Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., October 13, 2009 Tishrei 25, 5770 | | Israel Time: 14:08 (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 - 23:12 11/10/2009
Abbas changes mind on delaying vote on Goldstone probe
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Goldstone Gaza report 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that he has instructed his envoy to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to resubmit a proposal for a vote on the Goldstone Commission's report on Gaza war crimes.

The president's address comes nearly two weeks after his decision to defer a vote on the report garnered unprecedented criticism from Palestinians across the various factions.

The council must reach a decision "to judge anyone who committed crimes against the Palestinian nation," said Abbas in a televised address to the nation.
Advertisement
Abbas added that the Palestine Liberation Organization had formed a panel of inquiry to determine why the decision had been made to defer the vote.

Nevertheless, he defended his initial decision, saying it had been made after consultations with a number of sources and was meant to last only six months.

"The decision to postpone [the vote] was a result of a consensus among the different parties at the Human Rights Council ... and in order to secure the largest number of supporters for any resolution in the future," Abbas said.

"If the committee finds any mistake in the decision to defer [the vote], we have enough courage to take responsibility and say 'we erred'," said Abbas.

"However, I respect the majority opinion, and in the wake of everything that has happened, I have decided that the matter should be turned over again to the Human Rights Council," he added.

In the first acknowledgement of its kind, a member of Abbas' inner circle said last Wednesday that the Palestinian leadershiphad made a mistake by suspending action on the UN report.

The 575-page United Nations report alleged both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes during Israel's three-week offensive against the Islamic militants in Gaza last winter.

Abbas withdrew Palestinian support for a vote at the UNHRC to have the report sent to the UN General Assembly for possible action. Such a vote would have been a first of many steps toward possible war crimes tribunals.

With the Palestinians out of the picture, the council set the report aside for six months.

Abbas made the decision under heavy U.S. pressure, Palestinian and Israeli officials have said. U.S. officials told Palestinian leaders that a war crimes debate would complicate efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, according to participants in such meetings.

Abbas' aides have defended the step, saying the Palestinians needed more time to win international support for the UN report. They said deferring action did not mean burying the report.

But Abbas apparently underestimated the angry response at home. With every day, there were more protests, marches and statements of condemnations, not only from his Hamas rivals, but also from human rights groups and intellectuals.

His decision prompted the Islamist Hamas group ruling the Gaza Strip to ask Egypt to delay a meeting on October 25 with his Fatah party when they where expected to sign a reconciliation pact.

According to Abbas, Hamas and a number of other groups along with the media - hinting at Al Jazeera - had conducted a propoganda campaign whose goal was to allow Hamas to avoid reaching a reconciliation with Fatah. Abbas said the people should have their say at the polls in order to end the dispute and divisions between the two movements.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal told Arab politicians in the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday that Abbas had lost his legitimacy as president in January 2009, according to Palestinian law.

"No one believes this leadership. It must be he held accountable. Israel was in a corner and this Palestinian team came to its rescue," Meshal said

In his speech, with a picture of Syrian President Bashar Assad behind him, Meshal said: "All the land of Palestine is our land and will return to us ... Our strategic choice is the path of resistance in order to free out lands."

Meshal demanded that those responsible for delaying the debate on the Goldstone report be put on trial, and he slammed U.S. President Barack Obama, whom he said uses different language but acts like his predecessor. The U.S. administration has done nothing for the Palestinians, Meshal declared, and Obama supported Israel's Gaza operation before he became president.

A Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip said: "Abbas' speech was an attempt to evade responsibility for the crime that [the Palestinian] Authority committed in Geneva."

The speeches came after an Egyptian announcement that the reconciliation
ceremony scheduled for Oct. 25-26 would be postponed, after Hamas ruled out any reconciliation or agreement with Fatah over the Goldstone affair. However, it seems that Hamas has made a decision to avoid elections in any way possible, even at the cost of a continued split between the West Bank and Gaza.

Related articles:
  • Abbas aide: Deferring action on Goldstone report was a mistake
  • Israeli Arab party urges Abbas to quit over Goldstone report
    • PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
    Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Crisis with Turkey
    Defense Minister Barak has urged Israel to tread carefully amid shaky ties with Turkey.
    A state called Jewish
    A pair of Israeli and Palestinian writers debate: Should Israel be recognized as Jewish?
      1.   "Bring Goldstone to the UN" imlies end the peace process!!! 21:05  |  Eitan 11/10/09
      2.   Good News 21:06  |  Yeshuvalata 11/10/09
      3.   Dear Mr. Abbas, either you do it because you think..... 21:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/10/09
      4.   funny PALs 21:28  |  vik 11/10/09
      5.   Mahmoud Abbas 21:30  |  Ali 11/10/09
      6.   Abbas is not a leader nor a partner in peace 21:34  |  Jason 11/10/09
      7.   Abbas.. 21:35  |  hanan 11/10/09
      8.   Great news from Palestine 21:41  |  Harry Boy 11/10/09
      9.   Abbas puppet 21:42  |  Sjimon 11/10/09
      10.   Dear Mr. Abbas, thanks for making clear why we stay in West Bank 21:45  |  Dan 11/10/09
      11.   Sadly, the impression that this vacillating creates on the world 22:00  |  Esther 11/10/09
      12.   A "mistake"...you think? 22:25  |  Aaron Levitt 11/10/09
      13.   Before changing mind... 22:30  |  Osama 11/10/09
      14.   Swiss (Dino) abbas forgot about the people of palestine 22:42  |  remember 11/10/09
      15.   I hope Israel exposes his recording urging Ehud Barak 23:07  |  Concerned Israeli 11/10/09
      16.   abbas: fool or zionist collaborator? 23:17  |  does it matter? 11/10/09
      17.   Abbas did the right thing. Israel must be brought to justice 23:26  |  Ivar 11/10/09
      18.   Boycot his son`s cellphone co! 23:38  |  Nabulsi 11/10/09
      19.   please read it 23:42  |  mhammad 11/10/09
      20.   Dan, defend yourself all you want... 23:59  |  BBSNews 11/10/09
      21.   What does this mean? 00:20  |  sh 12/10/09
      22.   Changes in policy and "Ester" 00:34  |  bob 12/10/09
      23.   They seem to have forgotten 01:04  |  utagawa 12/10/09
      24.   maybe because Hanas thugs will be tried, too 01:19  |  judith 12/10/09
      25.   This is good! 01:25  |  jmundstuk 12/10/09
      26.   Osama the Palestinian 02:18  |  Jasper 12/10/09
      27.   This is a big mistake....a huge mistake 02:23  |  Lynn 12/10/09
      28.   Politics Are Tough 03:04  |  Stephen 12/10/09
      29.   Use Truth to Achieve Justice 06:27  |  Vladek 12/10/09
      30.   This man is not worth talking to 07:26  |  English Resident 12/10/09
      31.   Interesting that Abbas isn`t trying to tough this out 07:28  |  Johnboy 12/10/09
      32.   Abbas is not a partner for peace 07:32  |  fredyr 12/10/09
      33.   Foolish of Israel 07:47  |  Colin Wright 12/10/09
      34.   Now the Palestinians can be put on trial for war crimes 09:57  |  Joe Sittizen 12/10/09
      35.   Jasper#20 11:22  |  Osama 12/10/09
      36.   The rules of war must change 11:30  |  Yonatan 12/10/09
      37.   Re: "Now the Palestinians can" 11:56  |  Miron 12/10/09
      38.   Morals and legality. 12:07  |  Gadi Katz 12/10/09
      39.   BSNews and his schism from reality 12:12  |  SDHD 12/10/09
      40.   BSNews and his schism from reality (2nd try) 12:13  |  SDHD 12/10/09
      41.   un 12:46  |  oz 12/10/09
      42.   abbas 13:12  |  Yaron 12/10/09
      43.   hamas 15:09  |  doubter 12/10/09
      44.   Osama #35 16:05  |  Jasper 12/10/09
      45.   What a shameful man! 16:06  |  Joe 12/10/09
      46.   #40- SDHD is right . 16:35  |  arik 12/10/09
      47.   Of Course It Should Be Resubmitted 16:42  |  Yaakov Sullivan 12/10/09
      48.   dino 16:45  |  oz 12/10/09
      49.   logic 17:09  |  oz 12/10/09
      50.   #47 yaakov still whistling dixie on 42nd st 17:11  |  vhardman 12/10/09
      51.   postponement 17:19  |  oz 12/10/09
      52.   POLITIC 17:34  |  OZ 12/10/09
      53.   Jasper #44 18:03  |  Osama 12/10/09
      54.   ABBAS 18:05  |  PEACELOVER 12/10/09
      55.   vhardman on yaakov after all these years 19:35  |  Yaakov Sullivan 12/10/09
      56.   # 14 remember # 48 oz, I support the left in Israel...... 19:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/10/09
      57.   Why so heavy on Abbas? 20:04  |  r cummings 12/10/09
      58.   To those of you accusing Israel of war crimes 20:22  |  Nechama 12/10/09
      59.   Jasper the Pollard Jew # 26 02:45  |  American in NY 13/10/09
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
    Holiday Greetings from the Heart
    LIBI-Caring for Israeli Soldiers
    JGooders Special Rosh Hashanah Gift Cards
    Send Gift Cards to you Friends and Family and Taste the Sweetness of Giving
    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
    Amazing Jewelry
    Visit SoKoBe.com for the best priced fine jewelry in the world
    More Headlines
    13:39 Turkey: World blamed Islam as Israel bombed Gaza
    13:41 Abbas: Hamas using Goldstone probe as excuse to delay reconciliation
    13:30 Lebanon: Shell caused blast at Hezbollah official's home
    13:40 Secret police unit monitoring Israeli citizens
    11:06 U.S. to Egypt: Fatah-Hamas deal undermines Israel-PA talks
    08:37 Shin Bet hunting for Rightists who threatened to bomb gays
    06:52 Should Israel subsidize Viagra for cancer patients?
    22:54 TV ROUND-UP: Netanyahu: Ignore Temple Mt. lies; Barak: Preserve Turkey ties
    09:41 Israel sees court rulings on Palestinian land as mere 'recommendations'
    10:07 Foreign workers' children likely to be deported after school year
    08:55 Report: Iran used German ship to send arms to Syria
    05:57 Court to hear main witness in Katsav rape trial
    06:14 Immigrant family fights expulsion after state rules they're not Jewish
    08:20 Jewish Agency to halt Western Wall ceremonies for olim
    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