Israel warns UN body against Gaza report

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Israel warned on Thursday that the UN Human Rights Council would strike a fatal blow to the stalled Middle East peace process if it passes its damning Gaza war report on to the Security Council.

"The adoption of what is called the Goldstone report would deal a fatal blow to the peace process," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, repeating comments he made at the UN General Assembly last week.

"Israel will not be able to take further steps and further risks towards peace if the report is adopted and it is denied the right to self-defence," Netanyahu said.

The Geneva-based Human Rights Council this week has been discussing the results of the probe which accused both Israel and Palestinian militant groups of war crimes.

The panel also recommends sending the report to the UN Security Council and to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague."

more

[bemildred]

1. Always with the threats.

You can't threaten people with stuff they are not afraid of.

[Howardx]

3. no peace if we are held responsible for our own actions

typical.

[bemildred]

4. The problem is that the threat is empty. It amounts to nothing at all, the status quo.

This moron is also refusing to conduct a domestic investigation of the Gaza War, the one sound way to defuse/minimize the effects of the Goldstone Report.

[Howardx]

5. i dont know about that

who would trust them to do an impartial investigation? whitewash and a slap on the wrist is more their style.

[bemildred]

6. It is one of the ways to prevent the issue from going to the ICC.

Do their own "credible" investigation. "Credible" can be a fairly flexible word. If it gets to the ICC, it's out of their hands.

[Howardx]

8. agreed

xenophobic paranoia will prevent them from doing anything other than "condemning" anyone who expects them to take responsibility for themselves. let the icc have it, its long overdue.

[shira]

9. why pretend the Goldstone Report is credible and in the best interests of peace?

[Tripmann]

2. "Dear Bibi,

the UN has decided to take a leaf from your book and is ignoring everything you say.

Kindest regards

Ban Ki Moon"

Heres hoping....

[bemildred]

7. Gaza probe 'fatal blow' to peace

Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu has urged UN members to "come to their senses" and reject the Goldstone report into Israel's military conduct in Gaza.

He said UN endorsement of the strong criticism of Israel would deal "a fatal blow" to peace efforts.

The Human Rights Council is nearing a vote on the report which accuses Israel and Hamas militants of war crimes.

Report author Richard Goldstone said a "culture of impunity" for war criminals wrecked hopes for peace in the region.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8285555.stm

[bemildred]

10. Netanyahu: UN may become irrelevant

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had some harsh words for the world during the government meeting on Thursday, saying that if the international community endorses the Goldstone Report on Israel's Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip last winter, the peace process with the Palestinians, as well as the global war on terror, would be dealt a fatal blow.

"In the next 24 hours a vote will be cast in Geneva within the UN Human Rights Council," Netanyahu told the ministers.

"I remind you that this very council has adopted more resolutions targeting Israel than resolutions targeting all other 180 countries in the world put together," he said.

"If the council decides to endorse the Goldstone report it will deal a fatal blow to three major issues: Firstly, it will harm the war on terror, because it will legitimize terrorists who hide behind civilians and fire from their midst." Netanyahu stressed that in such cases, the one who ultimately takes the blame is "generally the victim, acting in legitimate self defense."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254393075226&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[bemildred]

11. Goldstone rejects PM's comment, says report won't affect peace process

International judge Richard Goldstone on Thursday rejected Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's claim that pursuing both Israel and Hamas for war crimes would end the Middle East peace process.

Netanyahu had said after a cabinet meeting earlier in the day that Goldstone's UN report on Operation Cast Lead in Gaza "would strike a fatal blow to the peace process" by denying Israel's right to self-defense.

"I think he got wrong what our report is all about," Goldstone told reporters in Washington. "He talked about Israel's right to self-defense. That is not what the report was about."

Goldstone said international law gives that right to both Israel and the Palestinians. Both sides, he said, violated that law by targeting civilians.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254393079370&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull