Israel’s War Against Palestine: Documenting the Military Occupation of Palestinian and Arab Lands

Israel to coordinate with US, UK and France to ensure Goldstone veto

8 November 2009

Israel will coordinate with the U.S., U.K. and France to ensure the Security Council vetos Arab countries’ resolutions on the Goldstone report, Israeli officials told Haaretz.

IOA Editor: International business as usual, Occupation as usual.


By Barak Ravid Haaretz, 8 Nov 2009
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1126581.html

Israel will coordinate with the U.S., U.K. and France to ensure the Security Council vetos Arab countries’ resolutions on the Goldstone report, Israeli officials told Haaretz.

The report, prepared by Richard Goldstone’s committee, states that Israel perpetrated war crimes during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza last winter.

On Thursday night, the UN General Assembly adopted the report, with 114 countries voting in favor of discussing it in the Security Council.

Eighteen countries opposed, and 44 abstained.

Israeli officials believe the Security Council discussion will not yield a binding resolution.

One source said the report’s demand that Israel conduct its own investigation into the allegations is more troubling.

This is because UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon may decide to form another committee of inquiry if the Israeli probe’s findings are not deemed satisfactory, or request the International Court of Justice in Hague advise on the issue.

The General Assembly “requests the secretary general to report to the General Assembly within a period of three months, on the implementation of the present resolution, with a view to considering further action, if necessary, by the relevant United Nations organs and bodies, including the Security Council,” stated the resolution passed on Thursday night.

Two weeks before the vote, former prime minister Ehud Olmert met with the president of Panama. The central American country voted against adopting the report, unlike many of the continent’s economic powers, including Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador.

The General Assembly “requests the secretary general to transmit the report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza conflict to the Security Council,” the resolution said.

The new resolution urged Israel and Palestine to launch investigations that “are independent, credible and in conformity with international standards” within three months.

According to Israeli sources, there is “little support” among Security Council members for approving practical actions to implement the report, with the U.S., France and the U.K. opposing the mere discussion of the report, and Russia and China inclined to vote against its adoption.

An Israeli foreign ministry statement called the UN endorsement “completely detached from realities on the ground.” It also called the 18 votes against the resolution, including the U.S., and the 44 abstentions, including many European countries, the “moral majority.”

The Goldstone report accuses Israel of deliberately targeting civilians, and concludes that Israel had “committed actions amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity.”

It also found evidence that Palestinian militant groups – including Hamas, which controls Gaza – had committed war crimes.

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