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Last update - 17:04 06/10/2009
PA move to thwart Goldstone Gaza report shocks Palestinian public
By Amira Hass, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
Tags: Goldstone Gaza report 
Palestinian sources tell Haaretz that Abbas request to halt vote on Gaza war probe was result of U.S. pressure.

Click here for more on the Goldstone commission report on the Gaza conflict

The decision by the United Nations Human Rights Council to delay the vote on the findings of its report into the Gaza conflict - in line with a request by the Palestinian Authority - has shocked the Palestinian public.

Palestinian sources told Haaretz that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made the decision to delay the vote immediately after meeting with the U.S. Consul General last Thursday, without the knowledge of the PLO leadership or the government of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, and without any consultation.
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The commission which produced the report, headed by South African judge Richard Goldstone, charged both Israel and Hamas with committing war crimes during the three-week operation launched by the Israel Defense Forces in December, in an effort to halt rocket fire from Gaza on its southern communities. Israel has rejected the report and accused Goldstone of having a political agenda.

The Palestinian sources said they believed that the consul general had passed on an unequivocal request from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to ensure that the document remain on the table at the Human Rights Council.

Palestinian officials say that there was "heavy and ongoing pressure" from the U.S., which warned that the adoption of the findings in the commission's report would stymie progress in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Abbas on Saturday made his first direct comments about media speculation on the issue, saying that his initial position had been misrepresented and that this was not a case of him withdrawing his support for the Goldstone report.

A group of 14 rights groups issued a statement condemning the consent to a delay and vowing to "seek justice".

"Abu Mazen has lost a lot from this," said Shawan Jabarin, who runs the al-Haq human rights watchdog in Ramallah, using Abbas' familiar name.

"Even the average man in the street thinks Abu Mazen has given up the rights of the victims and given up on pursuing Israeli war criminals," Jabarin added.

Protesters said they would march in Ramallah on Monday.

In the wake of the uproar, Abbas on Sunday ordered an internal investigation into why his own government ruled to delay the vote, the Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.

After deliberating between President Abbas and members of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, President Abbas issued a decree to form a committee to find the reasons behind postponement of the debate on Goldstone's report at the UN f Human Rights Council," secretary of the PLO Executive Committee, Abed Rabbo, said in a statement.

Related articles:
  • PA pushing for UN to act on Goldstone 'war crime' findings
  • PA move to thwart Goldstone Gaza report shocks Palestinian public
  • PA drops pressure on UN to act on Gaza op report
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      1.   being inferior 16:58  |  hatim 04/10/09
      2.   the war crime is Hamas rocketting and threatening Israel, period. 17:13  |  Tzadik 04/10/09
      3.   get rid of Abbas 17:19  |  ptr 04/10/09
      4.   abbas and fayyad are good little zio-puppy dogs 17:11  |  roll over for zion 04/10/09
      5.   A Morally Repugnant Abbas tries to save face 17:30  |  Nour 04/10/09
      6.   Impossible?What the hell happened ?? The source of pressure revea 17:31  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 04/10/09
      7.   its called crying wolf once too often!!!!!!!!! 17:39  |  vhardman 04/10/09
      8.   Advancing the sham report by Goldstone & Co will only cause the 17:49  |  Eitan 04/10/09
      9.   How dare Obama pressure the occupied. Capitulating to AIPAC. 18:04  |  Ramzi Jaber 04/10/09
      10.   Hillary Clinton is blatantly wrong. Israel is accountable to law 18:10  |  Ivar 04/10/09
      11.   Eitan-- Judea and Samaria are defunct terms 18:24  |  Labhras 04/10/09
      12.   To Eitan 18:31  |  Lebanese Citizen 04/10/09
      13.   Its either a peace process or demonizing and de-legitimizing 18:35  |  Eitan 04/10/09
      14.   Abbas needs to go - he is no Arafat 18:55  |  American 04/10/09
      15.   Certified Clown 19:20  |  Bazmann 04/10/09
      16.   Decision to Delay Vote on Goldstone Report 19:25  |  John 04/10/09
      17.   Thought that the days-of-the-messiaha were upon us... 19:28  |  Esther 04/10/09
      18.   Don`t expect a demonized state to make peace. You must chose: 19:49  |  Eitan 04/10/09
      19.   The criminal Israel regime will perish sooner or later 19:49  |  patient 04/10/09
      20.   Labhras etc, on International Law concerning Palestine 19:50  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 04/10/09
      21.   Abbas did it again ... 20:00  |  Marc Amelot 04/10/09
      22.   It`s not the end of the story 20:04  |  r cummings 04/10/09
      23.   Ptr # 3, ditto 20:05  |  Palestinian 04/10/09
      24.   .... another clown ? 20:06  |  Marc Amelot 04/10/09
      25.   to 22 20:17  |  Marc Amelot 04/10/09
      26.   PLEASE SAVE YOUR BREATHE 20:22  |  Michael 04/10/09
      27.   And another thing 20:23  |  r cummings 04/10/09
      28.   Abbas MUST go! Hamas is the only TRUE Leader. 20:32  |  Ramzi Jaber 04/10/09
      29.   Abbas a coward, traitor 20:50  |  Fadi 04/10/09
      30.   The questionnable role of the USA 20:52  |  r cummings 04/10/09
      31.   Abbas has achieved nothing for Palestine 20:54  |  Samer 04/10/09
      32.   Appeasement to Americans, Israel 20:57  |  Adam 04/10/09
      33.   20, what sleight of hand nullified aboriginal Palestinian rights? 21:41  |  Ivar 04/10/09
      34.   The Place The World Has Forgotten 22:36  |  scrolls 04/10/09
      35.   Gaza report shocks Palestinian public 22:58  |  a wandering Jew 04/10/09
      36.   Blackmail 23:00  |  kibishi 04/10/09
      37.   Esther, how deviously astute of you ;-) 23:12  |  BBSNews 04/10/09
      38.   I guess they didn`t read it either 23:52  |  Mark Lincoln 04/10/09
      39.   I TOLD YOU SO, again 00:33  |  VIPER 05/10/09
      40.   #10, IVAR, CLINTON IS CORRUPT 00:35  |  VIPER 05/10/09
      41.   Esther - what the report is and isn`t 00:36  |  Mark Lincoln 05/10/09
      42.   Now can you see why the Palestinians chose Hamas? 01:34  |  Marc Leb 05/10/09
      43.   Fatah overthrew Hamas`s rule in a Coup De Tat 01:36  |  Marc Leb 05/10/09
      44.   Abbas likely got something for this move 01:55  |  Bloodyscot 05/10/09
      45.   This is an obstruction of justice..... 02:15  |  Dutch 05/10/09
      46.   UNHCR and the Goldstone report. 02:43  |  Cynic 05/10/09
      47.   Wouldn`t it be nicer if the Palestinian public were shocked 03:41  |  Murray de Montreal 05/10/09
      48.   RAMZI JABER how do you know it was not just baksheesh 03:50  |  PETER SM 05/10/09
      49.   Probably less the result of U.S. pressure 04:24  |  Josef Trilling 05/10/09
      50.   Of course Abbas has done nothing for Palestine. 04:25  |  Josef Trilling 05/10/09
      51.   down to strike three 04:33  |  US Observer 05/10/09
      52.   To #9--"Occupied?" Hamas=Your New Masters 21:19  |  marat 05/10/09
      53.   Amira Is Being SHORTSIGHTED. But, TIMELY, It Should Be Addressed! 14:18  |  U.S. Pal Defender 06/10/09
      54.   Tzadisk: Typical Israeli Response 05:42  |  Darwish 07/10/09
      55.   Hey there IVAR 13:47  |  Sabra 19/11/09
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