Top Israeli educator: Israel should probe Gaza war before it's forced to
Uriel Reichman calls for probe in joint statement with former education minister Amnon Rubinstein.
By Ofri Ilani Tags: Gaza Israel news IDFIf Israel does not investigate its most recent military operation in Gaza, it will be forced to do so by the international community, Prof. Uriel Reichman, president of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, said yesterday.
"A commission headed by a Supreme Court justice must immediately be established to examine Operation Cast Lead. And although the [Goldstone] report is very much not fair and borders on incitement, it also raises questions regarding our actions in Gaza," Reichman said.
Reichman called for a probe in a joint statement with former education minister Amnon Rubinstein, a fellow jurist who is also affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Center.
"The situation requires balance between protecting our existence and the humanist heritage of our people. The harsh accusations of the Goldstone report being disseminated worldwide cannot be ignored. We must investigate Israel's conduct in Operation Cast Lead to stand guard over the combat morality of the Israel Defense Forces," he said.
Reichman said one unfair conclusion of the report is that Israel planned to harm innocent civilians.
"Israel is presented as a murderous country. Without saying so outrightly, [the report] describes Israel as an apartheid state. It says the Israeli justice system is unreliable in overseeing the military and in its attitude toward the Arab minority. It determines that the Arab minority lacks freedom of expression and protest.
"The most infuriating thing is the invalidation of the legal system. After the Israeli legal system has been attacked from within for interfering too much, the Goldstone report now argues that it does not interfere enough," the statement said.
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Yes, wake up and smell the coffee. 5 yrs into the military campaign in Iraq we saw some soldier US and UK soldiers cour-martialled, for at least some of the gravest cases. In Israel we have not seen a single case of a soldier convicted of a wilful killing or single Shin Bet agent convicted of torture. Even the one case of the clearly wilful killing of a British peace activist (Ton Hurndall, one of the 3 killed in the space of a few weeks in 2003)the soldier, was only convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to a mere 7 years. The victim a foreigner and the soldier a Bedouin, a bit easier to convict but still the case fell short of proper justice - it was murder, not manslauter. The rest is history, and history will judge, and maybe the international criminal court will too one day. No assurance that impunity will last forever and that those responsible for unlawful killing today will have a prison-free retirement
People like Reichman are as if taken from the Middle Ages where his role would be an intermediary between the Ghetto and the Bishop. "it's not fair but we must bend our knees.."
"Reichman said one unfair conclusion of the report is that Israel planned to harm innocent civilians". With due respect to Prof. Reichman, how else would he conclude the IDF action in Gaza..? Not humanitarian, not proportional, not ethical either..isn't it.
of Goldstone report is; a: has been lead by a Jewish Judge of international repute b: for the first time explicitely point the finger to IDF and Israel goveernment d: it point out as well to the blind eyes of Israel Judiciary system toward the "crimes" committed by IDF planned and under the order of Israel government e: for the very first time the majority of the world nations expect and demand some actions against Israel Unless Israel investigate seriously and impartially all the matter, the Goldstone report would be changed in the biggest weapons that ever hit Israel so far.
...is that Israel should pick a few scapegoats.
...one wonders what makes this one different than all the myriad others of like findings that preceded it?
I'm about half-way through the Goldstone report now. -it is horribly biased, and I think that Israel was correct in its refusal to participate. -HOWEVER: the report does identify some very disturbing incidents that - if true - should not be acceptable behavior in the Israel Defense Forces. I urge Israelis and people who care about Israel to make the time to read the report; I think it is very important that we read what the Commission says, even if that Commission was most imperfect.