By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
GENEVA, Switzerland – The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) voted on October 16 to officially endorse a report investigating the fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas fighters in Gaza during the winter of 2008. Twenty-five countries voted for the endorsement, while six voted against it.
The United States was one of the countries who voted against the endorsement, arguing that adopting the report would set back progress on peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Britain and France did not vote, each said it had requested more time to work out a compromise resolution.
There were sharply differing views of the endorsement in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had originally called for a delay of the vote, but changed his position after public outcry in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, praised the endorsement and said that the Palestinian Authority’s goal was to implement justice for those accountable for crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
As Mansour is appointed by President Abbas and the Fatah party, however, it remains unclear how influential Mansour’s sentiments will be. Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza, was also criticized in the Goldstone Report for attacking Israeli civilians. Hamas released a statement saying that it supported the UN endorsement, but did not specifically address any charges against the party.
Israeli officials have expressed varying sentiments on the UN endorsement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would make sure the report was vetoed at the UN General Assembly.
“It’s going to the UN,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said about the report to his Likud Party. “We’ll make sure it gets vetoed.”
Other Israeli officials were more conciliatory. The Justice Ministry and Foreign Ministry have expressed support in establishing an investigation into the Goldstone Report’s allegations of war crimes, saying an official inquiry would help Israel combat the report. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that he would not rule out an internal inquiry, but wanted to ensure that such an investigation would not tarnish either Israel’s existing investigative bodies or the prosecutors in the Israeli Defense Forces.
For more information, please see:
Ha’aretz – Cabinet Likely to Discuss Probing Goldstone Gaza Report Findings – 19 October 2009
Palestinian News Network – Council of Ministers Welcomes UNHRC Adoption of Goldstone, Pushes for Follow-Up, End to Settlements – 19 October 2009
BBC News – UN Backs Gaza “War Crimes” Report – 16 October 2009
New York Times – UN Council Endorses Gaza Report – 16 October 2009
Human Rights Watch – UN Security Council: Demand Justice for Gaza Victims – 12 October 2009
