Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., October 25, 2009 Cheshvan 7, 5770 | | Israel Time: 03:27 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books
Share |
Last update - 22:02 03/10/2009
Netanyahu asks world to reject Goldstone findings
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Tags: Goldstone Report, Israel News 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rejected a United Nations report alleging Israeli war crimes during its three week offensive in Gaza last winter, warning world leaders that they and their anti-terror forces could be targets for similar charges.

Netanyahu made the remarks while speaking to Israeli TV stations on the occasion of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, which begins Friday.

He said the UN report ignored Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza and the Palestinian rocket attacks that preceded Israel's invasion, adding that lessons must be learned for future agreements with the Palestinians.
Advertisement
"I am telling international leaders: You are telling us that you support our right of self defense. Don't tell us that after the next agreement, tell us now. Reject the findings of this commission," Netanyahu told Channel 2 TV.

"Come out now, condemn this report and act to quash its consequences now," he went on to say.

The report of the UN commission, headed by South African justice Richard Goldstone, faulted Israel for civilian deaths in Gaza. Israel charged that Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers were responsible for placing rocket launchers and forces in crowded neighborhoods. About 1,400 Palestinians were killed during the three-week conflict.

The report also criticized Hamas for firing rockets at Israeli civilians.

Netanyahu called on the world to oppose the conclusion that formal charges could be brought against Israeli soldiers, officers and leaders as a result of the Gaza war. He said it was a blow to the fight against terrorism and warned that other countries could find their soldiers and leaders in the dock as the result of anti-terror operations.

Late Thursday evening, Netanyahu spoke with Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, asking for his support in curbing the effects of the Goldstone report. Netanyahu stressed that the report's conclusions compromise Russia's capability to combat terrorism, as well as Israel's.

Earlier Thursday, a U.S. diplomat criticized the United Nations Human Rights Council for giving an "unacceptable" mandate to the fact finding mission in the Gaza Strip.

Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said
Washington has had "serious concerns" about the mandate given to the Goldstone led four-member mission by the Geneva-based council. The U.S. officially took its seat in the 46-member body in early September.

"We have long expressed our very serious concerns about the mandate given by the Human Rights Council prior to our joining it," Rice said in her first reaction to the findings by Goldstone on Tuesday.

"We view the mandate as ... one-sided and basically unbalanced," she said. She also objected to Goldstone's recommendations, including one for the 15-nation Security Council to investigate and refer the war crimes to the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

Rice urged both Israelis and Palestinians to look to the future in order to resolve their conflict.

HAARETZ SPECIAL FEATURE: The Goldstone Commission Report
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Hummus battle
Lebanon breaks world record, sends message to Israel: Hands off our hummus!
West Bank unrest
Dozens of leftists, settlers arrested in fresh West Bank unrest
  1.   `Netanyahu asks world to reject Goldstone findings ` 02:10  |  Colin Wright 18/09/09
  2.   Looks Like Obama`s Back on the Reservation 02:39  |  MaoSayTongue 18/09/09
  3.   Translation - Repeal Geneva Conventions 02:46  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/09/09
  4.   If israel cannot defend itself then re -occupy gaza 03:42  |  bernard ross 18/09/09
  5.   He Asks The World to Get in Bed with Israel 04:01  |  Monitor 18/09/09
  6.   Reject it ALL Bibi? 04:05  |  Nahman Umani 18/09/09
  7.   What does Israel want from the UN? 04:06  |  Manny Goldstein 18/09/09
  8.   You must support Israel 04:31  |  Eran 18/09/09
  9.   War crimes 05:12  |  Edifice 18/09/09
  10.   you must mot support israhel! 05:58  |  get a clue 18/09/09
  11.   so yemeni war crimes make isreals ok? so much for a higher standa 06:00  |  lite of nations 18/09/09
  12.   Israel, we are not panicking, are we....??? 06:31  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/09
  13.   #9, EDIFFICE, here`s the difference 06:58  |  VIPER 18/09/09
  14.   Report 06:59  |  Palestinian 18/09/09
  15.   eran 8 07:00  |  potobac 18/09/09
  16.   Well, we view the US as "one-sided and basically unbalanced" also 07:15  |  Kris Lazar 18/09/09
  17.   Eran 07:26  |  sh 18/09/09
  18.   INSULT To Every American in Uniform 07:29  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/09/09
  19.   Israel always Blaming Someone Else 07:32  |  Bill 18/09/09
  20.   Good luck with that one 10:14  |  Roger Bannister 18/09/09
  21.   The rhetoric of guilt from Netanyahu 10:16  |  maoriboy 18/09/09
  22.   Rabbi silence is deafening 10:19  |  H U CS 18/09/09
  23.   Not even the Marshall Islands. 10:19  |  Singer 18/09/09
  24.   #8 The Palestinians in Gaza live under terror 10:32  |  Miggy 18/09/09
  25.   Miggy #24... but you should know that the Palestinians 11:50  |  Esther 18/09/09
  26.   swiss dino 11:52  |  zoe 18/09/09
  27.   miggy 11:54  |  zoe 18/09/09
  28.   Eran 11:56  |  Jose 18/09/09
  29.   BILL 11:57  |  zoe 18/09/09
  30.   singer...23 11:58  |  ravi 18/09/09
  31.   rodger bannister 12:00  |  zoe 18/09/09
  32.   Palau, Micronesia, Christmas Island 12:02  |  Jean C Z Estiphan 18/09/09
  33.   Netanyahu forgot to tell the world leaders what to do with... 12:12  |  zmogus 18/09/09
  34.   # 26 zoe, you may be correct, namely 1967 and 1973..... 15:26  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/09
  35.   #1 - I`d prefer to keep the Goldstone findings and reject Israel. 17:08  |  Gully Foyle 18/09/09
  36.   #32 Jean I remember Beirut was once a Jet setters Paradise 19:06  |  Big SUr 18/09/09
  37.   34 swiss dino 19:53  |  zoe 18/09/09
  38.   #8 ERAN, LIVING UNDER TERROR 19:59  |  Pierre S 18/09/09
  39.   Netanyahu want the support of 20:03  |  Cynic #2 18/09/09
  40.   "the world" has been ignored by N; it will return the favor 20:24  |  Shelley 18/09/09
  41.   Ostrich Remedy: Bibi wants world to stick its head in the sand 21:47  |  Ed 18/09/09
  42.   Mark of Lewingstone 22:05  |  Philippe 18/09/09
  43.   #3 Mark of Lewiston 22:15  |  Der Zweifler 18/09/09
  44.   #36 Zoe 23:15  |  alan 18/09/09
  45.   39/40 Philippe/Der Zweifler - No Flip Answer 23:46  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/09/09
  46.   Netanyahu asks world to reject Goldstone findings 23:59  |  Michael 18/09/09
  47.   alan 00:07  |  zoe 19/09/09
  48.   #43 Mark of Lewiston 05:42  |  Der Zweifler 19/09/09
  49.   48 Der Zweifler 07:21  |  Mark of Lewiston 19/09/09
  50.   oops! haven`t you forgotten something, bibi? 07:37  |  eric 19/09/09
  51.   Mark of Lewiston #18 - The IDF became a "William Calley"? 3rd tr 12:11  |  S 19/09/09
  52.   Netanyahu is out of his mind... 13:38  |  Dutch 19/09/09
  53.   Goldstone report 13:55  |  Mike Angstreich 19/09/09
  54.   Der Zweifler # 48 16:23  |  American in NY 19/09/09
  55.   when sam`s your uncle you need not fret 18:05  |  shmulik 19/09/09
  56.   #51 American in NY 18:17  |  Der Zweifler 19/09/09
  57.   Mark of Lewiston # 45 19:27  |  Philippe 19/09/09
  58.   American in NY 20:40  |  Philippe 19/09/09
  59.   54 Philippe - Doubt I`m Allowed 23:03  |  Mark of Lewiston 19/09/09
  60.   Philippe # 55 reread mjy post 03:04  |  American in NY 20/09/09
  61.   S # 50 a reality check on the IDF 03:07  |  American in NY 20/09/09
  62.   Philippe vs. Antiamerican in NY. A liitle correction 04:00  |  Bruce 20/09/09
  63.   Missed opportunity 04:02  |  jjvanka 20/09/09
  64.   S/Phillippe/DS - Censored 05:40  |  Mark of Lewiston 20/09/09
  65.   Mark of Lewiston 11:29  |  S 20/09/09
  66.   Too bad Bibi 14:45  |  Marilyn 20/09/09
  67.   Mark of Lewiston Part Two 15:34  |  Der Zweifler 20/09/09
  68.   Mark of Lewiston #57 21:06  |  Philippe 20/09/09
  69.   American in NY # 60 21:09  |  Philippe 20/09/09
  70.   Philippe # 69 You are not reading my posts 22:53  |  American in NY 20/09/09
  71.   Mark of Lewiston - the report 00:59  |  Mark Lincoln 21/09/09
  72.   S - define a `Calley"? 01:11  |  Mark Lincoln 21/09/09
  73.   The divide in this forum 01:13  |  Mark Lincoln 21/09/09
  74.   West Bank 01:25  |  Chuck-Spirit 21/09/09
  75.   American in NY # 70 03:06  |  Philippe 21/09/09
  76.   American in NY 05:00  |  Philippe 21/09/09
  77.   Mark Lincoln #72 This time I don`t disagree with most you wrote.. 08:42  |  S 21/09/09
Special Offers
Advertisement
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Date Local Jewish Singles
Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
More Headlines
23:05 Obama calls Medvedev, Sarkozy to consult on Iran
01:54 Netanyahu won't rule out Cast Lead inquiry; Barak strongly objects
21:32 Dozens of leftists, settlers arrested in fresh West Bank unrest
02:02 The birth of Goldstone
20:01 Jerusalem police to beef up presence around Temple Mount
02:07 Nuclear Negotiations / Don't celebrate yet
02:13 Palestinian elections / Abbas on the offensive
21:51 TV ROUND-UP: Abbas defends poll; Netanyahu clarifies Gaza remarks
22:24 Jewish Agency officials to replace 53 goats stolen from kids' home
02:29 Le Pen with a beard
02:32 High cancer risk from TA-area pollution
02:40 A week after murder, one family business reopens
02:41 Lebanese to Israel: Hands off our hummus!
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved