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Israel's Jewish public: Goldstone Report biased against IDF
Ynet
Published: 18.10.09, 16:19
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1. British Col. Richard Kemp's terstimony before the UNHRC...
Eitan ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (10.18.09)
British Colonel Richard Kemp's testimony before the UN Human Rights Council follows: Thank you, Mr. President. "I am the former commander of the British forces in Afghanistan. I served with NATO and the United Nations; commanded troops in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Macedonia; and participated in the Gulf War. I spent considerable time in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, and worked on international terrorism for the UK Government’s Joint Intelligence Committee. "Mr. President, based on my knowledge and experience, I can say this: During Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Defense Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare. "Israel did so while facing an enemy that deliberately positioned its military capability behind the human shield of the civilian population. "Hamas, like Hizballah, are expert at driving the media agenda. Both will always have people ready to give interviews condemning Israeli forces for war crimes. They are adept at staging and distorting incidents. "The IDF faces a challenge that we British do not have to face to the same extent. It is the automatic, Pavlovian presumption by many in the international media, and international human rights groups, that the IDF are in the wrong, that they are abusing human rights. "The truth is that the IDF took extraordinary measures to give Gaza civilians notice of targeted areas, dropping over 2 million leaflets, and making over 100,000 phone calls. Many missions that could have taken out Hamas military capability were aborted to prevent civilian casualties. During the conflict, the IDF allowed huge amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza. To deliver aid virtually into your enemy's hands is, to the military tactician, normally quite unthinkable. But the IDF took on those risks. "Despite all of this, of course innocent civilians were killed. War is chaos and full of mistakes. There have been mistakes by the British, American and other forces in Afghanistan and in Iraq, many of which can be put down to human error. But mistakes are not war crimes. "More than anything, the civilian casualties were a consequence of Hamas’ way of fighting. Hamas deliberately tried to sacrifice their own civilians. "Mr. President, Israel had no choice apart from defending its people, to stop Hamas from attacking them with rockets. "And I say this again: the IDF did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare. "Thank you, Mr. President". Some consider Olmert and his government as well as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) murderers. I consider them defenders of my country and the lives of my children and I am actually very proud of them, all.
2. What evidence does Israel have...
Jerry ,   Canada   (10.18.09)
against the Goldstone report? They can call it bias,antisemitic, anything they want but they still haven't truly refuted it. Until evidence is brought against the slaughter of 1400 Palestinians, the use of disproportionate force and the indiscriminate use of white phosphorus on innocent civilians then accept the report (and war crimes) as it is. Or hey, if anyone wants, they can take a shot at it now and refute the three claims I brought up.
3. Biased
Mark ,   London , USA   (10.18.09)
There could only be one conclusion , look who is backing this report , U.N. is firmly behind The Abbas , terrioist groups . Yisrael did everything possible to safeguard civilian population during operation and these are nothing more than same old routine of Lies from Abbas and his cronies ..
4. Mr. Goldstone Screwed Up
Reuven Brauner ,   Raanana, Israel   (10.18.09)
Another case of a "bright" person doing something very stupid. Very, very stupid. He has caused enormous damage to the Jewish people. It will be very hard to forgive him.
5. To Jerry
Daniel ,   Tel Aviv   (10.18.09)
In your opinion, how should Israel have fought the war? And please do be detailed - including military operations, potential targets, tactis, weapons used (air/sea/ground), etc. Once you provide me with your esteemed opinion about how one fights a war against an army based entirely within a civilian population, I shall refute some (but maybe not all) of the claims you raised.
6. Jerry Canada#2
Hassan ,   Haifa Israel   (10.18.09)
Read post #1
7. What you ask, # 2, is for a rape victim to prove that in her
Nahum ,   Haifa, Israel   (10.18.09)
struggle not to be raped she was polite enough and should be responsible for the physical damage she has caused her attacker during her attempt to free herself. Israel has been raped, over and over and over again for many decades by its Arab neighbors. Most recently, Israeli civilians were being targeted to be mass murdered by its rapists, be it in the form of suicide bombing, light arms fire, roadside explosives mortars and rockets. Israel called, for years, to the world out there to see to it that this rape is ceased. You, Sir, did not respond, and neither the UN Human Rights Council, although the right to live and protect one's life is the very first of all human rights. Indeed, after Israel opted to take matters in its own hands to save the life of its citizens, the UNHRC decided it was guilty of violating international law and sent Goldstone to "investigate", to find the evidence for the guilt verdict already pronounced in advance.
8. Jerry
Duchess   (10.18.09)
Although I have found it a waste of time (as Israel has) to even attempt to convince those anti Israel types, I must say that even your choice of words and phrases drips preformed opinions and bias. Had you wanted to be objective, you would have chosen your words differently.
9. Where is the nascent Sanhedrin?
Ma ,   Rehovot   (10.18.09)
Why haven't they put this Goldstone in Herem? The Supreme Rabbinic Court of America put many Jews who harmed Israel and Judaism into excommunication
10. Daniel, Tel Aviv #5
Jerry ,   Canada   (10.18.09)
First of all, Israel should NEVER target civillian centers. That itself is a war crime. Second, they should only attack buildings when they have utter most proof Hamas activity is actually in there. Don't blow up a whole UN School or a hospital full of civilians because you "thought" you saw a guy running around with an AK-47. Third, train your army to actually target militants and not civilians. The Goldstone Report found incidents where IDF soldiers forgot the value of life and indiscriminately targeted civilians without a care or any justification. Too many innocent civilians have been slain by the IDF at what cost? 13 Israelis for 1400 Palestinians? That alone should shows you the disproportionate force used by the IDF. And to believe they call themselves the most moral army in the army.
11. Nahum, Haifa #7
Jerry ,   Canada   (10.18.09)
The rape victim is responsible for physical damage against the rapist if force is deemed too excessive (ex: drilling holes into a rapist brain is excessive). Maybe this so called "rape" could end if Israel addressed the reasons behind them (ex:refusal to lift the blockade over Gaza or the evictions of Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank). I'm not denying Israel's right to self defense, however, exceeding such self defense to the point where the targets are not the perpetrators but instead, innocent civilians trying to live there lives is a big no no. For example, do you believe this is self defense? Excerpt from Goldstone: "51. The chicken farms of Mr. Sameh Sawafeary in the Zeitoun neighbourhood south of Gaza City reportedly supplied over 10 per cent of the Gaza egg market. Armoured bulldozers of the Israeli forces systematically flattened the chicken coops, killing all 31,000 chickens inside, and destroyed the plant and material necessary for the business. The Mission concludes that this was a deliberate act of wanton destruction not justified by any military necessity and draws the same legal conclusions as in the case of the destruction of the flour mill."
12. #1
Marco ,   Spain   (10.18.09)
If you care to check Col. Richard Kemp's off shore account in the Bahamas, you will discover a substantial sum deposited just before he gave his speech to the UNHRCand an equal sum just after! I wonder where did the money come from?
13. #12 Marco
Cynthia ,   USA   (10.18.09)
How would YOU know that? Spare your Alibaba diversions.
14. Why should a Goldstone turncoat surprise anyone?Adolf Hitler
Rivkah   (10.18.09)
was the grandson of a Jew, too. The best (Emmanuel the Messiah) and the worst (Adolf Hitler) were sadly, Jews. Goldstone wants to join the latter parade of the worst of the worst instead of the best of the best.
15. #13 Cynthy dear..
Marco ,   Spain   (10.18.09)
I have my sources.
16. #15
(10.19.09)
we know you have your sources. they are not too far from your ass hole and you are sitting on them. hameed aboughaze. you are also a liar and an inventor of facts. congratulations. you'll be a good arab prpaganda leader. they are all like you. shemful lying with a straight face. now...please say which sources and give credible articles, news, etc... i am waiting patiently!!!
17. Head of Iraq Multinational Force in Iraq also supports IDF
Ben Tzur ,   Melbourne, Australia   (10.19.09)
Readers of Ynet would probably not know of an article published in Australia's main national newspaper, The Australian, by Major General Jim Molan (ret.), Chief of Operations of the Iraq Multinational Force 2004-05, in which he strongly refuted the claims of the Goldstone Report. Kemp and Molan are among the world's leading authorities on counter-terrorism. See http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26152548-7583,00.html
18. There is a detailed refutation of the Goldstone Report at
Ben Tzur ,   Melbourne, Australia   (10.19.09)
the website of "Elder of Ziyon": http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/search/label/Goldstone%20Report There one after another of the specific cases is taken up and the claims made in them shown to be baseless. It is a very thorough demolition.
19. Hitler had no Jewish ancestors
Ben Tzur ,   Melbourne, Australia   (10.19.09)
The claims he did are as non-existent as the similar ones regarding Ahmadinejab. Antisemites have a thing about Jewish parentage, and think that having some Jewish ancestor helps excuse being more antisemitic. By the way, "Rivka," Jesus was not the Messiah. The Second Coming doctrine is the Christian confession that Jesus did not in fact fullfil the Biblical criteria for being a Messiah.
20. To Jerry #10
Daniel ,   Tel Aviv   (10.19.09)
Hey Jerry, Well, one should never target civilian centers...except for when someone is firing at you from that center. There is no other way to look at it. If you are at war, and someone is firing at you, then it is their responsibility to make sure that they are not endangering their own population (that is in the geneva convention) and one cannot include that Israel on numerous occasions tried to inform that Palestinian civilian population of any military operations that were about to be launched. Secondly, the UN hospital wasn't directly hit (after all the news headlines which came out saying that it had been directly targeted, investigators found that it had hit 10 meters outside, and hit the spot where militants had been firing from). By the way, what about Hamas rigging a Palestinian school with explosives?...did you hear about that event? A lot of innocents was lost. I dont mean to sound unsympathetic (because that's not the case)...but I am rational. It's war Jerry. One doesn't take a tally chart of the numbers dead on both sides and then compare. I would invite you to live under rocket attack for 8 years before deciding what is proportionate and what is disproportionate. There is no doubt that some of the report will have to be looked at, to see what parts the IDF can learn from, but to call them War Criminals is a disservice to all. Finally, there is proof that the Goldstone report was biased...starting from members of the panels having declared their opinions before embarking on the mission, to the fact that the UNHRC has been focused solely on Israel for god knows how long. I wonder how you would react to me calling Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan war criminals...in an "offensive war" not even defending Canada's immediate borders?
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