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Israel urged by US to take Gaza allegations seriously

by smkovalinsky | September 29, 2009 at 05:38 am

134 views | 28 Recommendations | 4 comments

In an effort to bring transparency to Israel's war policy, the US is urging Israel to do a comprehensive probe into allegations of war crimes in its recent clashes in Gaza:

The United States called on its close ally Israel on Tuesday to conduct credible investigations into allegations of war crimes committed by its forces in Gaza, saying it would help the Middle East peace process.

Michael Posner, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, said that Hamas leaders also had a responsibility to investigate crimes and to end what he called its targeting of civilians and use of Palestinian civilians as human shields in the strip.

The U.N. Human Rights Council was holding a one-day debate on a recent report by Richard Goldstone, a South African jurist and former U.N. war crimes prosecutor.

His panel found the Israeli army and Palestinian militants committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity during their December-January war. Israel did not cooperate with the U.N. inquiry and has rejected the report as biased.

"We encourage Israel to utilise appropriate domestic (judicial) review and meaningful accountability mechanisms to investigate and follow-up on credible allegations," Posner said in a speech to the Geneva forum.

"If undertaken properly and fairly, these reviews can serve as important confidence-building measures that will support the larger essential objective which is a shared quest for justice and lasting peace," he said.

The United States joined the Council, set up three years ago, for the first time earlier this year.

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tikun

at 06:29 on September 29th, 2009

Also from the same report according to reuters.

"
Israel's ambassador Leshno Yaar rejected the report as "shameful" and "one-sided". It was "based on carefully-selected incidents, cherry picked for political effect".

Israel had opened more than 100 investigations, including damage inflicted on U.N. centres and medical facilities in Gaza, 23 of which had resulted in criminal proceedings, he said.

It faced "an enemy that intentionally deploys its forces in densely populated areas, stores its explosives in private homes and launches rockets from crowded school yards and mosques".

Arbol

at 07:53 on September 29th, 2009

Israel's war policy is NEVER going to be transparent. It hasn't been for a hundred years, it won't be now. As long as Israel's alliance with the US remains intact, and as long as AIPAC exists, there will never be justice. Real justice, not "100 investigations".

nilishai

at 01:14 on September 30th, 2009

You know, I gotta hand it to the Palestianian propaganda machine. They know how to stir up emotions to people who only rely on heresay rather than truth.

Are words more powerful than pictures (true pics, not doctored by Photoshop)?

It used to be that a picture is worth 1000 words, now, since propaganda is more powerful than reality, the opposite is truth.

so, this begs some questions of our learned audience:

Are you relying on the "news" to show you exactly what is happening here, or do you actually live here in Israel to experience first hand?

Are you fully aware of the history of the struggle between the Arabs and the Jews, or do you selectively choose your information?

Do you know the true struggle of the people who live in Gaza or Judea and Sameria, that they kill each other in the name of their party?

Are you willing to look at both sides to make an educated decision of your views rather than what someone else has told you?

Are you willing to listen to the truth even though it might not fit into your current scope of understanding?

Do you remember one of Stephen Covey's 7 habits that say "seek first to understand, THEN to be understood"

just checking...

nili (who ACTUALLY lives here in Israel, and has experienced running from the missles that fly from Gaza)

tikun

at 10:28 on September 30th, 2009

Thanks Nilishai,

Well said and more to the point you nailed it perfect;y. Don't be bothered by the knee-jerk response about Israel/Israelis/Jews and the Zionist conspiracy that has occupied the minds of just a few unfortunates on Now Public. Most of the folks here are pretty open to the push/pull of the complexity of the region.

I quote Leonard Cohen who in spite of all the protests and threats against him played to his largest venue of 50,000 souls in Tel Aviv.

"I'd really like to live beside you, baby
I love your body and your spirit and your clothes
But you see that line there moving through the station?
I told you, I told you, told you, I was one of those".

We will not be one of those anymore. No matter how many people want us to just go away.