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Last update - 10:46 24/10/2009
Netanyahu vows never to let Israelis be tried for war crimes
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Israel News 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he would never allow any of the Israel's leaders or soldiers to be put on trial for war crimes.

Netanyahu opened his fiery speech at the inauguration of the Knesset's winter session by blasting the Goldstone Commission's report sponsored by the United Nations, that accused Israel of committing war crimes during its war against militants in the Gaza Strip last year.

Israel has the right to defend itself, Netanyahu declared, and would not acquiesce to a situation where wartime leaders or troops who participated in the operation stand trial.
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"This distorted report, written by this distorted committee, undermines
Israel's right to defend itself. This report encourages terrorism and
threatens peace," Netanyahu said. "Israel will not take risks for peace if it can't defend itself."

Israeli officials across the board have condemned the report, saying the
operation came in response to years of Hamas rocket attacks. They also blame Hamas for civilian casualties, saying the Islamic militant group took cover in residential areas during the fighting.

Netanyahu angrily noted the report's portrayal of Israeli leaders as war
criminals during his address on Monday. "The truth is exactly the opposite," he said. "Israel's leaders and its army are those who defended the citizens of Israel from war criminals."

"We will not allow Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak, who sent our sons to war, to arrive at the international court in the Hague," he added.

When details of the investigation's conclusions first emerged in September, Netanyahu blasted the commission as nothing but a "kangaroo court."

"The Goldstone report is a kangaroo court against Israel, whose consequences harm the struggle of democratic countries against terror," said Netanyahu during closed meetings.

He was referring to the report's author, Richard Goldstone, a South African war crimes prosecutor.

The 575-page report also accused Hamas of actions amounting to war crimes by firing rockets at civilians in southern Israel. The Palestinian Authority, Hamas' rival in the West Bank, initially retracted its proposal for an immediate vote on the probe.

Following weeks of criticism, President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday retracted the deferral and ordered his envoy to the United Nations to resubmit the report.

Appealing to the Palestinian leadership during his address on Monday, Netanyahu called on them to agree to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, saying this was, and remains, the key to peace.

"For 62 years, the Palestinians have been saying 'No' to the Jewish state. I am once again calling upon our Palestinian neighbors; say 'Yes' to the Jewish state." he said. "Without recognition of Israel as the state of the Jews we shall not be able to attain peace."

Such recognition "is a step which requires courage," Netanyahu said, adding that the Palestinian leadership "shouid tell its people the truth
- that without this recognition, there can be no peace."

"There is no alternative to Palestinian leaders showing courage by recognizing the Jewish state," he said. "This has been and remains the true key to peace."

Netanyahu has raised the demand for Palestinian acceptance of Israel as Jewish state before. For him, it is a way of ensuring recognition of Israel's right to exist - as opposed to merely recognizing Israel - which he and many other Israelis see as the real core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Turning to the subject of Iran and its nuclear ambitions, he called on all responsible states in the world to ensure that Tehran did not get atomic weapons.

The head of the opposition and chairwoman of Kadima, Tzipi Livni spoke after Netanyahu. She harshly attacked his cabinet and its actions.

"Your achievement is survival, and your second achievement is that you have managed not to do anything," she said, accusing the coalition minister of buying votes in the Knesset at the public's expense.

"You have turned the state into a state that is losing its international support," she said.

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin removed two Likud MKs, Miri Regev and Ofir Akunis, from the session after they disturbed Livni's speech.

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      1.   Will he have Israeli passports stamped 17:22  |  Axel 12/10/09
      2.   Bigger than Bibi 17:25  |  Stephen 12/10/09
      3.   More bluster 17:27  |  BDS 12/10/09
      4.   Uh 17:30  |  Peter 12/10/09
      5.   NETANYAHU 17:30  |  MICHAEL 12/10/09
      6.   Netanyahu to ban foreign travel 17:32  |  Labhras 12/10/09
      7.   Israel`s Love of terrorism 17:34  |  gearoid 12/10/09
      8.   Does this man have no sense of history? 17:35  |  Shackleton 12/10/09
      9.   Haaretz and N.A. Quote "The Goldstone report consequences 17:37  |  Joseph .E 12/10/09
      10.   Put it this way, no Israeli trials until there are Pal trials 17:44  |  Joe Sittizen 12/10/09
      11.   He must think he`s 17:47  |  EGB 12/10/09
      12.   Bibi does not have the power to stop it... 17:48  |  BBSNews 12/10/09
      13.   israeli criminals: you can run but you can?t hide. 17:49  |  sabera 12/10/09
      14.   Goldstone report 17:49  |  jtloilard 12/10/09
      15.   Bibi is a disaster for Israel... 17:55  |  Silvienne 12/10/09
      16.   But Joe Sittizen 17:55  |  Yaakov 12/10/09
      17.   Wrong Venue 17:56  |  BazMann 12/10/09
      18.   #5 learn to spell you moron. 17:58  |  get out 12/10/09
      19.   The entire Goldstone report is invalid and morally tainted. 17:58  |  B. Gold 12/10/09
      20.   get out (#18) and B. Gold (#19) - the truth hurts 18:09  |  sabera 12/10/09
      21.   Meaningless words by visionless demagoge 18:09  |  David 12/10/09
      22.   Netanyahu 18:10  |  proud american 12/10/09
      23.   Why is "State" not enough? 18:14  |  A mother 12/10/09
      24.   It doesn`t matter what Israelis think of the Goldstone Report 18:23  |  Natallie Durson 12/10/09
      25.   Netanyahu vowing what he can`t deliver. Like Milosevic. 18:25  |  Michael 12/10/09
      26.   Famous last words 18:27  |  Danny 12/10/09
      27.   #10 Joe Sitizen 18:27  |  BDS 12/10/09
      28.   Does he care? 18:28  |  kibishi 12/10/09
      29.   war criminals? 18:33  |  Petros 12/10/09
      30.   that`s right is Hamas being tried, are the killing mullahs being 18:37  |  ks 12/10/09
      31.   Actually, the serb leader Milosevic said nearly exactly the same 18:38  |  Kris Lazar 12/10/09
      32.   Israel had the chance to refute the evidence 18:39  |  r cummings 12/10/09
      33.   answer to get out state of Israel 18:39  |  proud american 12/10/09
      34.   ?Jewish State?, built on religion like Iran?s ?Islamic State?? 18:41  |  Rachel Rabin 12/10/09
      35.   Netenyahoo is right, and that is why... 18:44  |  northern neighbor 12/10/09
      36.   The best way to prevent this is 18:46  |  Mark Lincoln 12/10/09
      37.   ?Jewish State?, built on religion like Iran?s ?Islamic State?? 18:48  |  Rachel Rabin 12/10/09
      38.   To #10 18:49  |  Daniel 12/10/09
      39.   Silvienne (#15) And I thought you wanted 18:51  |  Gil 12/10/09
      40.   To B.Gold 18:51  |  kibishi 12/10/09
      41.   netanyahu 18:53  |  jos 12/10/09
      42.   I loved a debate where the negative 18:53  |  Mark Lincoln 12/10/09
      43.   joe sittizen 10 18:54  |  potobac 12/10/09
      44.   they do, Shackleton, which is precisely why hamas 18:55  |  jj 12/10/09
      45.   Is there a law against obstructing the ICC 3rd try. 18:56  |  Labhras 12/10/09
      46.   ISRAELI WAR CRIMINALS WILL BE HELD ACCONTABLE FOR THEIR CRIMES. 19:01  |  JOHN BROWN 12/10/09
      47.   Petros, if palestinians are going to place palestinians 19:02  |  jj 12/10/09
      48.   What a buffoon`s argument 19:03  |  Mark Lincoln 12/10/09
      49.   A step that requires courage 19:03  |  Richard Pearce 12/10/09
      50.   23 - Quite right Mother 19:03  |  r cummings 12/10/09
      51.   Israel was built on terror 19:08  |  Petros 12/10/09
      52.   Dear Gearoid, indeed your posts are laughable 19:13  |  jj 12/10/09
      53.   Goldstone managed by his lonesome self 19:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/10/09
      54.   #46 John Brown and the "Civilised World" 19:17  |  H 12/10/09
      55.   JOE SITTIZEN #10 19:18  |  JOHN BROWN 12/10/09
      56.   jj - Flateninig civilian buildings with f16 is war crimes 19:24  |  David 12/10/09
      57.   J Sittizen - agree all should be tried; but Israel worse 19:24  |  Don Boston 12/10/09
      58.   Cipora Julianna Kohen on Milosevic 19:29  |  Yaakov Sullivan 12/10/09
      59.   #39, Hello Gil... 19:30  |  Silvienne 12/10/09
      60.   #54, H... 19:33  |  Silvienne 12/10/09
      61.   What a flatulent gasbag ! 19:36  |  RG 12/10/09
      62.   Most criminals want to avoid trial 19:36  |  Don Boston 12/10/09
      63.   #53 Poor Cipora, whistling in the wind from Germany! 19:39  |  ballistic 12/10/09
      64.   Keep your head in the sand, that`s how we like it 19:42  |  Ramzi Jaber 12/10/09
      65.   Israel is not just a jewish state 19:42  |  Petros 12/10/09
      66.   Goldstone report should be and is the comcern of muslim 19:45  |  17 12/10/09
      67.   Israel will defeat itself 19:49  |  American 12/10/09
      68.   #19 Hey B Gold, you didn`t cooperate, remember? 19:49  |  ballistic 12/10/09
      69.   Well, then, bibi........... 19:50  |  Yaakov Sullivan 12/10/09
      70.   Joe Sittizen has no right or power to make demands 19:54  |  long arm of int law 12/10/09
      71.   # 65 Petros - you are correct - Israel is greek state. 19:54  |  17 12/10/09
      72.   Netanyahu`s speech today 19:57  |  Chris Linthwaite 12/10/09
      73.   59 Silvienne, re Realization of a Palestinian state... 20:01  |  Dutch 12/10/09
      74.   400 children 400 women 20:05  |  palestine dove 12/10/09
      75.   Keep your head in the sand, that`s how we like it 20:07  |  Ramzi Jaber 12/10/09
      76.   Silvienne (#59) Newsflash for you Silvienne 20:09  |  Gil 12/10/09
      77.   #66 Hey 17, I hope there is a lot of sand in Israel 20:11  |  ballistic 12/10/09
      78.   Israel is above the law 20:13  |  Ron 12/10/09
      79.   Poor dear Cipora---he did not do it on his own--Israel 20:16  |  Labhras 12/10/09
      80.   Poor dear Cipora---he did not do it on his own--Israel3rd try 20:17  |  Labhras 12/10/09
      81.   Why not Freeze the Settlements? 20:20  |  ARTH 12/10/09
      82.   We the people allowed or generals to encourage war crimes 20:20  |  Uzi Levy 12/10/09
      83.   Ceausescu, Charles I & Louis XVI Thought They Were Above Law Too 20:21  |  RadJustice 12/10/09
      84.   This is not something Netanyahu can stop... 20:22  |  Dutch 12/10/09
      85.   vows never to let Israelis be tried 20:31  |  alan 12/10/09
      86.   I guess Bibi will have to tell them all 20:32  |  wibism 12/10/09
      87.   17 on route 66 is taking the 5th 20:32  |  Labhras 12/10/09
      88.   But how, Bibi? Its outside your jurisdiction - even "back door" 20:35  |  Carl Finnstein 12/10/09
      89.   Why is nobody talking about Hamas war crimes against humanity? 20:37  |  judith 12/10/09
      90.   Cipora Julianna Kohn, BIBI and Peres are right! 20:40  |  Vittorio 12/10/09
      91.   WHAT A CLOWN! 20:40  |  EL 12/10/09
      92.   Jews, Please don`t count on the world 20:43  |  judith 12/10/09
      93.   ANOTHER CLOWN: CIPORA # 53 20:44  |  EL 12/10/09
      94.   Fair is fair: Palestinians too should be charged 20:44  |  wibism 12/10/09
      95.   Joe Sittizen 20:46  |  wibism 12/10/09
      96.   Honestly, Israelis don`t care what you think 20:49  |  Lee 12/10/09
      97.   The American president as Chief Commander may also be tried for.. 20:58  |  S 12/10/09
      98.   Talkback 20:58  |  Moishe 12/10/09
      99.   Judith, New York 21:01  |  alan 12/10/09
      100.   I got an idea Judith 21:09  |  O 12/10/09
      101.   Right decision 21:32  |  Pedro 12/10/09
      102.   Bibi has the potential to make peace. Pray he does. 22:53  |  gg 12/10/09
      103.   Self defense vs War crimes 23:11  |  Jack 12/10/09
      104.   LIVNI`S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT ANNAPOLIS 02:32  |  Steve of Mevaserret 13/10/09
      105.   POOR ISRAELIS, with clenched- shut minds and hearts! 04:40  |  Christopher 13/10/09
      106.   Only a question ... 04:59  |  Rafael 13/10/09
      107.   To Gil, #76 15:25  |  Silvienne 13/10/09
      108.   Only an answer 16:42  |  yuval 13/10/09
      109.   peace attainment 19:12  |  goyboy 13/10/09
      110.   To Judithm and her pity party... 19:42  |  Silvienne 13/10/09
      111.   lee 96 01:16  |  potobac 14/10/09
      112.   War Criminals 04:16  |  Dan Freeland 14/10/09
      113.   A sugestion for Cipora J.K...... 06:18  |  another shimon..... 14/10/09
      114.   Netanyaku`s vows 08:40  |  John Spear 14/10/09
      115.   even if they really committed war crimes ? 09:24  |  mehmet 14/10/09
      116.   john spear 114 15:06  |  potobac 18/10/09
      117.   As you say, Lee 04:19  |  hollingsworth 25/10/09
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