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Last update - 08:21 07/10/2009
PA: Advance peace talks or we'll take Goldstone report to court
By Avi Issacharoff and Jack Khoury
Tags: abbas, Goldstone Gaza report 

Click here for more on the Goldstone commission report on the Gaza conflict

If Israel does not soften its positions on the peace process, the Palestinian Authority will resume pushing to get the Goldstone report moved to the Security Council, and thence to the International Criminal Court, an associate of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told Haaretz Tuesday.

The Goldstone report, submitted to the UN Human Rights Council last week, accuses both Israel and Hamas of war crimes during their January war in Gaza. The PA initially proposed that the HRC pass the report onto the Security Council, which has the power to ask the International Criminal Court to open a criminal case, but then withdrew its motion under pressure from the United States, which feared that such a move would derail Washington's drive to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
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Abbas' decision to comply with U.S. pressure and withdraw the motion sparked a storm of criticism against him from within the PA, as well as from Gaza and even Israeli Arabs, and since then, he has been busy with damage control.

Abbas' associate said that not only the U.S., but also Britain and China vehemently opposed the PA's original motion. And since all three have veto power in the Security Council, referral to the Security Council would have accomplished nothing except to antagonize three major powers, he explained.

Several Arab states also urged Abbas to withdraw the motion, after they too, came under pressure from Washington, he said.

Erekat threatens to name names

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told the French media Tuesday that Abbas is now considering asking Arab states to raise the Goldstone report in the Security Council themselves. Erekat also threatened to reveal the names of all the countries that pressured Abbas to pull the motion and instead negotiate with Israel without preconditions.

The growing criticism of Abbas' decision is apparently what prompted him to publicly demand Tuesday that Arab states fight what he termed an Israeli takeover of Jerusalem, even though privately the PA is worried by the possibility of a conflagration in the city: It was an effort to divert attention from the Goldstone issue.

However, it did not stop Nabil Amr, a leading member of Abbas' Fatah movement who has long been one of his outspoken critics, from resigning as the PA's ambassador to Egypt Tuesday to protest Abbas' decision on the Goldstone report.

Moreover, the Israeli Arab party Balad announced a rally in Acre on Saturday at which it plans to demand that Abbas resign over the decision, which it termed "a political crime." This is very unusual, as Israeli Arab parties generally refrain from coming out openly against the PA leadership.

"Someone who ignores the occupier's crimes and even tries to whitewash them cannot be the legitimate representative of his people," Balad said in a statement.

Hadash, another Israeli Arab party, also slammed Abbas' move Tuesday.

Related articles:
  • Israeli Arab party urges Abbas to quit over Goldstone report
  • PA move to thwart Goldstone Gaza report shocks Palestinian public
  • Foreign Ministry orders staff to keep mum on Goldstone report
  • Gideon Levy / Goldstone's Gaza probe did Israel a favor
  • Netanyahu asks world to reject Goldstone findings
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      1.   empty threat 03:56  |  vik 07/10/09
      2.   Go ahead Mahmood, Fatah will be charged and Hamas too 04:19  |  Doron Katz 07/10/09
      3.   Goldstone Report Isn`t Worth The Paper Its Written On 04:20  |  Shepherd 07/10/09
      4.   Well if President Abbas is forced to resign, then it`s a 04:41  |  Smadar 07/10/09
      5.   Heh heh. Abu Mazen has suddenly found his balls... 04:42  |  BBSNews 07/10/09
      6.   Goldstone is anti-semitic 05:01  |  Frank 07/10/09
      7.   Abbas: you already moved Goldstone report to UN Security Council 05:08  |  Paul Freedman 07/10/09
      8.   ABBAS ignorant of what Goldstone said to S.A. Business Day. 05:19  |  PETER SM 07/10/09
      9.   "Israel better soften its stance" 05:26  |  Interpreting Arabic 07/10/09
      10.   Paul Freeman, you`re a wonder.. 06:25  |  BBSNews 07/10/09
      11.   Abbas who? 07:07  |  John 07/10/09
      12.   Anyway, the report now has a life-of-its-own... 07:17  |  Esther 07/10/09
      13.   BBS trouble is he thinks with them,while useful idiots cheer 07:20  |  PETER SM 07/10/09
      14.   Frank #6... Bibi`s rhetoric pales before Goldstein simple truth 07:20  |  Esther 07/10/09
      15.   Abbas is finished 07:21  |  As`ad - Angry Arab 07/10/09
      16.   It`s Abbas` Political Party And He`ll Cry If He Want`s To 07:23  |  Lavi 07/10/09
      17.   Abbas 07:56  |  Ralph 07/10/09
      18.   Abbas is spineless 08:06  |  Abu Firas Al Qudsi 07/10/09
      19.   Cash in the dead bodies of white flag waving children? 08:17  |  Rod 07/10/09
      20.   Traitor 08:20  |  John 07/10/09
      21.   Frank Bibi`s speech at the UN was all lies. 09:31  |  CJ 07/10/09
      22.   Palestinians want to send their own leaders to jail? 09:55  |  Joe Sittizen 07/10/09
      23.   Wrong, Doron Katz 2 10:03  |  r cummings 07/10/09
      24.   #5 BBSNews - there was pressure from the US... 10:55  |  S 07/10/09
      25.   Just curious, is Charlotte NC next? Is BBSNews worried? 11:00  |  Joe Sittizen 07/10/09
      26.   Not to threat, but to make justice 11:04  |  ana 07/10/09
      27.   Take the report to Court. It will be interesting indeed. 11:08  |  JO 07/10/09
      28.   AT LAST!!!CLARITY!!! 11:25  |  Ian 07/10/09
      29.   Is there a statute of limitations on occupation 12:32  |  r cummings 07/10/09
      30.   Israeli leaders should praise themselves lucky! 12:40  |  Uri Weinstein 07/10/09
      31.   I believe that Israelis should demand such an investigation 13:12  |  JO 07/10/09
      32.   #23 which world does r cummings live in ? 13:18  |  v hardman 07/10/09
      33.   Abbas engaging in the usual Arab blackmail 14:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/09
      34.   #31 Jo You were invited to this investigation 14:45  |  Labhras 07/10/09
      35.   habit 14:51  |  Yaron 07/10/09
      36.   If Abbas was asked by the United States 15:09  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/10/09
      37.   accusation 15:18  |  oz 07/10/09
      38.   Abbas 15:35  |  doubter 07/10/09
      39.   Abbas 15:39  |  Israeli taxi driver 07/10/09
      40.   #34 laaabarse of arabia and the back to front world of the ira 15:43  |  v hardman 07/10/09
      41.   Joe Sittizen, I am a Cherokee dumbass... 16:03  |  BBSNews 07/10/09
      42.   Abbas+ Pals want something for nothing through Goldstone or talks 16:56  |  Sam 07/10/09
      43.   Dear Frank, in your mind isnt everyone an anti-semite? 19:24  |  Yaakov Sullivan 07/10/09
      44.   Joe Sittizen, I am a Cherokee dumbass... 19:26  |  Jay 07/10/09
      45.   Meanwhile, back in the real world... 19:45  |  r cummings 07/10/09
      46.   Doing what pals do best 19:51  |  jj 07/10/09
      47.   thats great BBS, though not so sure the cherokee would appreciate 19:56  |  jj 07/10/09
      48.   charming and delightful when yaakov sullivan speaks of gasbags 20:02  |  jj 07/10/09
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