Netanyahu. Seeking advice
צילום: רויטרס
Mazuz, military judge to suggest response to Goldstone
Prime minister forms team to advise him on how to respond to Goldstone Report. Four people sitting on team are Attorney General Mazuz, Judge Advocate General Mandelblit, and Cabinet Secretary Hauser
After much deliberation and indecision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered that a team be formed to advise him on the various options for an Israeli response to the Goldstone Report, which accuses the Jewish state of committing war crimes in Gaza, the Prime Minister's Office said Tuesday.
The four people appointed to sit on the advisory team are: Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, Judge Advocate General Avichai Mandelblit, Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser, and the foreign ministry's legal advisor.
The team is slated to submit its recommendations shortly to the prime minister, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman.
Netanyahu met with Barak and other senior justice and defense officials on Sunday. Together they decided to appoint a small team to formulate recommendations as to Israel's official response to the Goldstone Report.
Netanyahu made it clear that officers and soldiers will not be investigated. "This is not on the agenda. The procedures in the IDF are outstanding," he said.
The team is tasked with putting together a position to present to the world the steps Israel took in Operation Cast Lead and to look into the allegations leveled at Israel in the report.
A high-level political official said after Sunday's discussion: "One way or another, there is no intension of carrying out inquiries or investigations in addition to the investigation carried out by the IDF." The option of setting up a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations made in the Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of committing war crimes, was not discussed during the meeting.
