Goldstone: IDF must punish officers for Gaza war crimes

One thing is obvious. Those who write here and are critical of the Goldstone report have not even read it. I realize that most of you would find it difficult to read more than a 1,000 word newspaper article so I don't expect an effort on your part to read 575 pages of commentary on war crimes and cold blooded murder by the "righteous" IDF. The easier path is to parrot what someone else said. Why be confused by the facts - right?

Which part don't you agree with? Nobody denies Israel's right to defend its citizens against (ineffective) rocket fire. War crimes, however, must be investigated and those responsible prosecuted - regardless their nationality, ethnic background or religion.

Just facts they are called Hamas, not women and children using Quassam rockets and firing them into the negev, they are snipers firing into The Israel side of the border. I guess that should deal with your question

...for the article "Opportunity missed". The report is an assault to peace making between Israelis and Palestinians. First it was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, the same notorious anti-Israeli outfit that congratulated Sri Lanka for the appalling loss of life caused there to the Tamils. Second, and rightly so, Israel refused to collaborate with such one-sided "Human Rights". Third, the Economist cannot be faulted for excessive love of Israel. Finally, appeasing Hamas terrorists, is no service to the Arab community, as it pushes peace making in the Middle East even farther! After all, neither Israel nor America will buy such blatant bias. The article describes a few aspects of the bias.

your a real moron, stop lying through your butt, it just makes more more anit-zionist everytime the likes of you keep shovelling B.S.

which army were you fighting in Gaza? children and women , civilians with nothing to defend against the tanks, war planes , etc ... of the israeli army

When the truth hurts, ... I have Jewish friends and relatives, and bear no animosity against any ethnic group. However, as Nazi Germany proved, even the most enlightened people do get carried away by demagogues political and religious. I am against evil systems. I am for honest people. Prove me dishonest, and I will repent and desist. Israel's settlements enterprise is an historic fraud of biblical proportions on the Jewish people, and a global threat. This is PRO-SEMITISM. Who then are the real antisemites? Look to the Israeli right to find them.

N: "I am yet to see a cogent argument against Goldstone" The arguments that I find most amusing procede along these lines: Every army kills civilians, so why is he complaining when the IDF kills civilians? And, anyways, the IDF is the most moral army in the world so it wouldn't kill civilians. So there, take that, Goldstone!

Please find a more useful pastime than lurking on the comments sections of Israeli newspapers and writing poisonous nonsense. "Well-deserved anti-Semitism", eh? Sri Lanka just murdered 10,000s of people this year, and Sudan murdered 300,000 people over the last few years, and you're worrying about whether an Israeli is building apartment buildings? The whole settlements thing is a red herring; the real problem is that no matter what Israel does, there will be SOME excuse for people like you to hate it. In the end, the excuse will simply be that you can't stand the Jews. Be honest.

It's astounding the way people lie to themselves in order not to upset their childlike belief systems.

If it were not for the Goldstones of the world, Israel would drown in a sea of well-deserved antisemitism of its own creation. Israel's Settlements Enterprise is the most collossal antisemitic project devised on the planet since the Holocaust. It must be liquidated, because it is incompatible with peace on earth.

Did I miss the part where Goldstone demanded that Hamas hold the Palestinian war criminals accountable?

without exposing their own culpability for knowingly providing the conditions for those crimes to take place. idf officers and soldiers were essentially given "carte blanche" to proceed as they saw fit; which left the results entirely up to the personal scruples and morality of the individuals involved.

" Likud Charter..(is)..practically a mirror image (of the hamas charter)" You can PUT the MONEY where your MOUTH and LIST each and EVERY "mirror image" between the two charters. Or you can PUT the FOOT where your MOUTH is and NOT reply to this post. I shall SPARE you from more EMBARRASSMENT by NOT asking about the "international law" claim.

The outcome wasn't surprising. Frankly, I think the IDF handled themselves fairly well. I saw the report. It was biased. I might not have done things the same way but hey, the IDF brought their own back home fairly in one piece and I think in the future, the engagement will be the point of study for future governments engaged in heavily populated zones. Anyway, Israel could have wiped Gaza completely clean of Hamas if it had wanted to at the cost of far more civilians but they didn't. They've arrested a lot of people for sure but arresting them isn't the same as lining people up and shooting them like Hamas does. I watched a video of Mexican police charging a gunman from all directions to take him out. I may be wrong but I believe that the Mexican Police learned that strategy from the Israelis.

I have not see any real debate about what Goldstone has written. I have seen Character assassination, ignoring International law, calls for genocidal activity. A small snippet if you have the courage to read it: On 15 January 2009, the UNRWA field office compound in Gaza City came under shelling with high explosive and white phosphorous munitions. The Mission notes that the attack was extremely dangerous, as the compound offered shelter to between 600 and 700 civilians and contained a huge fuel depot. The Israeli forces continued the attack over several hours in spite of having been fully alerted to the risks they created. IDF fully alerted. Attack over several hours. White Phosphorous. This is not pretty. These are war crimes. Goldstone is right. Have a read. You will be discusted what the IDF has done in your name. If it was my government, I would say, not in my name. Genocide is not compatable with my morals. Not under any circumstance.

Thank you, Marat, for analyzing the situation from all the way up in Canada. We wouldn't tolerate it. There must always be something(s) quite big hanging over the Israelis' head to have to tolerate all the murders from Hamas and others. I have been waiting for the Israelis to stand up to the West, their friends, and say "enough is enough! This all has to stop!" Is the price for demanding peace too high? Why aren't the politicians willing to risk their careers to save their own people? After watching this for 50 years, I just don't get it.

after Hamas 'punishes' its ruthless murderers that were trained to kill civilians!

Yemen has Goldstone sponsor Saudi Arabia's "attaboy" seal of approval for prosecuting a vicious military campaign against rebel forces, in, yes, civilian areas: hundreds of thousands displaced and thousands dead--but hey the Yemen government is not Israel or Jewish and the rebels are of no propaganda use against the Jewish state. The war is ignored by HRC, Goldstone, the UN, anti-Israel bloggers here and, well, the news site here.

Easy to say when you wink at the behavior of the illegal combatant militia cum politburo cum mosque parading you about the streets of Gaza in a bizarre twist of Stockholm Syndrome.

So this is how israel treats its patriots! Goldstone has done yeoman work in fairly judging the actions of a country he clearly loves and loves well enough to present honest criticism in a fair forum. Get real Israel! Cast Lead was a disaster and you should own up to it.

Perhaps if his parents taught him such universal values like honesty, fairness, and objectivity, the judge would less inclined to commit perjury in order to remain popular in the UN halls.

Please, Mr. Goldstone, show us a war ever fought with fewer civilian casualties.

These two characters, Goldstone and Ahmadinejad, are very similar in ideology. Golstone denies any Hamas wrongdoing, and Ahmadinejad denies the holocaust. Iran's leader denies the right of Jews to have their own state, and Golstone denies the Jewish State the right to defend themselves. Both are revisionists of History. For Goldtone, Hamas was living peacefully, and was suddenly attacked by Israel. For Ahmadi, the Zionists wanted a State, so they made up the story of the Holocaust. It is no wonder that the UN will wlecome ahmadinejad to speak there.

The murdered their prisoners and I haven't heard boo.

...practically a mirror image. It is also directly contrary to international law, of course that's never bothered Israel before, so why should it now?

intermarried , and there for have already sold out the Jewish people.the quote in he NYT mag 2 weeks ago was they have Buddhist seders. As for goldstone a self hating Jew from South Africa hmmm, how was his 5770 observance.

Goldstone is a criminal who puts ISrael in grave danger. He protects Hamas and makes them stronger.

Mr G knows that the real war criminals are in Gaza and Lebanon: Hanyeh and Nasrallah. Has he mentioned them at all? No he will be scared for his life as the Arabs know how to handle those who attack them, especially civilians who, most of the time, are blown to pieces, not the military. You have lost Mr G. YOUR REPORT IS THAT OF A FRUSTATED FUNCTIONARY. Or a traitor.

The J Street commies should stay out of Israel matters. They are a bunch of pinkos and do not represent the Jews in the US.

to use as shields, or aimed rockets at cities--they should be subject to investigation? hmmmm

Go hug Hamas and ask them politely to change their Charter that calls for "The Destruction of Israel." If rockets came from Tijuana into San Diego, Tijuana would be nothing but smoldering ashes right now, and rightly so....

Goldstone and J Street- two idiots made for each other and both a threat to the security of Israel.