Goldstone Says "Oops"
As Ricochet reader Charles Mark brought to your attention, Richard Goldstone has pulled back from the accusations contained in the UN's Goldstone report that Israel committed war crimes and intentionally targeted civilians during Operation Cast Lead. "The allegations of intentionality by Israel were based on the deaths of and injuries to civilians in situations where our fact-finding mission had no evidence on which to draw any other reasonable conclusion," he writes, thus confirming that as far as the UN was concerned, in the absence of evidence, the Israelis were guilty.
The damage caused by the Goldstone Report to Israel's reputation was severe, and there is indignant talk here this morning about the insufficient level of contrition contained in Goldstone's mea culpa. I suggest we focus instead on the attention his editorial has brought to Hamas's contemptuous flouting of international law (since its contemptuous flouting of the value of Israeli lives tends to provoke yawns rather than outrage). Goldstone points out that "the laws of armed conflict apply no less to non-state actors such as Hamas than they do to national armies" -- an obvious point, perhaps, but obscure to the august thinkers who populate the UN Human Rights Council. They don't listen to us, but they might listen to Goldstone.
A pipe dream, you say? Could be. But this public declaration of the accountability of Hamas sets what might turn out to be a useful precedent. Goldstone not only retreated from the report's accusation that Israel targeted civilians but stated that Hamas did do so, and continues to do so -- and added that it is the obligation of the Human Rights Council to address Hamas's ongoing assault on Israeli civilians. "That comparatively few Israelis have been killed by the unlawful rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza in no way minimizes the criminality," he writes. "The U.N. Human Rights Council should condemn these heinous acts in the strongest terms."
Aluf Benn, writing in Haaretz, makes the point that Goldstone's editorial might reap other benefits too. "Goldstone's op-ed provides Turkey and Israel the opportunity to rehabilitate their relations, which soured over Cast Lead," he writes. "If Israel's explanations [of Cast Lead] are worthy of consideration, it may mean its explanations about the flotilla are, too."
It would be nice if, as Netanyahu has proposed, the Goldstone Report is shelved once and for all, but that's unlikely. A rewrite would be nice. But an admission by the jurist at the head of the report that it was fundamentally flawed is significant in and of itself. Goldstone's retraction is unlikely to reverse the tide of Israel's delegitimization to any great extent, but it's surely to be celebrated that every once in a while, truth gets a toehold. Especially when it happens at the UN.
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Comments:
Feb '11
Re: Goldstone Says "Oops"
No one cares. No one will care.
When pressed for reactions people will say "The pressure of the Zionists got to him."
Re: Goldstone Says "Oops"
Israel P.: No one cares. No one will care.
When pressed for reactions people will say "The pressure of the Zionists got to him." · Apr 3 at 2:23am
Yes, many will! I've already tested this and can empirically support that claim.
But if you want to give up talking to people on the grounds that everyone in the world is irredeemably closed-minded and impervious to evidence, go ahead--I understand the temptation. I'll keep trying, because despair is a crime.
Mar '11
Re: Goldstone Says "Oops"
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Israel P.: No one cares. No one will care.
When pressed for reactions people will say "The pressure of the Zionists got to him." · Apr 3 at 2:23am
Yes, many will! I've already tested this and can empirically support that claim.
But if you want to give up talking to people on the grounds that everyone in the world is irredeemably closed-minded and impervious to evidence, go ahead--I understand the temptation. I'll keep trying, because despair is a crime. · Apr 3 at 3:56am
Are these comments getting any play in Turkey, whose official and unofficial reaction towards Israel, due, at least in part, to the involvement of its nationals in the Gaza flotilla, was particularly scathing at the time?
Aug '10
Re: Goldstone Says "Oops"
Having heard and seen Israel traduced mercilessly on the back of Goldstone's Report, and having tried in my own small way to defend her, this latest development is both a tremendous boost to morale, a vindication of firm beliefs and, most importantly, hard evidence to be used in debate about this and other issues where Israel is subject to hysterical propaganda. Like the Jenin "massacre" that wasn't, only more powerful. That the reaction by enemies of Israel (including those in the media) to Goldstone's reversal is predictably dishonest is further proof that we defenders are on the right side.
Re: Goldstone Says "Oops"
I don't know/ The AP report on it from Jerusalem was in the English-language Hurriyet. Interestingly, while looking to see if and how it's being reported, I found this--in Today's Zaman--by accident. That is, basically, a pro-government organ.
Oct '10
Re: Goldstone Says "Oops"
"Goldstone points out that "the laws of armed conflict apply no less to non-state actors such as Hamas than they do to national armies" -- an obvious point, perhaps, but obscure to the august thinkers who populate the UN Human Rights Council. They don't listen to us, but they might listen to Goldstone."
The Left, generally, do not apply the above standards. You are right in hoping that this will affect some change in the propaganda war against Israel, and as Claire said above, "despair is a crime", sin would be a better word here.
Don't let up. If you change only one mind, there's is no telling whose head it resides in. Maybe somebody who can move entire populations with him.
Feb '11
Re: Goldstone Says "Oops"
Judith Levy: As Ricochet reader Charles Mark brought to your attention, Richard Goldstone has pulled back from the accusations contained in the UN's Goldstone report that Israel committed war crimes and intentionally targeted civilians during Operation Cast Lead. ...
...Goldstone's retraction is unlikely to reverse the tide of Israel's delegitimization to any great extent, but it's surely to be celebrated that every once in a while, truth gets a toehold. Especially when it happens at the UN.
Well said. If the report gets shelved that would be a stunning victory for the truth. I am not very optimistic. Truth and the U.N. have a very stormy relationship, especially when it comes to Israel.
Thank you Judith
May '10
Re: Goldstone Says "Oops"
So what's the best way of publicizing this retraction and explaining what it means to the widest possible audience? Will the MSM give this item of news enough attention? I doubt it. Is it a good idea to try to get a pro-Israeli journalist to interview Goldstone and to tease more details / information from him?