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Last update - 08:52 06/11/2009
Israel: UN 'detached from reality' for adopting Goldstone report
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Tags: Israel news 

Israel on Friday rejected a United Nations General Assembly resolution urging an investigation into a report saying war crimes were committed in Gaza, and condemned the world body vote as "completely detached from realities".

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said in response to Thursday's vote that Israel "maintains the right to self-defense", and would "continue to act to protect the lives of its citizens from the threat of international terrorism".

The resolution, endorsing a report on the Gaza war commissioned by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, was nonbinding and seen as unlikely to force either Israel or Islamist Hamas rulers in Gaza to investigate the findings.
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But Israel has responded with outrage to the findings issued in September by a panel led by South African jurist Richard Goldstone, seeing the document as an Arab bid to undermine the reputations of its military and political leaders.

"Israel rejects the resolution of the U.N. General Assembly, which is completely detached from realities on the ground that Israel must face," the Foreign Ministry statement issued by spokesman Yigal Palmor said.

Palmor also maintained that Israel had "demonstrated higher military and moral standards than each and every one of this resolution's instigators", during the war in December in which more than 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.

The 192-member General Assembly adopted the resolution Thursday by a vote of 114-18, with others absent or abstaining. The resolution calls on the Security Council to act if either side fails to launch credible investigations within three months.

The report on the Gaza war was drafted by an expert UN panel chaired by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, and concluded that both Israel and Palestinian militants committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.

The harshly worded UN draft resolution, composed by Arab member states, has not been softened despite U.S. and European efforts.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, told Haaretz before the vote that she did not plan to take part. "I won't lend a hand to a debate whose conclusions are predetermined. It was a predictable Arab game."

However, Israel and the United States were among those voting against the resolution. A total of 44 countries abstained.

The resolution enjoyed wide support among the Non-Aligned Movement bloc and the Arab bloc. These states comprise an automatic majority of 120 votes.

The draft resolution includes a demand for the Israeli government to carry out an "independent and credible" internal investigation of its own conduct during Israel's 3-week offensive in Gaza, which left over 1,000 Palestinians dead.

Hamas is not mentioned by name in the UN draft resolution. Instead, it calls on the "Palestinian side" to carry out an investigation into the Goldstone report findings that relate to Palestinians.

The draft resolution also includes a recommendation to convene the signatories of the fourth Geneva Convention treaty for an emergency session to discuss Israel's violations of the treaty.

Apart from Israel and the United States, a number of European countries including Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic voted against the resolution. But the European Union was split, with others including Britain and France abstaining. Most developing countries voted in favor.

There is no veto in UN General Assembly votes, but the assembly's resolutions are non-binding. However, resolutions adopted by the General Assembly grant legitimacy to Security Council initiatives. But the five permanent members of the Security Council have the power to veto any resolution put up for a vote. Thus, any Arab initiative for an extreme resolution against Israel, such as the submission of the Goldstone report to the International Criminal Court, will likely be torpedoed by the veto-wielding U.S.

If the matter is put up for a Security Council vote, there is also the possibility that the U.S. and its allies - Britain or France, will block an official resolution, and instead issue a presidential statement or a press release.

An Israel delegate denounced the adoption of the resolution as a "mockery of reality" after Israel seized a vessel packed with weapons believed to have been sent by Iran to Hezbollah.

Israel's Deputy Ambassador Daniel Carmon told the assembly the resolution "endorses and legitimizes a deeply flawed, one-sided and prejudiced report of the discredited Human Rights Council and its politicized work that bends both fact and law."

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff said the resolution was flawed in several respects, including its failure to name the Hamas militant movement that rules Gaza. He also said a demand for international supervision of any Israeli and Palestinian investigations was "unhelpful."
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  1.   174 countries do not oppose the Goldstone report...... 00:27  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/11/09
  2.   God Bless Jdge Goldstone For Upholding Judaism`s Greatness!! 00:31  |  Lance 06/11/09
  3.   Defeat for the Free World - instruction manual for terrorists 00:34  |  ZISD 06/11/09
  4.   Time for Israel to lead the UN walk-out. 00:38  |  Baruch 06/11/09
  5.   Hmmmm, care to talk to the state department? 00:38  |  Johnboy 06/11/09
  6.   oil interests vs jewish lobby 00:44  |  Siam Kerry 06/11/09
  7.   ...and don`t forget: the UN is turning to be anti-semitism 00:58  |  Osama 06/11/09
  8.   Now what? 01:00  |  Welshman 06/11/09
  9.   IN REVERSE, a look into the future 01:01  |  VIPER 06/11/09
  10.   #4 Baruch 01:07  |  Chris Linthwaite 06/11/09
  11.   Baruch 4. Won`t be a big walk-out will it. 01:11  |  Michael 06/11/09
  12.   Human Rights and Justice Should Prevail 01:12  |  Vladek 06/11/09
  13.   Israel plays games and lies too much. 01:12  |  John 06/11/09
  14.   I`m proud to be Czech tonight (although not holding citizenship - 01:13  |  ivo 06/11/09
  15.   Everybody Relax 01:14  |  Paul 06/11/09
  16.   A shameful Dutch vote 01:16  |  Ben Alofs 06/11/09
  17.   the US, Israel and many good countries should leave the UN 01:22  |  Joey 06/11/09
  18.   YOU COULD SET THIS TO MUSIC 01:29  |  WHG 06/11/09
  19.   Just read Shalev`s speech. No wonder she lost. 01:30  |  Michael 06/11/09
  20.   # 6 Siam Kerry - not reading reality, impressively so 01:32  |  17 06/11/09
  21.   Good for the U.N. 01:48  |  stella westwell 06/11/09
  22.   It is time to pick your poison, do you prefer an investigation, 01:57  |  Richard Pearce 06/11/09
  23.   Time to turn it over to the ICJ 02:15  |  Mark Lincoln 06/11/09
  24.   UN vote 02:20  |  Boris 06/11/09
  25.   Funny when Johnboy from the country killing civilians each day 02:21  |  Absolute Sweden 06/11/09
  26.   So? 06:01  |  Jewchai 06/11/09
  27.   resonance? 06:13  |  bob 06/11/09
  28.   #18Absolute Sweden 07:06  |  Me 06/11/09
  29.   Poor Israel - Pariah State 07:31  |  Caligula 06/11/09
  30.   #4 They might be walking alone 07:41  |  harvey 06/11/09
  31.   Thank you Lance 08:05  |  pal 06/11/09
  32.   TO Baruch #4 08:10  |  Steve Beikirch 06/11/09
  33.   for number 2... 08:49  |  david 06/11/09
  34.   if Barak refuses... 08:50  |  Miron 06/11/09
  35.   Chipping away inexcorably 09:06  |  Michael N 06/11/09
  36.   For our own sake 09:10  |  Dafna 06/11/09
  37.   I don`t really think it`s the UN that`s detached from reality! 09:11  |  Sceptic 06/11/09
  38.   That`s pretty clear then 09:28  |  r cummings 06/11/09
  39.   There is a friend here who writes 174 instead of 114... 09:29  |  S 06/11/09
  40.   credible means honest- here where it backfires on them 09:33  |  jo 06/11/09
  41.   # 12 ivo, no linguistic trick, just facts.....:) 09:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/11/09
  42.   The Israeli Foreign Ministers is nuts. The Goldstone report does 09:37  |  CJ 06/11/09
  43.   Autoamtic Majority 09:43  |  Noam 06/11/09
  44.   Instruction manual for terrorists? 09:47  |  r cummings 06/11/09
  45.   Why does Israel expect HAMAS to investigate 09:52  |  Chris Linthwaite 06/11/09
  46.   #3 ZISD 10:02  |  Ivor Biggun 06/11/09
  47.   "detached from reality" 10:05  |  Brian 06/11/09
  48.   Blessings to Goldstone 10:06  |  Tinkie 06/11/09
  49.   Goldwtone must be very proud of his contribution to the list... 10:18  |  Eitan 06/11/09
  50.   Put it in the pantry with your cupcakes 10:19  |  Yonatan 06/11/09
  51.   I think it`s Israel who is detached from reality! 10:33  |  Margaret 06/11/09
  52.   # 3 ZISD Defeat for the Free World 10:37  |  Traude 06/11/09
  53.   #1 dopey dino 174 countries do not apply the report to themselves 10:43  |  vhardman 06/11/09
  54.   Johnboy in Australia 11:06  |  hamid 06/11/09
  55.   Actually, both the UN and Goldstone are detached from reality. 11:07  |  Richard Pearce 06/11/09
  56.   Now act 14:39  |  JJ 06/11/09
  57.   68% of resolution endorsers are considered "party free" or ... 14:49  |  Michael W. 06/11/09
  58.   Playing The Victim. 15:11  |  Cool B 06/11/09
  59.   Baruch Fool - 4 15:42  |  French Canadian 06/11/09
  60.   #26 - David (regarding #2 Lance): Wait a minute! 15:48  |  Eric 06/11/09
  61.   Ah Mark Lincoln, ready to fight for truth and justice 15:48  |  Jacob Blues 06/11/09
  62.   Arab made and drawn, another high-school popularity contest 15:52  |  Jacob Blues 06/11/09
  63.   #9 viper thanks for finding a single cause for all ..... 15:56  |  odles 06/11/09
  64.   #1 - Dino 16:03  |  Maurice 06/11/09
  65.   New UN is needed 16:24  |  jozef 06/11/09
  66.   What states did support the apartheid government in UN? 16:32  |  Mikael 06/11/09
  67.   lance 16:51  |  zoe 06/11/09
  68.   Mikael of Sweden 16:53  |  Chris Linthwaite 06/11/09
  69.   57- Mikael 16:55  |  Maurice 06/11/09
  70.   actually mark lincoln, the geneva convention 17:00  |  jon 06/11/09
  71.   Swiss (Dino) to ivo 17:02  |  David Israel 06/11/09
  72.   Baruch, First the NEP, and now the UN? 17:09  |  Reader 06/11/09
  73.   Wrong. UN sees the reality as it is. Israel tries to adjust 17:29  |  Jozef 06/11/09
  74.   Lance- Your son is wasting his life 17:36  |  Bill 06/11/09
  75.   # 57 Maurice, maybe they just have a thing called "conscience"... 17:36  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/11/09
  76.   Baruch, First the NPT, and now the UN? Who would follow? 17:40  |  Reader 06/11/09
  77.   Swiss (Dino) #1 Do continue sucking up to the Muslim Arab World 17:41  |  Gil 06/11/09
  78.   Israel itself is living in never-never land.... 17:47  |  Esther 06/11/09
  79.   Israel in Denial 17:54  |  Vladek 06/11/09
  80.   Mikael 17:58  |  Hugh 06/11/09
  81.   No Investigation Will Be Carried Out 18:06  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/11/09
  82.   The only sane nation in the world? 18:09  |  Mark Lincoln 06/11/09
  83.   # cummings. Indeed it is carte blanche for terrorists 18:14  |  arik 06/11/09
  84.   Swiss (Dino), Ivo Didn`t Indicate His Nationality. 18:15  |  Reader 06/11/09
  85.   Will Hamas Invite Fatah to Investigate Its Conduct Under Fire? 18:20  |  Reader 06/11/09
  86.   Yonatan, NEVER AGAIN. 18:26  |  BBSNews 06/11/09
  87.   arik, shooting civilians with white flags will always be illegal. 18:32  |  BBSNews 06/11/09
  88.   Reader #66: my nationality isn`t important - 18:53  |  ivo 06/11/09
  89.   Jacob Blue Believes This All Occurs in a Vacuum 18:56  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/11/09
  90.   to Mark Lincoln#64 19:01  |  Ilya 06/11/09
  91.   BSNews, stupid post, again 19:07  |  SDHD 06/11/09
  92.   I am honored to be condemned by Iran, Sudan, Libya and Hamas 19:17  |  Dan 06/11/09
  93.   Israel only place out of touch with reality 19:17  |  world citizen 06/11/09
  94.   `Hamas is not mentioned by name` - I cant stop laughing 19:20  |  hahahahahahahahah 06/11/09
  95.   UN `detached from reality` for adopting Goldstone report 19:23  |  R C 06/11/09
  96.   Hamas is imaginary as the 200000 rockets they shot 19:23  |  cant stop laughing 06/11/09
  97.   The Arab lobby can pass a resolution that the earth is flat 19:25  |  cant stop laughing 06/11/09
  98.   Armchair terrorists, this farce is going to the garbage real fast 19:28  |  cant stop laughing 06/11/09
  99.   Little support from the democratic world for Goldstone report 19:28  |  Jean-Francois 06/11/09
  100.   3rd world dictatorship worst HR offenders voting against Israel 19:29  |  I am honourd 06/11/09
  101.   Israels cover is blown 19:30  |  Mike 06/11/09
  102.   The U.N detached 20:25  |  Confused 06/11/09
  103.   Arik, there is a clear divergence of views 20:26  |  r cummings 06/11/09
  104.   nothing to hide? 20:32  |  Rachel Cohen 06/11/09
  105.   Germany again supporting Israel 20:39  |  Steven Meier 06/11/09
  106.   Jew.Judge R.Goldstone, Israel, UN vote 21:00  |  Ricardo Kolbe 06/11/09
  107.   174 countries nor the UN for that matter are not without gross er 21:39  |  jj 06/11/09
  108.   the UN once again proves its ineptitude 21:42  |  jj 06/11/09
  109.   BBS laughable 21:52  |  arik 06/11/09
  110.   Judge Goldstone - a man of courage ! 22:40  |  Jewish admirer 06/11/09
  111.   obama losing credibility fast 22:44  |  jon 06/11/09
  112.   # 36 Dafna @ Jerusalem 23:11  |  Joseph .E 06/11/09
  113.   Have an eggroll Mr. Goldstone! 23:21  |  mama rose 06/11/09
  114.   Israel cannot investigate 23:39  |  Stephen L 06/11/09
  115.   Be honest 00:32  |  John 07/11/09
  116.   Jozef(#65) 02:32  |  JJ 07/11/09
  117.   jj (#77) 02:33  |  jjvanka 07/11/09
  118.   Israel`s attached to reality? 05:26  |  Basil 07/11/09
  119.   No Investigation by Israel will satisfy the anti- 06:12  |  Robert 07/11/09
  120.   Another example of silly UN politics 11:03  |  US CITIZEN 07/11/09
  121.   Zionists are detached from reality 12:07  |  Jaap 07/11/09
  122.   #88 jaap and history are complete strangers 13:44  |  vhardman 07/11/09
  123.   for david 13:51  |  J 07/11/09
  124.   89 - J 14:46  |  Eric 07/11/09
  125.   Actually Israel is on the front line defending Western civilizati 17:37  |  Stephen in New York 07/11/09
  126.   time to Speak Out Clearly 17:47  |  Vladek 07/11/09
  127.   Goldstone report 18:29  |  jtl 07/11/09
  128.   The reality of `reality`. 18:36  |  Michael N 07/11/09
  129.   As an Irishman--I am proud that my gov voted in favour 18:39  |  Labhras 07/11/09
  130.   97- Labhras 00:25  |  Maurice 08/11/09
  131.   Stephen is myopic and his poor English reflects it. 05:29  |  mark aleshnick 08/11/09
  132.   MISSING THE IMPORTANT POINTS, as usual. 07:17  |  PADDY 08/11/09
  133.   # 93 Stephen in New York re western civilization 10:37  |  Traude 08/11/09
  134.   It is high time the ICJ takes action 12:47  |  Michail 09/11/09
  135.   Michail - if that`s the case 18:26  |  *BEN JABO 09/11/09
  136.   #127 jtl - Other than Persian`s/Iranian`s 18:29  |  *BEN JABO 09/11/09
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