"The Audacity Of Israeli War Crimes Claims"

  Mon Oct 12, 12:01 PM ET  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in his Jerusalem offices. Netanyahu said that Israel would not allow its citizens to be tried for alleged war crimes over the Gaza war and that adopting a damning UN report on the offensive endangered the stalled peace process.(AFP/Pool/Jim Hollander)

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed never to allow Israeli leaders or soldiers to stand trial on war crimes charges over their actions during last winter's military offensive in the Gaza Strip, furiously denouncing a U.N. report in a keynote address to parliament.

Netanyahu's fiery rhetoric — and his decision to open the high-profile speech with remarks on the report — reflected the deep distress felt among Israeli leaders after a U.N. commission accused Israel of intentionally harming civilians when it launched a massive attack in Gaza to stop years of rocket fire.

"This distorted report, written by this distorted committee, undermines Israel's right to defend itself. This report encourages terrorism and threatens peace," Netanyahu said in his address at the opening of parliament's winter session. "Israel will not take risks for peace if it can't defend itself."

The U.N. report, compiled by a team led by former war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone, accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. It specifically accused Israel of using disproportionate force, deliberately targeting civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure, and using people as human shields. It accused Hamas of deliberately targeting civilians and trying to spread terror through its rocket attacks.

Israeli officials across the board have condemned the report, saying their country had little choice but to take harsh action against militants who were terrorizing southern Israel. They also blame Hamas for civilian casualties, saying the Islamic militant group took cover in residential areas during the fighting. However, Goldstone's strong credentials as a respected South African jurist, his Jewish faith and past support for Israeli causes have made it hard for Israel to dismiss the claims.

While Netanyahu has repeatedly lashed out at the U.N. report, Monday's comments appeared to be a direct response to a new Palestinian push for a vote on the report in the U.N.'s Human Rights Council. If the vote takes place, the matter could be referred to higher U.N. bodies that could theoretically push for war-crimes prosecution. (Read Full Article)

The European Union backed on Thursday a contentious UN report blasting Israel's military offensive in Gaza, praising its chief author and saying the document is "worthy of consideration."

Israel immediately expressed disappointment at the support from Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt -- whose country holds the EU presidency -- and said it showed that Bildt had either not read the report or misunderstood it.

"It is worthy of consideration needless to say, I think Mr Goldstone is a person of high credibility and high integrity and accordingly his report carries weight," Bildt told reporters in Stockholm.

The report by a fact-finding mission led by former international war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone accused both Israel and Palestinian armed groups of committing war crimes in the three-week Gaza war that erupted on 27 December, 2008.

"It is now in the Human Rights Council (based in Geneva) and that's where we think it should be deliberated, it is an independent report," Bildt added. (Read Full Article)

The Israeli military takes months to investigate whether its soldiers committed crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank, deliberately trying to dim chances of any prosecution, an Israeli human rights group claimed Monday.

The group, Yesh Din, released a report offering its analysis of more than 130 cases of alleged soldier violence against Palestinians living in the West Bank.

The cases stem from complaints filed by Palestinians in response to alleged offenses committed by Israeli soldiers and officers. Over two years have passed since some of the claims were filed, the report stated.

The claims are separate from allegations of war crimes swarming around Israel's January offensive in Gaza.

Yesh Din contends that when cases drag on, there's ultimately no hope for a fair investigation or just trial — meaning the military deliberately shuns from investigating its own.

"I think what we're witnessing is a very bad policy that causes a huge delay in the decision-making process regarding Palestinian complaints against Israeli soldiers," said the group's legal adviser, Michael Sfard.

"There is no will within the military to seriously investigate complaints against IDF soldiers," he said. (Read Full Article)

     Who would dare bring charges of war crimes against Palestinian civilians in Gaza perpetuated by Israel, God's "Chosen People"? Certainly not America, the supplier of Israel's armed forces, but apparently the United Nations and the European Union have found evidence of such war crimes and is now in the process of bringing formal charges against Israel. There is even an Israeli human rights group seeking justice for West Bank Palestinians for Israeli military abuses and cover up of those abuses.

    As I see it, because of the effects of war upon the human nature, there is no nation that can wage war without committing war crimes or atrocities. Israeli leaders and soldiers are no different from anybody else. Every nation commits human rights violations, including Israel and America. Good nations will own up to those human rights violations and make rectification. Bad nations deny, cover up and justify it's own human rights violations and war crimes. The $64,000 question is whether Israel is a good nation or a bad nation in this matter. As I see it,thus far Israel has been a bad nation, despite what Jewish and Christian Zionists think.

tags: israel  gaza war crimes  un  eu  war  warpeace  politics  middleeast  

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