Israel: Goldstone Report on Gaza Leads to Divisions in Government

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One of the little-noticed effects of the controversy over the Goldstone Report on the Gaza War is the tensions that it has caused within Israeli politics. On Wednesday, Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog criticized Eli Yishai, Chairman of the Shas Party, and Haim Ramon, Deputy Prime Minister during the war. Herzog claimed that the remarks of Yishai and Ramon were used by Goldstone to demonstrate that Israel had knowingly planned to commit war crimes:

The Goldstone report accuses Israel's government, not the military. The report concludes that the government knowingly decided to destroy Gaza. The report bases these accusations on remarks made by Israeli leaders who don't understand that their chatter has serious ramifications.

These are people with a lofty title but without any real influence on military actions. [These remarks] are part of a culture of spin, which has no meaning. People have to understand that words that are said have the power to ultimately harm Israel's interests.

Herzog is calling on the Government, for the sake of pragmatism rather than ideology, to work with the international community and cooperate with the Goldstone commission.

Comments

[Awamori]

The initial mandate of Goldstone commission was: "To investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by the occupying Power, Israel, against the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, due to the current aggression."

So, Israel was held guilty not even before the trial, but before the investigation itself. Why Israel should take part in this show?