Goldstone Finds HRC Unfair

The following is from a recent report from Mitchell Bard's research. It's so well done, that I have just posted it here.

Nadene Goldfoot
When the Goldstone Commission released its one-sided report, blaming Israel for war crimes in Gaza, the United States and many other nations denounced it for what it was: an irresponsible and extremely biased report that blames Israel while forgiving the terrorist violence waged against Israeli civilians by Hamas.

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) wasted no time in weaponizing the Goldstone Report. The HRC was not slated to convene again this year, but met in a special session to endorse the Goldstone Report. By a vote of 25-6, the UN Human Rights Council endorsed the report and recommended that other UN groups follow its recommendations, including the UN Security Council, by referring war crime prosecutions to the International Criminal Court if Israel fails to investigate the war crimes proffered by the Goldstone Commission.328

The resolution was opposed by the United States, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Ukraine. Eleven additional nations abstained while another five withheld their vote completely. Even South African judge Richard Goldstone, primary author of the troubled Goldstone Report stated his displeasure with the HRC's resolution, stating "There is not a single phrase condemning Hamas, as we have done in the report."

The HRC, whose membership includes serial human rights violators such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and China, has a demonstrated obsession with Israel-bashing. The council has held six special sessions on Israel alone. For all the world's other nations, it has held a combined total of four.

The council ignored testimony from experts such as Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, who stated that "During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defense Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare." This expert testimony fell on deaf ears, as the council had only intended to issue a resolution attacking Israel, as it has done in 80% of all the resolutions it has passed in its entire history.

It was the intention of the HRC to pass a resolution that at a minimum, would damage Israel's image with the possible result of having Israelis charged with war crimes at The Hague.

Israel's supposed peace partner, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is committed by the Oslo Accords not to engage in acts of incitement against Israel, is leading the public campaign to stigmatize Israel and criminalize its self-defense measures and thereby driving a stake further through the heart of the peace process that President Obama has tried to resuscitate with the assent of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.333 By caving to pressure from Hamas and flaunting this sensational resolution, Abbas continues to demonstrate why so many are concerned that the Palestinian leadership does not yet have the courage or vision to lead the Palestinian people to a lasting, secure and equitable peace with Israel.

I think that Goldstone was most naive not to realize how the HRC would use any inflammatory material against Israel that he produced. He has damaged Israel's life as well as the United States and should have seen it results coming. It was an reprehensible report irresponsibly done by him. As he must have wanted to take such great credit with it being called the "Goldstone" report, he must take the responsibility of it's evil intentions. The horror of it is that he is Jewish claiming only to "help" Israel.