Goldstone evenhanded ... reallly?

Goldstone evenhanded ... reallly?

In a July 6 letter to the editor, the writer expresses shock that an overwhelming majority of Congress, including Reps. Tim Ryan and Charlie Wilson, condemned the U.N. Goldstone Report on Gaza. This report, according to the writer, is “thorough and evenhanded”.

The UN Human Rights Council, whose leaders include such fierce protectors of human rights as Libya and Iran, decided to investigate the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2008. This invasion occurred after three years of daily rocket attacks on Southern Israeli cities and villages, to the total of 8,000 rockets. The U.N. Human Rights Council did not consider these unending daily attacks on innocent civilians a human rights problem. But when Israel eventually exercised its right to self defense and invaded Gaza to disarm the Hamas terrorists the council sprang into action. It resolved to appoint the Goldstone Fact Finding Mission whose mandate was “Investigation into violations of international law by the Occupying Power, Israel, against the Palestinian People.” This resolution prejudges the outcome of the investigation, since it calls the Israeli action a violation of international law. Interestingly, the council calls Israel the “Occupying Power in Gaza,” forgetting that Israel had completely evacuated Gaza three years previously.

In order to achieve its predetermined conclusion the Goldstone mission adopted an ingenious methodology. All the evidence that supported the Hamas position was accepted automatically, even when contradicted by the facts. All the evidence that supported the Israeli position, however, was rejected as unreliable. Even Israel’s claim of its right of self defense was rejected. No wonder that the U.S. Congress called the Goldstone report “irredeemably biased and unworthy of further consideration.”

The writer of the letter finds comfort in Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s support of the Goldstone Report. Rep. Kucinich is one of the leaders of the”blame America first” crowd.

Miriam Katz, Youngstown