This analysis of the Goldstone Report by Benjamin Pogrund is the the best I've read. Pogrund is a former South African anti-apartheid activist and journalist. During the struggle against apartheid, he played a key role in transforming the Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg into a newspaper that publicised anti-apartheid activities, for which he suffered government prosecution and imprisonment. He co-edited "Shared Histories: A Palestinian-Israeli Dialogue", and is founding director of Jerusalem's Yakar Centre for Social Concern.
Pogrund lists five ways in which Richard Goldstone erred:
“First, Goldstone underestimated the Human Rights Council's malevolence toward Israel. Most members harbor deep hatred for Israel, and wish for no less than its destruction. Goldstone should have been warned off by the refusal of several people before him to accept the job, including former Irish president Mary Robinson.
”Second, he accepted the council's mandate, even though it had declared in advance that Israel was guilty of war crimes in Gaza. It is not enough that the council's chairman later said the mandate could include Hamas: Apart from the fact that this statement does not bind the council, his findings on Hamas will mean little or nothing in practice because the organization is not a recognized government and is beyond international action. Israel is the council's target and Goldstone has delivered it. His report has more strength because he is a Jew and enjoys international status.
”Third, rejecting objections, he allowed Prof. Christine Chinkin to remain a member of his four-person commission even though, back in January, she had already publicly found Israel guilty, referring to its "prima facie war crimes" in Gaza. Goldstone thus seriously, even fatally, undermined the commission's credibility, and in doing so raised questions about his own good sense.
”Fourth, the nearly 600-page report includes many pages of descriptions and allegations of Israeli oppression at home and on the West Bank. That is valid if the intention is to provide a context for Israel's actions in Gaza. But then it must be done properly, with careful research and assessments for a fair presentation of the mix of history, religion, culture and politics that make up the complex situation, including both good and bad. The report does not show that knowledge and understanding; instead, time and again, it's Israel that is bad, bad, bad.
”Fifth, the report follows the usual line pursued by members of the council and Israel's other enemies - treating Israel as though it were a unique source of evil instead of examining Gaza in the light of experience elsewhere, in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, where the military has taken on terrorists in a civilian setting.”
Then Pogrund makes the following important points:
“I believed last December and still do that Israel was justified in going into Gaza. But I remain uncertain and uncomfortable about exactly what Israel did and why it did it. Was white phosphorous used over civilian areas? If so,why? What about the early killing of scores of policemen? What about reports that rescue parties were blocked from reaching the wounded, civilians carrying white flags were killed while fleeing and human shields were used? Why were journalists kept out?”
Finally, Pogrund suggests that Israel should establish its own investigation into Cast Lead.
“Israelis need it for their own moral peace of mind, or if wrong was done, to recognize and to address it. Israel needs to be certain that it can tell Goldstone and other critics that their accusations are skewed and unjustified.”
Here’s the link to Pogrund’s article: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1116945.html
It has just been announced that Benjamin Netanyahu intends to present a proposal for the establishment of an investigative committee to probe the findings of the Goldstone Commission report on the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1117831.html
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