Neuer with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, reported that "Human rights activist Hillel C. Neuer is more used to chatting with former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, than being arrested at gunpoint." On March 31, 2008, the Town of Needham, on behalf of the police, sent Mr. Neuer a full apology, saying he was "an innocent victim caught up in the events of that day."
. In particular Hillel was angered at the involvement of activist Naomi Klein
in the protest. Hillel wrote: "Supporters of liberal democratic values may have a hard time understanding why anti-globalization activist Naomi Klein has recruited Jane Fonda
and other stars to boycott the Toronto International Film Festival for the crime of showing films from Tel Aviv
." Subsequently, UN Watch
, the organization which Hillel heads, published a report on its website entitled "Naomi Klein Exposed: The Unauthorized Biography".
Hillel's article on Naomi Klein resulted in the National Post
publishing a response from Judy Rebick. Rebick wrote: "Naomi Klein didn't start the protest, but she used her contacts and her celebrity to make it more effective. The focus is on her because she is today one of the most prominent Jewish intellectuals in the world, and she is starting to be vocal in her criticism of Israeli human rights violations. She is risking a lot to speak out so passionately on this subject."
for allegedly distorting her biography regarding a 1990 article she wrote entitled "Victim to Victimizer." He posted her article on the internet under the title "Naomi Klein Exposed: The Unauthorized Biography". This online publication of her original 1990 article and the challenge to her official biography angered Klein, who lashed out at Neuer's article, calling it "a wacky stalker article."
UN Watch
UN Watch is a Geneva-based NGO whose stated mission is "to monitor the performance of the United Nations by the yardstick of its own Charter". It is an accredited NGO in Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council and an Associate NGO to the UN Department of Public Information...
, a human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
in Geneva, Switzerland.
Originally from Montreal, Neuer has written on law, politics and international affairs for publications such as the International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
, Juriste International, Commentary
Commentary (magazine)
Commentary is a monthly American magazine on politics, Judaism, social and cultural issues. It was founded by the American Jewish Committee in 1945. By 1960 its editor was Norman Podhoretz, a liberal at the time who moved sharply to the right in the 1970s and 1980s becoming a strong voice for the...
, The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
Online and the Christian Science Monitor. He appears regularly before the UN Human Rights Council, intervening for a range of causes including the rape victims of Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
, political prisoners in Cuba, and Middle East peace. He recently testified as an expert witness before a hearing of the U.S. Congress on UN reform, and is regularly quoted by major media organizations including the New York Times, Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
, Die Welt
Die Welt
Die Welt is a German national daily newspaper published by the Axel Springer AG company.It was founded in Hamburg in 1946 by the British occupying forces, aiming to provide a "quality newspaper" modelled on The Times...
, Le Figaro
Le Figaro
Le Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, Al Ahram. Neuer has debated UN human rights issues on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Fox News, and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Prior to joining UN Watch, Neuer practiced commercial and civil rights litigation at the international law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Active as a human rights defender, Neuer was cited by the Federal Court of New York for the high quality of his pro bono
Pro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
advocacy on a precedent-setting First Amendment case for prisoners’ rights and freedom of religion, as reported in AIDS Litigation Digest and the New York Law Journal. Neuer served as a law clerk to the Supreme Court of Israel
Supreme Court of Israel
The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
and a Graduate Fellow at the Shalem Center
Shalem Center
The Shalem Center is a Jerusalem research institute that supports academic work in the fields of philosophy, political theory, Jewish and Zionist history, Bible and Talmud, Middle East Studies, archaeology, economics, and strategic studies...
think tank. He holds a BA in intellectual history and political science from Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
, a BCL and LLB from the McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
Faculty of Law, and an LLM in comparative constitutional law from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Neuer is a member of the New York bar and co-author of the Annotated Copyright Act of Canada and Directors and Officers—A Canadian Legal Manual.
Education
Neuer holds four degrees. He graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts in intellectual history and political science. He also has a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Laws from the McGill University Faculty of Law, as well as a Master of Laws in comparative constitutional law from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.Advocacy for Darfur Victims at United Nations
Neuer is among the leading advocates at the United Nations for human rights victims in Darfur. Neuer chaired the NGO Activist Summit For Darfur in 2007. He challenged Sudan in 2007 for its rejection of human rights experts in Darfur. He demanded justice for child victims in Darfur in 2005.In August 2007, Neuer was the keynote speaker at the Save Darfur Canada rally in Montreal. Neuer spoke together with Gen. Lewis MacKenzie
Lewis MacKenzie
Major-General Lewis Wharton MacKenzie, UE, CM, CMM, MSC, O.Ont, CD is a retired Canadian general, author and media commentator. MacKenzie is most famous for establishing and commanding Sector Sarajevo as part of the United Nations Protection Force UNPROFOR in Yugoslavia in 1992...
, former commander of UN peacekeepers in the Balkans; Prof. Payam Akhavan, international law professor at McGill, and former senior advisor to the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; Simon Deng, a black Christian from the south of Sudan who was sold into slavery into the Muslim north; Miss World Canada Nazanin Afshin-Jam
Nazanin Afshin-Jam
Nazanin Afshin-Jam is a Persian Human Rights Activist, , President and Co-Founder of Stop Child Executions, Singer, Songwriter, model, actress, pilot, former Miss World Canada and Miss World 1st runner-up...
; and Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...
, author of Infidel.
United Nations Human Rights Testimony
Neuer has represented human rights victims in regular testimony before the UN Human Rights Council. His outspoken advocacy for student Jenya Taranenko preceded her release from a Russian prison. Neuer debated Zimbabwe's UN ambassador on CNN over the Mugabe regime's dismal human rights record. In 2007 he spoke out for the Arab, Kurdish, and Bahá'íBahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
victims of violations in Iran. In 2004 he intervened on behalf of victims of torture and censorship in Cote d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Nepal, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Neuer also spoke out for the Lebanese victims of Syrian political assassinations.
Human Rights Advocacy and Legal Career
Neuer practiced commercial and civil rights litigation at the international law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Active as a human rights defender, Neuer was cited by the Federal Court of New York for the quality of his pro bonoPro bono
Pro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
advocacy on a precedent-setting First Amendment case for prisoners’ rights and freedom of religion, as reported in AIDS Litigation Digest and the New York Law Journal. As an associate in the case of Reynolds v. Goord (United States District Court, Southern District of New York), Neuer helped defend the rights of a prisoner and contributed to the successful challenge of the coercive New York State prison tuberculosis control program. Neuer also worked on a major action for thousands of African-American members of the U.S. Air Force who claimed a pattern and practice of discrimination on the basis of race.
Neuer was an associate in the Paul, Weiss legal team that successfully represented Raytheon Company in various claims against Hughes Electronics Corporation surrounding Raytheon's acquisition of Hughes’ defense business in 1997. Under terms of a 2001 settlement agreement, Hughes Electronics reimbursed Raytheon $635.5 million of its $9.5 billion purchase price.
Neuer's legal work as an associate also contributed to achieving victory for the California Public Utilities Commission in its efforts to uphold the validity of its settlement of various regulatory disputes with Pacific Gas and Electric Company arising from that company's bankruptcy. On December 22, 2003, Judge Montali of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California entered an order confirming a plan of reorganization for PG&E that was based on PG&E's settlement with the Commission. The Commission had approved the underlying settlement agreement with PG&E by a vote of three Commissioners in favor and two Commissioners opposed.
The two dissenting Commissioners then purported to appeal to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California from the confirmation order entered by the bankruptcy court. The dissenting Commissioners argued, among other things, that the confirmation order unlawfully restricted the future exercise of their duties as Commissioners and infringed their rights under the First Amendment to oppose the settlement. On July 15, 2004, Judge Walker of the United States District Court heard oral argument on motions by the Commission and PG&E to dismiss the appeal on the ground that the dissenting Commissioners lacked appellate standing. Later that same day, Judge Walker issued a 23-page opinion granting the motions. Neuer was credited for his work on the Paul, Weiss legal team that achieved the victory.
Victimized During November US Visit
On November 1, 2007, Neuer was invited to Yale University to present the first-ever report on the United Nations and Anti-Semitism since Secretary-General Kofi Annan's June 2004 call to action. The next day, on his way to lecture in Boston, Neuer passed through Needham, MassachusettsNeedham, Massachusetts
Needham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb of Boston, its population was 28,886 at the 2010 census.- History :...
and was almost killed in a case of mistaken identity after he entered a local restaurant. An employee, gripped by hysteria after learning of a murder in the town, called the police and falsely reported that he was carrying a gun, leading to a charge of disorderly conduct that was quickly quashed by a clerk and a judge. On the next business day, the Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Adams National Historical Park* Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area * Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site* John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site-Demographics:...
court fully cleared Neuer and, in a rare move, ruled that the police acted without probable cause and refused to issue a complaint. Initial media reports of a "stand-off" were found to be false and police confirmed that Neuer himself had called 911 twice seeking to exit from the police action that he believed was in pursuit of criminals near the restaurant. "Mr. Neuer was an innocent victim who went to a restaurant in Needham and was traumatized and almost killed," said attorney David G. Eisenstadt. "There was no justification to charge Mr. Neuer with anything." The Boston Herald, under a photo of Neuer with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, reported that "Human rights activist Hillel C. Neuer is more used to chatting with former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, than being arrested at gunpoint." On March 31, 2008, the Town of Needham, on behalf of the police, sent Mr. Neuer a full apology, saying he was "an innocent victim caught up in the events of that day."
2009 Toronto Film Festival
In 2009 Hillel Neuer became involved in the controversy over the involvement of the Brand Israel campaign in the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival2009 Toronto International Film Festival
The 34th annual Toronto International Film Festival, was held held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 10 and September 19, 2009. The opening night gala presented the Charles Darwin biography Creation...
. In particular Hillel was angered at the involvement of activist Naomi Klein
Naomi Klein
Naomi Klein is a Canadian author and social activist known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization.-Family:...
in the protest. Hillel wrote: "Supporters of liberal democratic values may have a hard time understanding why anti-globalization activist Naomi Klein has recruited Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
and other stars to boycott the Toronto International Film Festival for the crime of showing films from Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
." Subsequently, UN Watch
UN Watch
UN Watch is a Geneva-based NGO whose stated mission is "to monitor the performance of the United Nations by the yardstick of its own Charter". It is an accredited NGO in Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council and an Associate NGO to the UN Department of Public Information...
, the organization which Hillel heads, published a report on its website entitled "Naomi Klein Exposed: The Unauthorized Biography".
Hillel's article on Naomi Klein resulted in the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
publishing a response from Judy Rebick. Rebick wrote: "Naomi Klein didn't start the protest, but she used her contacts and her celebrity to make it more effective. The focus is on her because she is today one of the most prominent Jewish intellectuals in the world, and she is starting to be vocal in her criticism of Israeli human rights violations. She is risking a lot to speak out so passionately on this subject."
Rebuttal of Naomi Klein's Durban II Article
In 2009 Neuer criticized prominent anti-globalization activist and author Naomi KleinNaomi Klein
Naomi Klein is a Canadian author and social activist known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization.-Family:...
for allegedly distorting her biography regarding a 1990 article she wrote entitled "Victim to Victimizer." He posted her article on the internet under the title "Naomi Klein Exposed: The Unauthorized Biography". This online publication of her original 1990 article and the challenge to her official biography angered Klein, who lashed out at Neuer's article, calling it "a wacky stalker article."