Goldstone: Israel intentionally targeted Gaza civilian sites

...that could have been killed if the IDF really wanted to "intentionally target them"? And what is your opinion about the intentions of Hamas's suicide killings in Israel's busses, restaurants, etc? Followed by the rockets over 8 years (when walls were errected to stop the suicides)? ANSWER PLEASE: Were those crimes un-itentional?

...that could have been killed if the IDF really wanted to "intentionally target them"? And what is your opinion about the intentions of Hamas's suicide killings in Israel's busses, restaurants, etc? Followed by the rockets over 8 years (when walls were errected to stop the suicides)? ANSWER THAT! Were they un-itentional, over all those years?

Zionists believe that because the land of Palestine was once ruled by Jews, it should return to that state. Evidently Muslims believe that any land (such as Palestine) once ruled by Muslims should return to Muslim rule. I think both beliefs are equally ridiculous; the world moves on and things change.

"The logic Bibi uses is so flawed, I don't understand how he can expect anyone to buy it." (O) Don't be surprised. Bibi had a very good teacher. A poll commissioned by the Anti-Defamation League [...] found that 71% of respondents felt that the Disengagement Plan is closer to a "bold step that would advance the Peace Process" than to a "capitulation to terrorist violence". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel's_unilateral_disengagement_plan If then-PM Sharon succeeded so well to sell his plan to open the gate of Gaza wide before Hamas - as a step that would advance the Peace Process, then why should Bibi not try to peddle his own flawed logic? See #37.

civilians WERE purposely targetted in gaza! http://www.newsweek.com/id/180483 this is one incident, "S"; one of many. and if you think those soldiers who the idf quickly silenced were making shit up... you're most naive; and that's just the way israel and the idf wants you to be! but don't expect the rest of the world to share your blind faith in "the most moral army in the world", because most of us have our eyes open. and IF you read the link above; it also mentions dead chickens... there were actually thousands of dead chickens. now WHY in the world would the idf have targetted the only remaining source of chicken that was left in gaza... the farm was bombed and then later bulldozed! do you think those chickens were carrying grenade launchers? ak-47's? caught in the act of launching qassams? or do you think it had more to do with removing one of the last sources of fresh meat available in gaza?

To say that targetting civilians was intentional IS A MONSTRUOUS LIE AND A CRIME FOR WHICH HE SHOULD BE SUED!

Look at his record - he bluffed his way to Judgehood - he was just a lawyer and jumped on the Apartheid opportunity to further his career. Always doing things that were politically expedient to his own over inflated ego. Richard Goldstone - "If you lie down with dogs, you wake up with Fleas" - Shemzag!!! How much did they pay you?

without uniforms in built up areas,next to schools hospitals etc and its predictable resulting casualties. Not to mention ignoring Hamas use of a hospital as a HQ,ambulances,preventing civillians from leaving. War crimes unless you come from the UNHRC. Sleeping during an Israeli presentation on qassams on Sderot.Way to go Mr "Justice" Goldstone !

heavy handedness and excessive civilian casualties compound the problem, bibi... they increase indigenous support for terrorists and fuel its ranks! true in iraq, true in afghanistan, true in gaza! i don't necassarily advocate the u.s. signing on to the icc; and i can understand israel's not wanting to either... but by God you damn well better police your own better than you have been! the idf investigations of ANY incident are notorious for virtually NEVER convicting an idf soldier(except for one hapless bedouin). oh...let me rephrase that...it never convicts an idf soldier for the crime he committed; it's always some lesser charge that carries a month or two sentence; most often reduced for time already served. your idf investigations stink bibi, and so do YOU! and IF your "commission" ever comes to be...i've NO doubt that it'll reek, too! and THAT mr netanyahu, is WHY the threat of the icc and prosecution in countries lingers over israeli officials and members of the idf.

I always wonder how a general public knows that there were not war crimes committed by Israel and Hamas. Goldstone is an internationally respected judge, he has over 40 years of legal and fact-finding experience. His report shall be looked into very seriously by Bibi and Netanyahu. Otherwise, the war crimes will occur again, and as the result many present-day Israeli leaders will find themselves on Hague trial bench. Israeli people should understand this and not support their oppresive extremist regime.

So without any evidence, Judge Goldstone KNOWS is able to read the minds of the Israelis. This ANC apparatchik has certainly stuck to the script. "He would say that, wouldn't he, dearie?" as the prostitute said of the politician. Odd [ ;) ] that he didn't query the pre-planning between Hamas and the ANC.

"we certainly looked into the fact that Hamas put their weapons near civilians. We looked for proof but didn't find it." It would be interesting to know how hard Goldstone tried to find the proof if Hamas representatives did not let him talk to Gazans without their presence. If Goldstone can say they did not find the proof that Hamas put their weapons near civilians can he at least dismiss this claim as unfounded? Mr.Golstone,Is it true that former High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson refused invitations to head the Mission and admitted that it was guided not by human rights but by politics? And that one mission member signed a letter to the Sunday Times saying that Israel's actions against Hamas attacks were acts of "aggression not self-defense", prejudging the investigation before it had even begun?

As well as their choice to confront the IDF in built up areas without wearing uniforms,guarranteeing civillian casualties..Their use of hospital ambulances etc was ignored as was evidence that they prevented civillians leaving. Goldstones approach to Israeli evidence was summed up nicely by his falling asleep as Israelis were giving their evidence.

Take out the legitimacy of self-defense by a democracy against a terrorist enclave, a proxy of Iran, and Israel won't take the chance of peace. It's logical. Every idiot supporting Goldstone's biased, antisemitically correct drivel in comparing Israel with a bloodthirsty, terrorist proxy of Iran, is in fact hindering peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

During the eight consecutive years during which Israeli civilians were being targeted by the launchers of rockets and mortars on a daily basis.." Sderot, Ashkelon et al are not in Sovereign Israeli territory. " the world was silent." You're lying. " Not a single UN resolution" Hamas is not a UN member. "not one UN "fact finding" commission" Another lie. "If this is the way the world community choses to deal with terror that threatens liberal democracies like Israel" Israel has been out of bounds for 62 years. None of the territories it illegally acquired by war, by 1949 have ever been annexed.

No one is suggesting taking away Israel's right to self defense. They do propose as a matter of course, that defense be in accordance with the UN Charter & Laws of War (both mandatory for all UN Members), and the Geneva Conventions Israel has ratified. This is no more or less than is asked of all UN Member States. So why does the Prime Minister of the Jewish State of Israel, stand before the world and continually break one of the basic tenets of the faith for Jewish people? Has lying become the norm?

before and after Oslo accords.Including when Rabin was PM,Netanyahu had nothing to do with it.It continued after the road map agreementas as well. Incitement has never stopped either.

Israel is like an errant child that denies having hit their crying sibling. It is time for Israel to mature as a nation and start taking responsibility. It has exhausted everyone's patience as it continues to hid behind a mask of suffering.

Quote from Ha'aretz headline: Netanyahu: Trying war crimes alleged in Goldstone report in Hague would cripple peace efforts.

Is a school, hospital or mosque considered a civilian site when rockets are shot from them or stored there? According to Mr Goldstone and the rest of the Jew haters, they are. Well too damn bad. The next time rockets come from these sites the IDF should respond harsher and reoccupy Gaza.

The only responce Israel should give is to ban Goldstone from Israel for life.

Hamas war crimes are OK. Hezbollah war crimes are OK. Muslims war crimes are OK. Russian war crimes are OK. As long as you are not Israeli you can hang homosexuals,bomb buses,kill children,commit genocide,attack schools,behead people,gas your enemy,threat to wipe off another country,kneecap those you don't like,use human shields,use military force to chase political opponents and nobody will bother you especially not lefties in Haaretz talkback who regularly avoid threads about Hamas,Hezbollah,Iran crimes. Why they can live with others crimes?Could the cause be that antisemitic thing? Or maybe Palestinian blood is more noble than Jewish or Darfurians for them?

What's the world gonna do about it? Nothing as usual, they'll just blame the arabs and bomb them into oblivion for all the American and Israelis government care.

During the eight years during which Israeli civilians were being targeted by rockets the world, the UN was silent. Only after Israel reacted to stop these acts of terror did the UN react.

the war may be started because of rockes that killed?..... one or ywo people in many years and your war killed thousands civilians in a couple of weeks. This is the facts that the world ubderline. There are not antisemitism in strssing these facts.

Mickey mouse arms. Even a single bullet can kill. A rocket deliberately launched towards civilian areas in Israel is a crime too as its goal is explicitely to kill civilians, children or adults, whoever is caught in the open and does not have time to run to a shelter. Sderot victims are many, houses, schools are destroyed by those rockets, people live in constant fear. See how long you can think of Mickey Mouse when one falls in your garden. You'll be screaming like a little girl & running to your mama pronto.

"we certainly looked into the fact that Hamas put their weapons near civilians. We looked for proof but didn't find it." says Goldstone. Unbelievable, months after the war, he gets into Gaza sent by the UNHRC's vipers, and he cannot find any proof there were weapons on Hamas side. Films were taken by IDF of these missiles starting in Gaza & ending in civilian areas in Israel. Even on Al Jazeera, a missile is seen shooting from under a Gaza building. Evidently, Hamas coerced witnesses to recite condemnations & moved their mobile rocket launchers before Goldstone visit, so yes he saw nothing. If the IDF officers & the Israeli govt ends up in the Hague, then the same process should apply to Hamas, Hezbollah,Iran,Darfour, Tibet, Shri Lanka, Afganistan, Iraq... Goldstone should be sent too. The UNHRC is making a mockery of human rights by concentrating all its efforts to demonize Israel. Hands of the free world will be tied in the fight against terrorists as a result.

Which peace process? Netanyahu, we are not all stupid!

Did Goldtone get access to thousands of prisoners in Israeli jails for stone throwing? I dont think so..Your governmnet said that they would not cooperate in the invetsigation as they knew IDF has committed war crimes. I feel sorry Shalit, but you only feel the pain of Shalit, but not of the prinsoners sitting in your jails.

I cannot understand liberal Jews that go out of their way to over-compensate to appear balanced even when the facts do not justify it. You know what as Jews, we do not need other nations to like us but we need them to respect us and that can only happen from a position of strength. Israel is subject to incredibly high standards and the arabs to very low standards, how can we have peace when the rules are so biased. We can only count on ourselves.

There never was....but there is a "piece" process...where Israel take a piece of this and a piece of that..until there is nothing left for the Palestinians. The word peace is nothing but a fascade constantly used by Israel to try and disguise its true intentions. However, the world is waking up finally.

I'm trying to think which is the most dishonest, preposterous comment, though with the Netanyahu/Lieberman/Regev troika it's always hard to tell: This: "Anyone who supports the Goldstone report and its conclusions is in effect against peace," or, "If the report reaches the international court in Hague, it will bring the peace process to a halt because Israel won't take the risks necessary to achieve peace if it is not assured the right to defend itself." Tough to decide, isn't it?

Its tricky Bibi, but eventually this clown is going to trick himself out of office, its a matter of time.

No its not the opinion of an individual it is the charter of a government elected by the Palestinians knowing their intentions full well. it was there in writing for all to see when the Palestinians elected them. You will note the charter is NOT repealled. Allow me to refresh your memory "Hamas Principles The principles of the Hamas are stated in their Covenant or Charter, given in full below. Following are highlights. "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory). "The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. " "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors." "After Palestine, the Zionists aspire to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates. When they will have digested the region they overtook, they will aspire to further expansion, and so on. Their plan is embodied in the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion", and their present conduct is the best proof of what we are saying."

...and Israel's illegal siege of Gaza brought on the rockets, in other words, as usual, Israel's occupation created resistance. Take an honest look at those puny little rockets... About 6 feet long, 4 inches across, minimally explosive when compared to modern firepower. These are not Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM). And almost all of them fell harmlessly in scrub land. I'm thinking that after all those years their aim would have gotten better; or has it been? In any case, the continued occupation and siege of Gaza, the turning of it into the Gaza Ghetto is the cause of the resistance. Nothing less than a fair and just peace will ever end the resistance. The Goldstone Report must be acted upon to remove impunity for both Israel and Hamas.

The post by "Indigenous" is really very confronting, and sad beyond belief. Why do you yearn for the colonialist rule in Palestine, similar to the colonialist days of Australia and America, Gary? Have you never learned of the inhumanity to American indigenous and Black people? I can't change what happened to Indigenous Australians during White settlement, but we can all try to ensure it never happens again to anyone, anywhere! Equal rights for all people!

Very clever comment, Indigenous, but the 7,000 year residence claim, to the extent it is not humorous hyperbole, is intellectually dishonest. The claim that Palastinians have simply been "indigenous" for all time belies all the different peoples that have been in the neighborhood since the Jews were forced out around 135 CE. Those people included Romans, Byzantines, Persians, various Arabs peoples, various Turkic peoples, and others. Rather than take refuge in self serving myth, why is it not possible for Palastinains to say that at this point they constitute a people as do Jews and that Jews and Arabs should live in two states side by side in mutual respect? Why is this so easy for many Jews to say and so hard for most Palastinains? When, if ever, will Palastinains exchange beligerence and the self denigration that lies at the heart of extravagant claims for self respect and mutual respect?

...because each and every instance of rockets has been responded to by Israel and resulted in a ten-to-one kill ratio against the Palestinians every step of the way. Nope, as the Goldstone Report makes clear, it was collective punishment to elicit a desired political outcome for Israel, the occupier country. You will have a hard time convincing the world community that the destruction of a chicken egg farm and all the other critical civilians infrastructure was necessary to curb rockets. Indeed, by not complying with the ceasefire and breaking it on November 4th, 2008 it was Israel that caused the outbreak of rocket fire. Israel simply could have chosen to extend the ceasefire, Hamas wanted to, but Israel had planned this war *before* it entered into the first ceasefire. Israel further extended this perfidy just before the war with a "lull" - that episode is best described by Karen AbuZayd...

Palestinians do not have any weapons to fight Israel, Why do they fight even if they know that they are going to be defeated. That is suicide. Nobody can blame Israel for defending itself. If you send a Qassam rocket than you have to expect to get something more powerful on your head. You better realize that you have already lost the war between Israel on 1948. Unless USA and Russia get charged with war crimes no one can charge Israel for defending itself or attacking to Gazza whatsoever.

Chosing to fight in Gaza city without uniforms,firing from next to schools etc,using a hospital as a HQ,preventing civillians from leaving and their own admission that they use women children and the elderly. Goldstone taking evidence from Israelis and falling asleep describes his attitude.

Netanyahu, you must be insane saying the REPORT spells death for peace. The government launched the disastrous campaign in Gaza. The army killed 1000+ civillians and over 300 children. They then boasted about their sickening deeds, printed their sad shirts and rejoiced in this mass murder. Your pretext was to destroy Hamas. You failed. You said that you could find Shalit. You failed. You said you would stop these pain in the rear settlers and illegal settlements. You failed. And yet, after all these massive failures, not to mention even more damage to Israel's reputation, despite all this litany of failures, you think the REPORT is the death of peace? I seriously doubt you'd know peace if it bit you in the a$$!

Where is the evidence to support the report's findings? Was it based on what the pathological Hamas liars say? The Judge must be stupid or in bed with the terrorists.

Of course the IAF/IDF targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure!! Israel used the same policy/tactics in Lebanon where the vast majority of targets were civilian. Israel thinks (incorrectly) that decimating the civilian/social infrastructure will greatly weaken a country (Lebanon) or a people (the Palestinians). What did Israel say before the Lebanese onslaught: 'We will bomb you back 20 years'? Israel did not say 'We will destroy Hizbollah' it said 'We will destroy you as a nation/culture'. Simply put: Israel will take any opportunity/pretext to weaken any neighboring goy-nation/people that it can.

RE:7000 years me and my family lived in your Yeah right! Are you sure it's not seven million years? When did the arabs invade that region????

Bibi: Block the Goldstone Report or I'll pull the plug on any talks with the Palestinians. As far as blackmail goes it is about as crude and as unsophisticated as it gets. Proof again that the man has no shame.

During Cast Lead the Israeli press and government made much of the fact that the IDF was phoning people and warning them that their apartment buildings were to be bombed. It would, of course, be self-defeating if the goal of the attack was to kill militants. The warning phone calls were - as was touted at the time - intended to reduce civilian casualties. The targets were not terrorists. The target was the homes and jobs of the civilians warned to evacuate. Otherwise the phones never would have rang.

hirz The State of Israel will be forever.

He wasnt even honest in his taking evidence .... Where is that Israeli Lady Dr in the Clinic story-all he did was write her a thank you letter . Its not just that he found against Israel Its the way he found against Israel . The way he took the evidence of the Gazans under Hamas supervision of their evidence .The obsession of the HRC with Israel all the time . 20 out of 25 resolutions (something like this)all against Israel . What about all other places . I think he has done more to set back peace than any other Jew for a long time . And he says he is a Zionist with a daughter living in Israel.LOL

The Goldstone report was clearly a fair minded effort to get at the truth and not the least biased. Why would it be? The ad hominem attacks on Judge Goldstone are just as clearly low-rent efforts to defame anyone who would deign to criticize Israel for anything it does. And the more I see the more I am believing that israel will do anything! Well, the Goldstone Report calls them to task.

There may have been 8000 rockets fired but in the last 8 years since the Palestinians started firing rockets from Gaza only 23 Israelis have been killed. Now the loss of any life is bad, but Zionists like you like to forget that Israel killed more than 1500 in just 22 days. Haaretz on the 60th anniversary of Israel, printed a small article which outlines that in the last 60 years the number of Israeli civilians killed in "terror acts" is 1,634. According to the article 14,000 have been wounded in this 60 year period. However, what it didn't mention was the number of Palestinians killed bY israeli acts of terror. According to figures from the Palestinian Centre for Human rights, since the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada in September 2000 until March 4, 2008 (a period of 7.5 years) the number of Palestinian civilians killed is 3615. PCHR's figures reveal that 25,650 Palestinian civilians have been wounded. Israel's human rights group, B'Tselem carries similar figures.

THIS jEWISH sOUTH African judge is well known and respected. He is far from being a friend of Hamas.He does not have a leaning to support the plight of poorand oppressed people such as the Palestinian people. I think he is decent and effective. That kind of courageous individuals are not accepted by Israel and its supporters. As for others of honest and professional personalities, Israel will make every thing to make Goldstone a velin. He may be accused of being antisemetic and would be intimidated to reconsider or face the consequences. Until Arabs and Muslims get some recognition and respect in world affairs, Israel will continue being an honorable bandit state. All current conflicts and wars in Muslim Lands have Israel in the background.

Justice for the victims and accountability for the perpetrators is not a hindrance for peace - rather it is a requirement for the basis on which a durable peace could be built. Following Netanyahu's logic would in effect rewarding reckless and criminal behaviour.

" Netanyahu explained to the ambassadors that the principle that a democratic nation has a legitimate right to respond to terror has been "crushed by a body belonging to the United Nations." " So if I understand Netanyahu well it is allowed for "democratic states to counter terror by terror, while "undemocratic states "is denied that right! peculiar remarks by this man !

China, Russia, France, UK & US in Security Council will veto authorization to file claims with ICC.[SEE Tibet, Georgia, Chechniya, Falklands, Ireland, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia for start ] Besides, ICC has no jurisdiction over Israel.

Netanyahu agreed to follow the Road Map and abide by already agreed International agreements and obligations. Israel signed agreement to Freeze settlement construction including natural growth and agreed East Jerusalem was a final status issue. By refusing to freeze settlements and honour its obligations the Netanyahu government has brought the Peace Process to a halt. No-one else. Israel. Bibi is just looking for cover and trying to duck wherever and whenever he can. His chickens have come home to roost well and truly.

Try something else Netanyahu. Can't fool the entire world.

This is ludicrous. War is not that precise depending on the type of ordinance. Goldstone is a buffoon. An appropriate investigation would measure the proximity of targets to civilians, the responsibility for combatants placing their installations among civilian populations--there are videos of Hamas operating from within crowds of children spectators--and the ordinance and policies of deployment against targets and whether there is relevant international law--are target lists updated? what is the process of determining the range to targets: computer? open fire and correction fire in the field? are target lists updated? is there any command and control to assure firing units maintain discipline outside of innately precise systems (drones): for artillery? missiles? pilots? tanks? War involves killing people and the longer individual combatants are in the field making improvised calls with lethal force the more exposed civilians are

Since there is no statute of limitations on murder, then why isn't there suggestions of prosecuting USA and Britain, amongst others, for their carpet bombing of Dresden during WW2 and the A bomb on Hiroshima. There were countless thousands of intentional civilian deaths, ordered by the generals. I guess I forgot that only Israel is the bad guy.

Two weeks pass and the media storm over Goldstone's "report" dissipates as fast as his credibility. In order to keep his name in the lime light, he stamps up the rhetoric by accusing Israel of intentionally targeting civilians. Nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt meant to fan the flames of bigotry, racism, and violence. His need, as illustrated by his pandering, to be accepted in the world community as a Jew above the rest join the ranks of Chomsky and Finkelstein as the accepted experts because "why would these Jews say it if it weren't true". Clearly all Jews conspire with one another and those "defectors" are hated by the rest of world Jewry because they exposed the "Jew world order". Some people are so funny.

Does Goldstone and his team speak Arabic to understand what has been asked and responded by whom. The Arabs are masters in sheeting they know how to manipulate the naive Westerners. Cf Mohamed Dura story and Jenin and so many others. Incredible, where is its credibility !

Bibi at the UN: "Will you stand with Israel or will you stand with the terrorists?" George Bush: "Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists." Both masters of black/white thinking, indeed!

The Arabs will ignore the connection between rockets and retribuion. Goldstone has done the same. No matter the murder or the terror only Israel is to blame-a mantra of the UN. Goldstone is in his element.

Take a look at Goldstone's original mandate and associates involved. The picture becomes more clear. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OWRjZWFkY2VmZDY1MzQ5OGU0OGMxZWZmZTQ1OTEwZTM=

This guy is full of very extremist convoluted logic. Who thinks the way he does? Lieberman maybe.

Anyone remember how folks were phoned and told to get out of their apartment houses? Clearly you do not warn an enemy of an impending attack. Civilians you might. The objective was to destroy civilian homes and jobs while limiting civilian casualties.

Goldstone ,himself is guilty of horrific war crimes as he was a judge in aparheid South Africa . He enjoyed a fat salary fom the white oppressive nationalist government while millions of Black and Colourereds and Indians South Africans were oppressed and beaten . This man must have his past investigated by international court of war crimes .

I heard personally from Israeli soldiers how the terrorists would run into houses and come out surrounded by children and how the soldiers were ordered not to fire, to avoid civilian casualties. It's no wonder Goldstone doesn't know any of this--he is a self-hating Jew who should be kicked out on his self-hating behind.

Sorry Pete, but I think Netanyahu steers an unhappy and erratic course veering from opportunism to right wing dogmatism. As to the Arabs, everyone knows about and condemns their crimes. Why do you think Hamas isn't welcome in the White House or Downing Street? Also they're not the ones needing to make the big concessions. No, for peace Israel needs to face up to its sins now. Britain had to do it in Ireland. There could only be peace because Brits began to understand why Irish people were angry. That didn't justify terrorism but the history of Brit oppression and colonisation in Ireland and assorted atrocities explained it. Israel needs to understand Pal terrorism and hatred too. Goldstone will help.

"Anyone who supports the Goldstone report and its conclusions is in effect against peace," ... Why didn't the PM insert the word 'lies,' as in "Anyone who supports the 'lies' of the Goldstone report...etc?" I have to assume that even if the Goldstone report is essentially true and accurate, Bibsy is declaring that the truth of that report threatens the ability to make peace. So, I guess, better to promote lies in the interests of achieving peace. Is that the lesson that we are to take away from all this?

searched all over gaza to find proof of mobile launch sites fired from inside civilian areas, left empty handed couldn't find any proof the mobile launchers were nowhere to be seen, nor were there any signs pointing to them

Why should the trying of the responsible parties for war crimes spell the end of the peace process as Netanyahu hastens to threaten? Israel has used every weapon at her disposal to scuttle the peace process, by omission or commission. The peace process has been moribund for long time because of the rampant settlement activity and the Gaza war crimes. Investigating the findings in the Goldstone report should clarify if indeed Israel has violated any laws of engagement. Bringing criminal parties, on both sides, to justice is only right and just. It should have nothing to do with reviving the negotiations between the parties unless one or both are disinterested in pursuing them. At this juncture, so it appears, Israel is more interested in expanding the settlements and denying the Palestinians their long overdue state.

Sad to think the Holocaust survivors should end up so despicalby evil. "As to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, there is an additional factor. The so-called "Palestinian autonomous areas" are bantustans. These are restricted entities within the power structure of the Israeli apartheid system. The Palestinian state cannot be the by-product of the Jewish state, just in order to keep the Jewish purity of Israel. Israel's racial discrimination is daily life of most Palestinians. Since Israel is a Jewish state, Israeli Jews are able to accrue special rights which non-Jews cannot do. Palestinian Arabs have no place in a "Jewish" state. Apartheid is a crime against humanity. Israel has deprived millions of Palestinians of their liberty and property. It has perpetuated a system of gross racial discrimination and inequality. It has systematically incarcerated and tortured thousands of Palestinians, contrary to the rules of international law. It has, in particular, waged a war against a civilian population, in particular children.

If Goldstone "could not find the proof that Hamas put their weapons near civilians" he's either blind or needs psychiatric evaluation. This statement alone makes his claims of impartiality null and void. Just another Israel hater from UN Zoo.

Afgani Civilians in villages,It was reported today that British dropped boxes with leaflets and killed an Afgani child, age 16. Ok, the appologized but their sinister character demonstrated over centuries of colonialism continues. It dates back when the English quelched an uprising in colonial India by tying Indiand t cannons and discharging cannon bombs at the victims.They murdered Childrn women and young men in Ireland. They orchestrated the potatoe famine to teach Irish a lesson. They raped and murdered civilians in Basra since 2003 in Iraq. But all antisemites unite. Forget it. Just focus on Israel, IDF and Jewsish supporters of Israel. RUN THE JEW (Barat)

What is the difference? curious to see youe reactions.

This is the spirit...we are all evil..and you are right...we are all the sons of darkness and you are the son of .....light. This is how you put the base for long existence...bravo... Please give me some days notice before you come to take my house in Nablus, I will take anything not Kosher from it, dig my grave and shoot myself near it...I cannot promise that you will find me in..but if not just push my body in...I apologize for any inconvenience that I may had caused in the last 7000 years me and my family lived in your land.... Get a life !

Clearing tye way for Zionist Jewish demographics!

Every military is taught to target areas were the "fire" comes from. Did Goldsmith expect the IDF to shoot in the air?

Netanyahu his response will be to stop the peace process? Bad joke. The peace process never delivered any results worth the effort put into it. Drop the masks now, you don't need Goldstone to do so, and provoke the next world crisis, better now than a decade later. Israel it's enemies sit on 2/3 of the oil reserves in the world. The world will, during the next crisis, not stand with Israel because it's life (literally) might depend on it!

before firing 8,000 rockets into S Israel. What's that? Israel invaded Gaza AFTER Hamas had fired 8,000 rockets? Well I'll be a son of a gun. You wouldn't have known that from reading this blog or the printed extracts from Goldstone's report.

This man, a Jew, has nothing to gain from this report.If Israel has nothing to hide, why have they conducted an open and honest inquiry.The other problem in Israel, nobody is ever held accountable for thier actions. Israel is on the PR move again.Not even the US can protect Israel from this one.Israelis has gotten away with war crimes in Lebanon.Goldstone only reported what most of knew.Palestinians were intentionally murdered,even IDF pernsonnel has admitted this.

Now we know, guys and gals, just why there is no peace in the Holy Land... the only question remains is why there was no peace, even before the advent of Goldstone...?!

hamas to try its criminals ? they are all criminals goldie ! looking for evidence 6 months after a battle? they could find no evidence he says ! israel didnt target civillians as a policy but some may have happenend ? hes abigger idiot than many of the posters posting here !

all thrown away cause your predecessors did war crimes...throw olmert, askhenazi, zippy and barak to the lions and back to work on 'the peace process' what a life you got bibi!! what a drama queen and clown

pre during and post Gaza this is a farce and will not bring on peace. Just gives satisfaction for Arabs and their fellow travellers as you can see from the postings here. PS If you were in dispute with somebody would you not demand the same actions for both and be 'rattled" if they only demanded action from you.Do I detect a bit of smugness when claim"Netanyahu is rattled" ?

Essentially, the message of Bibi & Bush & Co is: "We call our enemies of all kind terrorists, and when we fight terrorists, issues like law, human rights, safety of innocents, and proportionality of aggressions, are for our enemies to follow and for us to ignore."

Not only did Israel attack civilian installations, it also attacked UN installation on several occasions eventhough the UN provided the IDF with their precise lattitude and longitude (as if the IDF did not already know). Goldstone did ask for the Israeli government co-operation but they refused to give it and now its prime minister is shouting foul. Those responsible for the crimes should be punished in the Hague under international law. The PM implication that such trials will affect the peace process or the so called war on terror is baseless. There is no peace process and the "war on terror" is nothing more than a bad legacy of the Bush presidency, the current American administration purposely avoids using this term. The Palestinian resistance against the occupation is an inalienable right and is supported by practically every country on the face of this planet.

and he doesn't even have to talk truthfully about the Goldstone report. Which having read it cover to cover I can assure you does not say anywhere that Israel does not have the right to defend itself. What the Goldstone report does is criticise the way Israel defended itself accusing various parts of the IDF of warcrimes. Which incidentally Netanyahu is going to have investigated. Love the way he talks to ambassadors for small Pacific Nations. Rather than talk of his concerns in front of the entire UN whoch he had the opportunity to do last week. Maybe because he knew he would have been laughed out of the room.

And aside from the fact that you don't know how to spell B'Tselem, you obviously are not aware that even they said the report was not fair.

Care to elaborate?

down the drain. Nobody is interested in your blabber. Go insult someone else's intelligence, Mr. Bi Bi Natanyahu.

You stick to topic. Thanks.

The rest of the world can rest assured--they can continue to bomb, massacre, kill and maim as before.

that it was over 8000 rockets that caused the war,yet none of you including this website is willing to admit it because the truth hurts.We stand by you Bibi because more than two thirds of the idiots on here is not reading that the man said.Blind hatred by all of you and all are anti semites.Publish this haaretz,bet you won't becuase you are as biased as your readers.Must be hard being wrong all the time and trying to prove you are right.Get a life.Pals are nothing but beggars and thiefs that deserve all they get including loss of life.

If the world were fair or rational, Bibi's comments would be amusing at best. Unfortunately, Israel is being "black mailed" by forces which seem to have questionable regard for its survival.

Oh what a clever man is our Prime Minister, so smart with words, so sharp with semantics. Look what he did here. Peace is killed by a UN report on Israeli war crimes in Gaza, that's the peace he doesn't want with people who aren't partners and who are not under our settlers' occupation. Let's do it while there's still time - nominate Bibi for the Nobel Prize for Obfuscation and Denial.

Let's hope the report is turned over to the Hague and criminal charges will follow. Netanyahu and the right are clearly lashing out at this point in a last ditch effort to kill the report which is very telling. A criminal trial of all the parties involved would really help Israel more than anything else become a normal country again. It's time for these people to face the music. To those people who think it's anti-semitic to accuse an Israeli of something, I'd refer you to the indictment against General Bashir, Pol Pot, Milosevic, and a whole host of other people who were not jews. It's time to grow up and face the music.

i certainly hope we get back to a time when made butchers like you did not get away with mass murder

All that time to make peace without Goldstone and the threat of legal action, and what did we get? We got war, war and war again. Which was the reason Judge Goldstone entered the picture. Look, less peace than we had before there can't be. The only way, therefore, is up. Seen that way, the UN Gaza report spells the renascence of hope.

Netanyahu - Why would you need to be so concerned with self-defense if you had made peace? It seems that you shouldn't need the military in order to take "risks" on peace...it's not a risk if you can bomb them out when the first thing goes wrong in the "peace" process

Netanyahu - Why would you need to be so concerned with self-defense if you had made peace? It seems that you shouldn't need the military in order to take "risks" on peace...it's not a risk if you can bomb them out when the first thing goes wrong in the "peace" process

Is Netanyahu really saying, Israel will not be able to produce the reason (reactionary behavior in support of Palestinian freedom) for the phony war on terror? With no reactionary behavior to imperialist thuggery, to which Israel is a major player, the US war machine would run out of momentum!

Bibi Netanyahu, always looking for someone else to blame for the death of peace.

Over 12,000 innocent 'Palestinian' prisoners? Please quote your sources to support your claim that they are all innocent.

Criticize Israel, and you are commiting a big crime. Now, if yoou say it is bad that Israel killed civilians, then you are agains peace.

The 'report' refutes the UN Charter and the Geneva Convention. So that makes it worth about as much as any UN General Assembly resolution. Absolutely worthless, kind of like the people that faked it in the first place.

which of course you have not read. it wouldnt help your tuches to wipe it with the report. Israel has to much shit to wipe up. you'd drown.

There is difference between fighting "HAMAS terror" and slaughtering innocent civilians in the name of Democracy.

... as if without Goldstone's report, we would have been anywhere nearer peace... ... only serious reduction in settlement activity would bring peace... ... empty rhetoric convices nobody...

What a courageous army, armed with CANONS, MERKEVAS, F16S AND CHIMICAL WEAPONS for mass destruction as controversial flesh-eating WHITE PHOSPHOROUS, against those who have just MICKEY MOUSE FIREWORKS called kassam. What a brave army composed of the descendants of the SHOAH victims against the native Palestinians who are occupied! shame on you, heroes of the 21st century!!!

If it is no longer occupying and settling land and forcing 90% of the population to be subjected to foreign rule without rights--hmmm--dont think it will get much traction.

Bibi is burning through Israel's political capitol faster than ever. This sort of silly nonsense just weakens Israel globally. Saying a report that denounces the ugliest acts of war by both sides is somehow anti-peace is the kind of nutty thing the world would blow off coming from someone like Lieberman, who is already an international joke. But to have the leader of Israel saying such nonsense can't be just brushed aside, and all of Israel will pay the piper for such statements. Bibi is drowning Israel.

In any case Israel should not take risks for peace. That is a stupid way to gain International respectability, because everyone knows that the Arab political-religious agenda will demonize Jews until their global extermination. Isn't it obvious that the world is obsessed with Jews and will never let a Jewish nation live in peace, especially as the world economy will never recover.

Bibi is more and more making a fool of both Isarel and himself, he and Lieberman has damaged Isarel more than Hamas has ever done.....

USA is using the UN to pressure Israel a bit... War criminals will support each others at the end.

The logic Bibi uses is so flawed, I don't understand how he can expect anyone to buy it. I mean this is the first time I've heard anyone claim that people who are against killing civilians are against peace.

The one that Bibi has been doing everything in his power to undermine and thwart?

There will be no peace in Israel until it is one state with equal rights - and a constitutional democracy - today it is not.

What is so disgusting about Israel's continually whinging and carping about these laws is that they were written after the murder of jews and in the Nuremberg trials to make sure that sort of genocide and attacks didn't happen again. The idea that jews would allow anyone who sinned against them to be tried but never be tried themselves for their sins is why the world has turned off them completely. Jews are not above the law and nor should they be. Here is a tip for the moron Bibi. Do not whine to anyone if you are ever attacked again because the world will be silent. If and American soldier can get 5 life sentences for the crime of murdering Iraqi children so can an Israeli soldier gunning them down in cold blood as the world saw for itself.

uuuggghh - I can feel that hate of yours oozing though your orphices.... hope you feel better mate.

He provides the laugh of the day. You guys can attack Mr. Goldstone; his credentials and tribe relations are impeccable. Just goes to prove there is no problem eating one's own if he doesn't subscribe to the Hasbra playbook. Where is Dershowitz when he is needed???? LOL

I guess the Goldstone Report, Amnesty International, B'tem Salem, and all others are wrong. The world can no longer turn a blind eye to the atrocities the Israeli government commits. Boycott Israel!!!

Terrorists and their supporters lie outside of the protection of the geneva conventions. The world community, who hold jewish life cheap, have coaxed Israel into an untenable position of proportionate response whereas the only effective answer to terror is the merciless, disproportionate response that sees no difference between terrorists and their "civilian" supporters. Gaza should have been bombed much more in order to achieve Schalits release. However, the jews keep accepting the argument that the enemy lives are more important. The cease fires are boons to the supporters of terrorists. israel continuer to be blackmailed gby terrorists because of world anti semitic opinion.

Why would Israel take the risk if they can't defend themselves. This report will be remembered by all future Israeli governments as well. So to all you anti-semites who support this report, you can wipe your tuchus on it! G-d works in mysterious ways! Jordan is on 66% of what was the British Mandate, with a majority population of about 70% Palestinian. Jordan is their homeland. The minority Hashemite kingdom will fall in the next 50 years. Pals can rename their country (Jordan) to Palestine or whatever name they like. Palestinians cannot get today what was offered in 1948 - they lost 6 wars/2 intefadas. Sorry wars have consequences. USA does not give Mexico back California and Texas. You make a war and lose, you... lose!! In another 60 years of talking, all this nonsense will be forgotten. Besides 600,000 Jews also lost their land in Arab countries in 1947... so?? Nothing to talk about.

US forces have killed innocent civilians by mistake. Such incidents are investigated and action taken. A number of US soldiers have been imprisoned for atrocities. Not so the IDF. If a credible UN report - such as the Goldstone report - finds that US soldiers have committed war crimes the US will not prosecute, they should indeed be prosecuted by the ICC. If a US soldier murdered a 6 year old girl at point blank range like IDF "Captain R," he would certainly be imprisoned. "R" barely got his wrist slapped though the facts were clear. Israel gets focused on because it is absolutely indifferent to the atrocities its troops commit. It accuses its own troops who confess war crimes of being liars instead of honestly investigating. Every country in the World, including the US, recognizes the Israeli occupation and settlements as illegal. None defend Cast Lead. Whining about other countries simply reveals desperation and the lack of reasonable argument.

Long ago, Israeli leaders dealt a death blow to peace. Netanyahu can point fingers all he wants. The real problem is the expansionist ambitions of Israel at whatever cost to the Palestinians. If peace is to come, it will be Obama that makes it happen. However the settlers will never be happy with peace if it interferes with retaking all of the ancient Jewish kingdom. Settlers will provoke violence to accomplish that end. Israel truly needs a leader that is courageous to negotiate peace without zealot settler interference.

were being targeted by the launchers of rockets and mortars on a daily basis the world was silent. Not a single UN resolution, not one UN "fact finding" commission. Only after Israel reacted to stop these acts of terror and violation of both international law and humanitarian law - and succeeded in doing so - did the UN react. If this is the way the world community choses to deal with terror that threatens liberal democracies like Israel and its civilian population, why should Israel take any additional risks towards accommodating the Arabs of Judea and Samaria? Gaza was a test case how the Palestinain Arabs would deal with a Jew-free territory, one "cleansed" of any Jewish elements. They failed the test. The Israeli public, in light of the Goldstone Affair, does not want and can not be expected to take more risks and have yet another test case in Samaria and Judea. Enought is enough!!!

For thousands of years there have been wars, and was not until WWII, that there any trials. It has gotten to the point were the majority of these 'qoute war crimes in this war on terror', are getting insane. It is obvious that the terrorist do not follow any rules period, therefore any military action against terrorist, the gloves need to come off. The IDF has bent over backwards so many times and have shown great restraint prior to any action they take. More than any other nation on this planet. It is unfortunate there are wars, however, when a nation goes to war, it should be fought to win. These terrorist that hide behind women and children are nothing but cowards. They shell innocent civilians in Israel, and expect no response? This is the insanity of the UN and their reports. In my opinion these reports were also written by cowards, except they are ignorant ... lacking common sense. War is hell, whether we like it or not. Hamas picked the the fight, not Israel.

Cut the bullshit, Mr. Neyanyahu, repetition does not transform a lie into a truth. Did you use white phosphorus? yes or No? Did you use Flechette? Yes or No? Do you look for an excuse for not having peace? Yes or No? http://blog.cleveland.com/world_impact/2009/01/large_Israeli-Shell-White-Smoke-Gaza-Jan3-09.jpg http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/israel-must-disclose-weapons-used-gaza-20090126

"legitimate right to respond to terror has been crushed" This is nonsense. Killing civilians does not reduce terror - it incites it. The IDF committed many war crimes, including white phosphorus as an anti-personnel weapon. This is unlawful even when the targets are soldiers, but the IDF used it against civilians. Yes, there are innocent casualties in every war. But only the IDF is absolutely indifferent to whom they kill. If small arms fire comes from a civilian refuge, decent armies avoid the area - the IDF kills as many innocents taking refuge as it can for the completely avoidable actions of a few. War criminals must be prosecuted, whether American, Israeli, Palestinian or others. Terror does not excuse atrocities. US soldiers have been prosecuted and imprisoned, but the only IDF in prison are those who refused to commit atrocities.

Goldstone has no other targets in mind, so the world has nothing to fear from this self-hating Jewboy.

... any day now I'm expecting to hear that the the Peace Process will kill the Peace Process.

before the Goldstone report? All that unrestricted leeway and no-one made use of it except to make war. And now that all that wasted room for manoeuvre looks like being circumscribed, this will prevent him from taking a risk for peace? Sounds like blackmail.

Israel only has to go to war if it contiunes to get misseled and rocketed which would cause it to commit crimes... But the report also says that Hamas who was launching rockets into Israel was commiting a crime against humanity. One of the key points for pal resistance is launching indiscriminate attacts on Israeli citizens. If they are no longer allowed to do this under international law, then this might actually strengthen the peace process, since Israel only retaliates... So if there are no missles being lauched at Israel then talks can happen...

...of course Bibi wants to continue the culture of impunity. But it's coming to an end. Either all or none have to follow international law. Israel expects the United Nations and the United States to do its bidding on Iran and yet, it will not even follow its own agreements and obligations since Oslo and before... The impunity for Israel must end for America to again be seen as an honest broker for peace in the Middle East. And Bibi should again internalize that Mideast peace has been declared by this administration as a National Security Interest. Justice and the rule of law are part and parcel, and the impunity is coming to an end.

Being from South Africa you should know better and have a clearer understanding of the integrity of your fellow countryman, Judge Goldstone. Has either Iraq or Afghanistan asked for the US to be brought before the ICJ on charges of war crimes? Israel is an occupier, a stealer of lands, a contry that moves out indigenous people and then moves in the occupiers to take over. Is the US doing this in Iraq or Afghanistan?

in his mind it offers a way to avoid peace. Ie He refers to the following barbarism as "a democratic nation fighting terrorism". "51. The chicken farms of Mr. Sameh Sawafeary in the Zeytoun neighbourhood south of Gaza City reportedly supplied over 10 per cent of the Gaza egg market. Armoured bulldozers of the Israeli armed forces systematically flattened the chicken coops, killing all 31,000 chickens inside, and destroyed the plant and material necessary for the business. The Mission concludes A/HRC/12/48 page 22 that this was a deliberate act of wanton destruction not justified by any military necessity and draws the same legal conclusions as in the case of the destruction of the flour mill. 52. The Israeli armed forces also carried out a strike against a wall of one of the raw sewage lagoons of the Gaza wastewater treatment plant, which caused the outflow of more than 200,000 cubic metres of raw sewage onto neighbouring farmland. The circumstances of the strike suggest that it was deliberate and premeditated. The Namar wells complex in Jabaliyah consisted of two water wells, pumping machines, a generator, fuel storage, a reservoir chlorination unit, buildings and related equipment. All were destroyed by multiple air strikes on the first day of the Israeli aerial attack. The Mission considers it unlikely that a target the size of the Namar wells could have been hit by multiple strikes in error. It found no grounds to suggest that there was any military advantage to be had by hitting the wells and noted that there was no suggestion that Palestinian armed groups had used the wells for any purpose. Considering that the right to drinking water is part of the right to adequate food, the Mission makes the same legal findings as in the case of the el-Bader flour mill.

The UN has once again proven that they are biased towards Israel and cannot be trusted. The Goldstone report which I forced myself to read is a mockery of justice. Bibi is right! As long as blind hatred drives the so called "peace process" there will never be peace just veiled hatred like the Goldstone sham.

...and the top deterrent to peace...

It's called the "Goldstone" report.

A tribunal to prosecute the USA war criminals, not only because the murders they have commited in Afganistan & Iraq, but also for international economic criminal acts. Then take on U.K.They both pathetic criminals.

Is this all this guy does is blame others? Does anyone see a pattern with Israel? First come talks of peace, then unrealistic conditions demanded by Israel, then Israel blames whoever it can for the peace process failing, and down the memory hole it goes. Watch out Bibi, Goldstone hates Jews, i bet he hates himself too for being Jewish, and his dog since he gnawed on his favorite yarmulka.

in the world of Real Politik. Bibi is telling Obama to stop these loose canons from firing anymore or he will not even have a cosmetic peace process. Obama on his turn has been significantly quiet about the ICC and whether the US hostile stand against it has changed. Oh well, he propably only meant change in ethnic origin of US presidents when he said 'Change'.

depending on whatever suits him and his settlers. Guy must have, what, 7 or 8 tongues??!

It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad, to see Bibi saying Goldstone will kill moves towards peace. You'd think the way he spoke Israel was on a headlong rush towards peace, making concessions right, left and centre, instead of as it really is, resisting any moves towards peace whatsoever. It's like he's taken the wheels off a car and then complained because someone put the handbrake on. In fact, in any case, the reverse is true. Goldstone can only help peace, because it destroys the long cherished Israeli belief that Israel is 100 per cent right and the Arabs and Pals 100 per cent wrong. That attitude has to go before peace can come. Israel is very well aware of the crimes against it, it has to acknowledge crimes against Arabs before 1948 and after.

As he struts his stuff, dictating what the terms will be. The fact that certain things were agreed to with olmert means nothing to him. Out the window. No compromise on East Jerusalem which will eventually be free of Arabs, no discussion of refugess and no return to anything resembling the borders from June 4, 1967. And yet this one threatens to leave the peace track. He was never on it.

Is there a peace process there?Netanyahu had already issued a death certificate to the entire process since his last speech and while expandng settlements and keeping over 12000 innocent Palestinian prisoners or freedom fighters in jail.

the fact that this report is still in the news a few weeks after it was released shows the seriousness and overshadows the implications to come. the state of Israel will have to face justice.

It's all he has left. Go home, bibi, no one is listening anymore. The game is up. The hot air is simply not working anymore.