Security Council rejects special Goldstone report session
Report could be discussed, however, in Mideast affairs meeting, which was bumped up to next week.
By Shlomo Shamir Tags: Goldstone report UN Security Council Israel newsThe United Nations Security Council said Wednesday it would not hold an emergency session on report that accused Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas of committing war crimes during Israel's offensive in Gaza.
The decision came as a rejection to a request submitted by Libya, the only Arab member on the 15-nation council, to hold a meeting dedicated to discussing the report compiled by Richard Goldstone.
Prior to Wednesday's Security Council meet, the Palestinian UN Mission issued a press release saying it affirmed full support for the Libyan request.
The UNSC, however, did decide to bump up a scheduled monthly meeting on the Middle East from October 20th to the 14th, at which time members could discuss the Goldstone report if they chose to do so.
Speaking after two hours of closed-door council procedural discussions, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff made clear Washington would not favor any council action resulting from the Oct. 14 debate.
"The report needs to be discussed by the Human Rights Council, and decisions on what next steps and what is the appropriate disposition of this report are decisions that will be taken in Geneva," Wolff told reporters.
The report itself recommends that both Israel and the Gaza authorities investigate the war crimes allegations and that if they do not do so in six months the Security Council should refer the matter to the International Criminal Court.
Libyan Ambassador Mohammed Abdel-Rahman Shalgam said he was not seeking to involve the ICC. "What we want is an open discussion, so that the people and the politicians should be aware about the importance of this report," he said.
Before the meeting, a top U.S. official reiterated the American positions that said that the Human Rights Council would be a better venue in which to discuss the Goldstone report.
"It's on the agenda of the Security Council, a regular Security Council meeting, to discuss the Libyan request," said the State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly.
"I don't think that they're discussing the overall issue, though, which is the Goldstone report," Kelly said, adding that the U.S. believed "that the report raised some very serious allegations that should be reviewed that - but we also believe that these issues should be discussed in a constructive and non-divisive manner."
"And for that reason, we believe that the place for this kind of discussion is in the Human Rights Council."
"We are at a sensitive time in trying to re-launch these negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians," Kelly said, adding that it was imperative that Israel and the Palestinians address the real issue the Goldstone repot presents, which is the stunted peace process.
"We should all stay focused on that objective of addressing the underlying causes of the tragic events that are covered in the Goldstone report, which is the lack of a comprehensive peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians and a solution to this longstanding conflict, which we believe, and which both sides also believe ? they share the same goal of having two states living side by side in peace and security.?
Asked on whether the U.S. would consider using its veto power in the Security Council to block a possible discussion of the Goldstone Gaza report, Kelly said that the U.S. believed that "it was in the interest of all concerned, of all who share this common goal of re-launching these negotiations, to delay discussion of this report."
On whether the U.S. position on Goldstone report might harm the US relations with the Muslim world, Kelly answered that there are serious concerns raised in the report that should be addressed.
"The conflict started because missiles were being fired into Israel and the operation was undertaken to stop these attacks on Israel. What we need to do is get to a point where there is peace between the two communities, between the Israelis and the Palestinians," Kelly said.
New York sources said Tuesday that despite recent efforts by the U.S. to prevent a UN resolution on the report, Lybia was "waiting for a push" on the behalf of the Muslim nations or the Arab league to initiate a vote on the report's findings.
Another arena where the Goldstone report could come up for vote in the UN's fourth committee, which deals with political issues and holds sessions within the framework of the General Assembly.
A senior Western diplomat told Haaretz that in principle, Libya could convene a General Assembly session on the Goldstone report, but that he thought that "Libya will hesitate to take such an initiative as long as the Palestinian Authority is not interested in such a UN session. Libya will appear ridiculous if the involved party doesn't want a session, and it calls for one."
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I wonder, what would be an outcome, UN HR Council was sending same Goldstone's "fact finding mission" to Afghanistan, to those areas controlled by the Taliban. With no doubt such a mission would find a huge amount of evidences for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Coalition forces. But UN Security Council keeps prolonging a mandate for those forces in Afghanistan. There are no double standards at all!
, but reported on another similar event in history, for example: the brutal and disproportionate suppression of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Would those in favour of turning a blind eye to the Gaza war crimes still be of the same opinion? Think about it, and think about where this leaves you morally. Some of you may even know some victims of war crimes personally: How do they feel about your opinions? Sorry, but I am thoroughly shocked at the arguments of some people on this talkback forum!!!
Things don't happen in a vacuum do they? What did Israel do just wake up one day and say "Hey lets put a blockade on Gaza"? Of course not! In was in response to constant infiltrations of suicide bombers, rocket attacks etc., what would your response have been? It seems to me, it was a restrained response, one looking to avoid open conflict. What was the Gazan reaction? Unrelenting attacks against civilian targets, forcing entire towns to spend hours a day in bomb shelters. Isn't interesting that the Pal attacks were initiated during school hours and without regard to who the rockets killed. Since the rockets Hamas uses cannot be accurately targeted at military...as opposed to civilian... everyone fired is a war crime. So the question is: How many war crimes can Hamas(Palestinians)commit before Israel can respond? It's a simple question. What do you think the U.S. would do if terrorists began launching rocket attacks(from Canada) across the Detroit River into Michigan? Case Closed
Viper, You bring up a very important point about the mission of the Security Council regarding Human Rights and it speaks to all the laws and international agreements on its books to protect the weak from the strong and rein in the outlaws states when they violiate the law. Thus it seems the Security Counvil is derelict in its duty bow- ing to the demands of big governments first by deferring the Gladstone Report until next week. That cuts to the core there. Dutch
The blockade imprisons 1.5 million people, forcing them to live in poverty and misery. Every day that the blockade exists is a new attack on Gazans. The armistice treaty was violated on 4 November by an Israeli commando raid into Gaza killing a number of Palestians. The subsequent rockets against Israeli civilians are a crime (e.g. see the Goldstone report), but should not be misconstrued as the initiating aggression. Ian Kellys remarks are in this respect too biased.
When the UN Human Rights Council is able to divorce politics from its intended mandate (Human Rights) then we citizens of the world will be able to welcome the measures it recommends which might enable nations to improve their method of warfare to the benifit of innocent civilians. As it stands today the nonesense reports that are politically motivated and which give a platform to one side only have the reverse effect and in essence are saying that there needs to be a balance of power between terrorism on the one hand and responsible government on the other, at the current level - which in my books is absurd. Besides being politically motivated, flawed and blind, the Golstone Report is ill timed, and will have the consequence of furthering bloodsheding in the region, and puts the hope of peace into the distant future.
to totaly reject the report is to set a precedence for others to follow, that is, others will now do the same and say " well you did it, why can't we", this is the most dangerous move ever for the world, it will bring about lawlesness by many.
Do you honestly think that just because someone is Jewish, that makes him an automatic supporter of Israel? Have you ever heard of Ilan Pappe? He's Jewish and Israeli and has called for the elimination of the State of Israel. And just because someone declares "I am a Zionist" you believe that also. That reminds me of when George Bush Sr. declared "I am an environmentalist." Pathetic.
The Goldstone Report is now widely discredited as being erroneously critical of Israel and complete nonsense in its addressing of Hamas crimes and is seen as a political report that is a travesty of concept of international justice. It is clear that trying to solve this ME dispute by the passing of one-sided political judgements will stifle any chance of achieving peace through negotiation and serves to highten tensions in the region such as the rioting on the Temple Mount. It is time for the UN Human Rights council to be brought in line so that it might oneday serve it's intended purpose for which there are billions of global victims in dire need of their support.
Does anybody else see the irony involved in Libya raising questions about crimes against humanity in the UN? Has any member of Libya's government been brought to trial over the PanAm Lockerbie bombing? Is there any question that that bombing was a crime against humanity? Irony? Or Chutzpah?
that criticize the actions of soldiers in combat when they themselves have never set foot on a battlefield. Goldstones report, even if true, focuses not on state policy but on unit action. By the nature of combat, Even good people do bad things.
The charges against Israel have already been investigated, not only by the IDF but by independent groups as well. The charges have been found to be either false or based on hearsay. Meanwhile, the charges against Hamas have been independently verified, even before Goldstone's report. Yet this is the first news article I read, since the initial news reports, that mentions charges against Hamas. Other news reports on the UN debate only mention Israel.
Mate. children are back from school at 11.30am? how many hour do they really study. I suggest that Hamas took children out of schools intentionaly.
How could anyone compare Hamas to the Nazis? Just because their charter calls for genocide against Jews? (Yes, I have read it!)
and over again, if the Arabs are interested in peace they should sit down and talk about reaching an accommodation of peaceful coexistence with the nation-state of the Jewish people, Israel. But of course, are they interested to bring the conflict to an end, I wonder...??
Everyone: Please read the Aljazeera article documenting that Israel has videotapes and audio recordings of PA officials urging Israel to hit Gaza harder during Cast Lead. They stated something to the effect that since Gaza voted for Hamas they deserve what they get. The blatant hypocrisy makes it clear that any serious negotiations with the PA is foolish--they are utterly untrustworthy. Amira Hess and Goldstone are the last sincere advocates for the Palestinian 'cause.'
There seems to be a consensus of opinion on the various media sites that the UN security council will discuss the way to progress the Goldstone report on Oct 14, and it's another chance for the states that comprise the UN to demonstrate to the people of the world that any war criminals that commit war crimes and crimes against humanity will face justice, regardless of their religious persuasion or political agenda!
the Palestinians to delay its discussion. It has been reported (I am sure the report was written by anti-semites and Jew haters) that Israel pressures the former by denying Palestinians telephone band space for their important growing cell phone business....depriving the Pals of needed revenue in taxes which the Israelis will not keep. Even the Jewish god is not smiling at what his people are doing.
So, Goldstone says that the timing of the 1st attack was intended to create the greatest disruption and widespread panic amongst the civilian population. First, so what. Militarily, that is a strategic advantage since Hamas is completely imbedded in that population and cannot be segregated from it. In short, even if that were the strategy, and there is no evidence, only speculation, the strategy has a military advantage that beenfits the Israeli civilians that had been under constant barbardment for years. Goldstone simply to be applying rules decontextually, a major failing of brand new law students. Where was the discussion of the context?????? Goldstone deals with that by simply stating that he was not getting into the justification for the war. Well, the justification for the war informs the justification for various strategies. Its an important report all right. It has discredited Goldstone amongst jurists forever.
I guess hamas will now throw shoes at everyone on the security council too. Hope they have alot of shoes.
GOLDSTONE is a JEWISH MAN and ZIONIST. Now all of a sudden he is ANTI_SEMITIC, WOW. I guess everything that NETAYAHO says should be taken as gospal. I guess it was the crazies that wanted their children to go to school and get an education, stupid them. They should have stayed home and be illiterate like the Israelis want them to be.
The US leadership will pay for putting Americans on the wrong side of Goldstone's reports and Israel's war crimes. No freedom loving American should accept this from the Obama administration at the UN. it's unGodly wrong and evil.....Dutch
Does that make it true?
It is the typical response from Israel supporters, if someone is critical of Israel's actions then you must be an anti semite. That is why it was brilliant to select a zionest Jew to conduct this investigation. Israel's supporters can claim whatever they want, they cannot change the fact that a thorough investigation by a well respected zionest Jew found credible evidence that Israel has commited war crimes. Israel's policy of maximizing enemies casulties has backfired because it included so many civilians. Israel must be held accountable by the west.
barf, same old defense rehashed time and time again
I think Don you should listen carefully to PM Nathanyahu's UN speech - We all know that Hamas intentionally used their children and women as war shields. What do you call this???? You failed to condemn this and many other crimes committed by Hamas that put their people under fire!! Israel did its utmost to prevent civilian casualties. Do yourself a favor read true news, and not false reports written by anti-semitics or bias.
This report was compiled by the UN under the direction of a Jewish war crimes prosecutor known as a fervent Zionist and supporter of Israel. It is a thorough and detailed document that must be taken seriously. I have only recently begun to read this lengthy document, but despite my familiarity with the cruelty of the IDF and the Israeli government, I was shocked by the following paragraph, a statement of fact not judgment: "1887. The timing of the first Israeli attack, at 11.30 a.m. on a weekday, when children were returning from school and the streets of Gaza were crowded with people going about their daily business, appears to have been calculated to create the greatest disruption and widespread panic among the civilian population." Israel's intelligence capabilities in Gaza were very extensive. To have selected a time in which child victims would be maximized is a crime against humanity of the highest order.