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Last update - 06:39 07/05/2009
Peres tells Ban: Israel will never accept UN Gaza probe
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Tags: Israel news, Gaza Strip 

President Shimon Peres said on Wednesday that Israel would never apologize for its military offensive on the Gaza Strip earlier this year, calling a damning United Nations report on its conduct there "unfair and one-sided."

The UN-commissioned investigation found the Israel Defense Forces were responsible for civilian deaths and damage to UN compounds in Gaza Strip.

"We will never accept it," Peres, after meeting with UN Secretary Genera Ban Ki-Moon in New York. "It's outrageous."
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The three-member investigative board was established by Ban to seek the truth about a number of military incidents which occurred during Israel's three-week war with Hamas in late December and early January. The 184-pgae report, which was released on Tuesday, said the IDF was responsible for six of nine attacks against UN-run compounds in Gaza.

"The secretary general is not responsible for the report," Peres said following the meeting with Ban in his 38th floor office. "We have high regards for the secretary general, but we cannot accept one word in the report. The report is unfair and one-sided."

Ban said Tuesday that he wanted the board to clarify all the facts regarding the incidents. But he said the board had no court of law obligations and the report was an internal UN document. He nonetheless supported the findings.

Peres said the Israeli government had cooperated with the investigative board, but accused its members of stepping out of their mandate by investigating incidents not related to UN compounds. He said Israel has set up a group to discuss a UN demand for compensation for damage to UN buildings, estimated at about $11 million dollars.

In once case, the IDF fired 122mm mortar rounds into the immediate vicinity of the Jabalia school on January 6, killing 30 to 40 Palestinians, the investigators said. The site was the refuge of hundreds of Palestinians who had fled the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"The board found that the undisputed cause of the injuries and the deaths to persons in the immediate vicinity of the school was the firing of 122mm mortar rounds by the IDF, which landed in the area outside the school and at the compound of a family home nearby," the report said.

The investigators called on Israel to acknowledge it had filed "untrue" statements about attacks against the Jabalia school and a UN compound, and to express regret.

Peres said Israel would not retract its statements because the accusations against Israel were also "untrue."

During his encounter with reporters at UN headquarters, Peres insisted that Israeli troops had no intention of shooting at Palestinian civilians and acknowledged that mistakes were made during the conflict with Hamas.

Peres said he had also raised with Ban a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a UN human rights conference in Geneva last month, in which he denounced Israel as a racist regime, prompting a walkout by Western delegates.

Peres protested in particular that the speech had been delivered on a day when Jews were commemorating the Holocaust by "the man who threatens another Holocaust or whatever it is ... There is a limit to cynicism and there is a limit to formalities, and this we shall remember very strongly."

Earlier Wednesday, Ban called on Israel to stop blocking fuel, cash and other materials that are urgently needed to alleviate hardship in the Gaza Strip.

At a UN-sponsored international meeting in Cyprus in support of Israeli-Palestinian peace, Ban he was very disturbed that life in the Palestinian territory remains extremely difficult more than three months after Israel's offensive there.

Ban said a near total ban on trade except for basic needs is preventing broader humanitarian assistance, economic recovery and long-term development. He said measures that increase hardship and suffering in Gaza are unacceptable and must stop immediately.

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      1.   Yes sure! 21:21  |  Palestinian 06/05/09
      2.   It`s Time For The UN To Be Dismantled 21:51  |  Shepherd 06/05/09
      3.   UN report one-sided? 21:54  |  Don 06/05/09
      4.   whad Ban does and does not find disturbing 21:56  |  Tzfonit 06/05/09
      5.   UN Probe 22:05  |  Rick 06/05/09
      6.   Tzfonit #3 don`t be ridiculous 22:26  |  Roo 06/05/09
      7.   Reaction 22:29  |  Yariv 06/05/09
      8.   The Roar of the Old Lion*! 22:33  |  Akram Zekaria 06/05/09
      9.   When Shalit Walks Out 22:39  |  Ron 06/05/09
      10.   The Bully Does Not Want to Be Bullied 22:40  |  Boyd 06/05/09
      11.   Nothing To Hide - Why Was The Foreign Press Kept Out? 01:41  |  chet 07/05/09
      12.   Peres 01:43  |  The new moses 07/05/09
      13.   And the IDF report is fair??? 01:57  |  Pal in Diaspora 07/05/09
      14.   Cried Wolf 02:13  |  Iain 07/05/09
      15.   What is there not to accept? 02:24  |  Javier Lobo 07/05/09
      16.   Will not accept Gaza Probe? 02:24  |  Rose 07/05/09
      17.   What is there not to accept? 02:25  |  Javier Lobo 07/05/09
      18.   An Exception To The Rules. 02:39  |  Cool B 07/05/09
      19.   True or False: Palestinian militants launched rockets 03:07  |  Jon 07/05/09
      20.   Investigation 03:22  |  BRL 07/05/09
      21.   it is the fog of war. you fire rockets, rockets get fired back. 03:38  |  Jack 07/05/09
      22.   what a sad old lion 03:38  |  disappointed jew 07/05/09
      23.   Roo # 6 response to Tzfonit 03:40  |  WYSIWYG 07/05/09
      24.   Well Peres, the rest of the world does... 04:04  |  BBSNews 07/05/09
      25.   But the rest of the world accepts it. 04:18  |  RG 07/05/09
      26.   Peres should make it clear 04:24  |  Tom 07/05/09
      27.   Thats Fair 05:30  |  Angela 07/05/09
      28.   "the rest of the world does" 05:34  |  Rory 07/05/09
      29.   UN unilateral probe of Gaza atrocities 06:01  |  Harold 07/05/09
      30.   Peres` meds 06:12  |  Maximiliano 07/05/09
      31.   Report 06:15  |  Arie 07/05/09
      32.   We`re innocent, we swear, just don`t investigate us... 06:52  |  peacelover 07/05/09
      33.   UN_ We Will Hold Hearings, Gather Facts From Hamas, Obtain The 07:56  |  Eli 07/05/09
      34.   UN Reports for Dummies 08:40  |  Dan 07/05/09
      35.   Jihadist, provide single prove that Israel intetionally targeted 08:44  |  Dan 07/05/09
      36.   Hey Don, have you read the Hamas report already? 08:45  |  Dan 07/05/09
      37.   Hey Roo, come to Sderot and count the rockets 08:48  |  Dan 07/05/09
      38.   Javier Lobo, yes we were blowing Hamas hiding in the buildings 08:52  |  accept 07/05/09
      39.   Cool B, as opposed to US, Russia, China, Sudan, Hamas 08:53  |  Dan 07/05/09
      40.   BS News: Hamas will pay for the rocets and war crimes 08:55  |  Dan 07/05/09
      41.   RG - the rest of the world? 08:56  |  Dan 07/05/09
      42.   EVERYTHING YOU SAY 09:28  |  indrajaya 07/05/09
      43.   The Probe. 09:33  |  Stephen. 07/05/09
      44.   Rose #12 of Vancouver 09:42  |  S 07/05/09
      45.   Funny attitude towards the UN 09:54  |  Kilminster 07/05/09
      46.   on the mismeasure of man gould 09:56  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      47.   rod on the bell curve 09:58  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      48.   UN a farce 10:44  |  Baruch Gold 07/05/09
      49.   #30 kilminster and the un as an expert killy? or just an idiot 10:53  |  v hardman 07/05/09
      50.   Summary 10:54  |  Colin Wright 07/05/09
      51.   From One Exodus To Another 10:56  |  Shimon Cleopas 07/05/09
      52.   Dan #19 11:07  |  jennifer 07/05/09
      53.   COOLB no ARABS can do whatever they want,bomb Israeli schools 11:10  |  PETER SM 07/05/09
      54.   BBS.The World knows Pals fought without uniforms 11:16  |  PETER SM 07/05/09
      55.   Baruch Re UN a farce 11:22  |  jennifer 07/05/09
      56.   #22 Dan from Haifa 11:41  |  PCR 07/05/09
      57.   samuel the schlemiel Bell Curve* author knows nothing about 11:42  |  Roo 07/05/09
      58.   samuel the schlemiel Bell Curve or Bell End? 11:44  |  Roo 07/05/09
      59.   #34 being called an idiot by someone... 11:50  |  Kilminster 07/05/09
      60.   Disgusting biased UN 12:14  |  disgraceful UN 07/05/09
      61.   So UN is wrong and IDF is perfect? U poor deluded souls 12:38  |  Clear 07/05/09
      62.   Ban comments unacceptable 13:01  |  David 07/05/09
      63.   The truth 13:34  |  indrajaya 07/05/09
      64.   samuel the shlemiel Bell Curve v Bell End #31 13:40  |  Roo 07/05/09
      65.   samuel the seer # 32 The Bell Curve 13:48  |  Jeff Northridge 07/05/09
      66.   Dan #22 And? 13:59  |  Roo 07/05/09
      67.   To Dan.@20.All Posts Especially this one.. 14:09  |  Whiskey 07/05/09
      68.   Israel`s acceptance was never requested or required 14:27  |  Johan Odin 07/05/09
      69.   Some Advice For Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon 14:29  |  Jeff Northridge 07/05/09
      70.   samuel schlemiel Bell Curve science "fraudulent" and "primitive" 14:31  |  Roo 07/05/09
      71.   ODIN exactly.That would have required a full examination 14:39  |  PETER SM 07/05/09
      72.   The facts are clear 14:41  |  Fred 07/05/09
      73.   samuel the schlemiel Bell Curve uses AFQT, not IQ test. 14:46  |  Roo 07/05/09
      74.   #44 the odious odin and pure justice spread like stardust 14:46  |  v hardman 07/05/09
      75.   Typical 14:51  |  Sylvie 07/05/09
      76.   fair fight 15:02  |  oz 07/05/09
      77.   Reply to BBS News, Post No. 15 15:09  |  Johnny Weintraub 07/05/09
      78.   moral 15:12  |  ehud 07/05/09
      79.   samuel schlemiel thinks Bell Curve science was "mainstream" 15:14  |  Roo 07/05/09
      80.   PALESTINIAN 15:26  |  BAR KOCHVA 07/05/09
      81.   Israel will shout and scream for a while 15:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/05/09
      82.   #3 Tzvonit 15:32  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/05/09
      83.   I would Say Funny Attitude,by Kilminster@30 The UN is Not .. 15:42  |  Whiskey 07/05/09
      84.   Peres and all Israel must also demand UN..... 15:49  |  The Archives 07/05/09
      85.   # 16 16:19  |  danish 07/05/09
      86.   Peter SM: uniforms not strictly required 16:21  |  AT 07/05/09
      87.   # 27 16:24  |  OZ 07/05/09
      88.   It doesn`t if Israel accepts it or not... 16:37  |  Damian Lataan 07/05/09
      89.   judges 16:40  |  danish 07/05/09
      90.   #59 AT - Don`t you pay attention to pictures 17:03  |  *BEN JABO 07/05/09
      91.   roo on the bell curve 17:06  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      92.   roo "the bell curve is primitive" 17:14  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      93.   roo "within the sophisticated research community" 17:21  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      94.   samuel schlemiel Bell Curve-Neo Nazi inspired eugenics. 17:24  |  Roo 07/05/09
      95.   what is the bell curve about 17:36  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      96.   samuel schlemiel-Bell End #72 17:38  |  Roo 07/05/09
      97.   roo on the american psychologists assocaition" 17:43  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      98.   #73 samuel schlemiel-polish thy specs 17:45  |  Roo 07/05/09
      99.   roo and the pioneer fund 17:48  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      100.   roo and his comments 17:50  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      101.   roo again the american psychological association 17:57  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      102.   roo armed forces test and iq tests 18:00  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      103.   #75 Bell Curve pseudo science 18:01  |  Roo 07/05/09
      104.   The Genome Project reject Bell Curve findings. 18:03  |  Roo 07/05/09
      105.   roo read wikipedia bell curve the apa agreed with herrentsein 18:09  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      106.   samuel schlemiel on the APA `fraudulent` Bell Curve 18:13  |  Roo 07/05/09
      107.   #75 Bell Curve Be specific samuel? 18:14  |  Roo 07/05/09
      108.   The Genome Project reject Bell Curve findings 18:15  |  Roo 07/05/09
      109.   The Bell Curve. A study Dr. Mengele could identify with 18:20  |  Roo 07/05/09
      110.   bbsnews 18:21  |  scallywag 07/05/09
      111.   roo do you now understand that the apa agreed with most 18:31  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      112.   "roo what makes you think intelligence can be measured" 18:33  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      113.   samuel schlemiel in denial 18:37  |  Roo 07/05/09
      114.   roo"are the smarter getting smarter" 18:37  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      115.   To #15 BBS news 18:39  |  The Equalizer 07/05/09
      116.   UN Gaza probe 18:41  |  zkt83 07/05/09
      117.   roo "we are getting a convergence not a divergence" 18:42  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      118.   Schlemiel and the APA trashing of Bell Curve 18:48  |  Roo 07/05/09
      119.   hopefully samuel schlemiel 18:54  |  Roo 07/05/09
      120.   To samuelthe seer..@101 You are quite correct.Because 18:54  |  Whiskey 07/05/09
      121.   roo you repeat your false and misleading position on the apa 19:08  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      122.   roo the genome project has nothing to do with the case 19:10  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      123.   roo yoiu need a high iq to maximise your benefit 19:12  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      124.   whisky thank you for your valuable input 19:14  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      125.   roo "hopefully you have learned your lesson" 19:16  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      126.   The Equalizer 19:26  |  Joan 07/05/09
      127.   sam schlemiel #108 seems the dumb are getting dumber 19:29  |  Roo 07/05/09
      128.   # To johny weintraub 19:44  |  e.l 07/05/09
      129.   Roo on UN Reports 19:44  |  HR 07/05/09
      130.   sam schlemiel- whiskey`s on the rocks 19:54  |  Roo 07/05/09
      131.   oh dear schlemiel I just spotted this #109 20:02  |  Roo 07/05/09
      132.   UN 20:04  |  BAR KOCHVA 07/05/09
      133.   Has Israel Ever Accepted Any Investigation? 20:15  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/05/09
      134.   Haaretz`s censorship on the UN probe... 20:15  |  Dutch 07/05/09
      135.   roo 20:22  |  danish 07/05/09
      136.   When did Israel ever accept any UN resolutions? 20:41  |  Joe 07/05/09
      137.   to #126 Joan 20:44  |  The Equalizer 07/05/09
      138.   roo"the study of the bell curve has been denounced 20:55  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      139.   roo you are no accomplished debater 21:00  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      140.   Ban should call for an investigation 21:23  |  *BEN JABO 07/05/09
      141.   roo the meaning of structural unemployment 21:23  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      142.   Fabricated Truth 21:48  |  Vladek 07/05/09
      143.   #24 BSnews - still pretending he`s a spokesperson 21:54  |  *BEN JABO 07/05/09
      144.   Meaning: We have something to hide 21:56  |  David 07/05/09
      145.   Oh Peter SM,...How I`d Like To Be "A FLY ON THE WALL" IN Gaza.. 23:00  |  Whiskey 07/05/09
      146.   harzion/schlemiel/samuel #137 23:06  |  Roo 07/05/09
      147.   The only thing unfair and onesided is the Invasion 23:11  |  jim the mechanic 07/05/09
      148.   #134 APA denunciation of Bell Curve multiple choice: 23:13  |  Roo 07/05/09
      149.   #138 vladek and his views of being in action and war 23:13  |  vhardman 07/05/09
      150.   HR on UN reports 23:25  |  Roo 07/05/09
      151.   #134 APA denunciation of Bell Curve multiple choice: 23:26  |  Roo 07/05/09
      152.   S.Pinker`s view on the evidence harzion 23:29  |  Roo 07/05/09
      153.   whiskey galore--what uniforms did Irgun/stern wear 23:46  |  Labhras 07/05/09
      154.   roo on "badly educated american workers" 23:55  |  samuel the seer 07/05/09
      155.   Roo 00:17  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/05/09
      156.   roo so why do some deny differences in cognitive ability 00:23  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      157.   roo explain to me why you think race differences 00:26  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      158.   Samuel the Seer. The Bell Curve 00:36  |  Deepak Tripathi 08/05/09
      159.   harzion/shlemiel #135 nonsense 00:49  |  Roo 08/05/09
      160.   HR on UN reports #129 00:50  |  Roo 08/05/09
      161.   #151schlemiel. Racism explains *your* view of Africans 01:36  |  Roo 08/05/09
      162.   To samuel the seer.loved this.Verging on the philosophical eh? 01:48  |  Whiskey 08/05/09
      163.   deepak i have to repeat that the bulk of the bell curve 01:51  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      164.   deepak "the bell curve certainly pimps the eugenics theme" 01:53  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      165.   Roo - It`s time I chimed in 01:54  |  *BEN JABO 08/05/09
      166.   deepak "i am amazed anyone would own up to liking the book" 01:55  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      167.   deepak " this comes from the far right of the political spectrum" 01:56  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      168.   148 Labras, Re; The Zionist gangsters... 01:57  |  Dutch 08/05/09
      169.   deepak "poor methodology" 01:59  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      170.   #148 Labrat 02:00  |  *BEN JABO 08/05/09
      171.   labhras 02:01  |  oz 08/05/09
      172.   deepak the genome project has utterly no bearing 02:02  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      173.   THE UN YEH, BLA, BLA, BLA, SAME OLD SONG 02:05  |  Rachel 08/05/09
      174.   roo your comments on africa is to say the least 02:06  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      175.   ben jambo 02:08  |  ehud 08/05/09
      176.   #151schlemiel. Racism explains *your* view of Africans 02:10  |  Roo 08/05/09
      177.   roo take note of the harm you cause 02:12  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      178.   samuel schlemiel #151 your most puerile post yet 02:14  |  Roo 08/05/09
      179.   roo on persecution complex 02:18  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      180.   peres asks israel to give up sites to the vatican 02:22  |  samuel the seer 08/05/09
      181.   Levely headline, that. 03:33  |  Johnboy 08/05/09
      182.   The is a world outside of Israel too 03:50  |  fritz t. 08/05/09
      183.   Roo, Labhras and the rest of Israel bashers...you never 06:00  |  Maria 08/05/09
      184.   Israel bashers....you`re bunch of liers and have no proof 06:08  |  Maria 08/05/09
      185.   Deepak Tripathi #158 11:31  |  Roo 08/05/09
      186.   samuel the schlemiel #174 11:35  |  Roo 08/05/09
      187.   Roo 14:37  |  Deepak Tripathi 08/05/09
      188.   #71 Thanks for the chuckle, PETER SM 14:39  |  Johnboy 08/05/09
      189.   Roo and samuel the seer. 15:34  |  Johnboy 08/05/09
      190.   Deepak Tripathi 16:18  |  Roo 08/05/09
      191.   #175 Udi - no need to ask Kofi 16:49  |  *BEN JABO 08/05/09
      192.   Equalizer, did you read the article? 18:24  |  BBSNews 08/05/09
      193.   To Roo and samuel the seer.Sorry I was wrong. 22:41  |  Deepak Tripathi 08/05/09
      194.   Johnboy 00:21  |  Roo 09/05/09
      195.   #11 chet....kept out to keep them from howling 15:53  |  Lynn 09/05/09
      196.   UN`s new agenda to investgate both sides 22:54  |  D.Marcus 09/05/09
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