Ban Ki-Moon. 'Credible' probes needed'
Photo: Reuters
Israel is satisfied with the fact that the UN secretary general showed faith in the Israeli document submitted this week, a Foreign Ministry statement issued on Friday on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's response to the implementation of the Goldstone Report said.
This endorsement comes despite the fact that Ban Ki-moon claimed in the short report he submitted to the General Assembly: "No determination can be made on the implementation of the resolution by the parties concerned."
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The UN chief reiterated the Israelis and the Palestinians must conduct "credible" investigations of the allegations made against each side. By attaching the full Israeli response, Ban essentially returned the ball to the General Assembly's court after it demanded an Israeli response by February.
The Foreign Ministry was quick to express its satisfaction with the move. The Israeli document gives full expression to Israel's commitment to conducting an independent and credible investigation that upholds the standards of international law, the ministry said in an official statement.
Despite the difficult fighting conditions against the Hamas terrorism in Gaza, Israel was meticulous about respecting international norms and will continue to do so in the future while maintaining its primary commitment to the peace and security of its citizens, the statement continued in response to Ban.
Arab representatives to the UN also received on Thursday night the report authored by Ban. Arab sources said that General Assembly President Ali Treki will schedule another assembly discussion of the Israeli response to the Goldstone Report, apparently sometime in February.
The secretary general's inconclusive response was issued just days after Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Ban was impressed by the level of Israel's seriousness in investigating the war.
"Ban Ki-moon was very impressed by the presentations given in UN by the military advocate general and even mentioned this to me personally," claimed Barak to senior IDF staff.