IDF Chief: Israeli inquiry into Gaza war proper response to Goldstone
Gabi Ashkenazi said Israel can't let anyone control its future, in his first visit to Germany as Chief of Staff.
By Assaf Uni Tags: Goldstone report Israel news Gaza warChief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi responded for the first time to discussions of setting up a committee of inquiry into Operation Cast Lead during his first visit to Germany as Chief of Staff on Monday.
"All possibilities are being examined and the IDF is taking part in discussions," said Ashkenazi to reporters during his visit. "I assume that the Prime Minister and the Israeli government will make the right decision."
Ashkenazi refused to give details to whether the IDF opposes the committee of inquiry, but clarified that the "IDF was investigating before the Goldstone report and is still continuing to investigate itself." He claimed that not only the IDF stands in the spotlight of the report, but the Israeli government does as well, which is accused in the report of planning a "military operation against an innocent population."
"It's a good thing the government is investigating the subject harshly - we must respond to the Goldstone report," Ashkenazi said.
As part of his visit to Germany, the Chief of Staff participated in a memorial ceremony for Holocaust victims. "I, Gabi Ashkenazi, a son of a Holocaust survivor, stand here today as the commander of the Israel Defense Forces, and carry with pride the flag of the state of Israel - the state of the Jewish nation," he said.
Ashkenazi emphasized in his speech "the obligation to forever remember the most horrible atrocity in the history of mankind, and to make sure that we will never deposit our trust in strangers, or let anyone control the future of the state of Israel."
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Appeasing arab interests and still showing bias at every turn...way to go Europe and Arab world...way to make humanity look even worse than it already does!
absolutely nothing! and they're really good at it! even this so-called "inquiry" is an empty facade; meant for damage control and nothing else. yet they're trying to pass off to the world like its something of substance.
This is exactly what Olmert and Peretz did in the exit of the 2nd Lebanon War, in entrusting the United Nations to police Southern Lebanon and to keep Hizbolla from rearming. The UN has failed miserably. Anyone with any common sense, and with even minimal insight into the UN's failures of the past would have seen this failure coming and would have never agreed to the UN's resolutions and promises. Unfortunately neither Olmert nor Peretz had the common sense to see this coming. Gabi Ashkenazi would have done a better job.
The IDF, with the exception of a few units, is in little danger of an investigation. The government, however, isn't. The report makes it clear that there were specific instances of individual units and men who may have committed war crimes. There is also a larger question over whether the war itself was fundamentally criminal in it's concept and execution. The right of Israel to self-defense is not in question by the Goldstone Report. I have little doubt that the IDF itself will stand up pretty well to a thorough examination of it's conduct.
I doubt very that there will be any serious investigation, that takes itself serious enough to püose the hard questions.