Opinion
Shooting the messenger
Asaf Gefen
Published: 09.05.10, 18:09
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50 Talkbacks for this article
1. Rubbish
Paul ,   Jerusalem   (05.09.10)
The man is tainted. The man is tainted as a Judge, tainted as a Jew and tainted as a Human being. Besides, his report is only accurate if you are twisted enough to believe that Arabs are operating within the parameters of a civilized people and are not the cause of their own misery.
2. fine talkback
sohnes ,   schlat, germany   (05.09.10)
Let the delivery boy be problematic, in my opinion the pizza he delivered could have been made a bit with more technical accuracy and finesse, let's call it love. The pizza boy is also the cook. If he delivers nasty thruths, be it. NO nasty truth should have stayed untold, exactly that is what the pizza lacks. What about the pizza's recipe (what happened all the years before?) described in a extensive and comprehensible way? Did he really snoop all the inconvenient truths on both sides? The report was not doubted because of the person, but because it lacked facts. Goldstone being a judge of death does not change this a bit.
3. I been reading YN for years.This article is confused junk!
Alan ,   SA   (05.09.10)
4. true
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (05.09.10)
Focusing on the fact that Goldstone was a murderous collaborator of the Apartheid regime has nothing to do with the accuracy of his report. It was well known that his report about the "Cast Lead" operation is totally false and inaccurate long before his past history was widely published. The publication of his criminal behavior only settles the dispute why he made such a false report: he did it for the money.
5. Missing the point ...
David ,   Minneapolis, USA   (05.09.10)
The real message here is simple: Like many who lived under the Nazi or Soviet regimes, Goldstone is simply a self-aggrandizing opportunist kow-towing to the primary political powers that be. In apartheid-era South Africa, this meant enforcing racist laws. In the world dominated by Media-UN-Arab force against Israel, this means advocating the line against Israel's "agression" in Gaza. Actually his recent statement was rather starkly honest - that he "had to respect the laws of the state, occasionally having to enforce laws he was opposed to." Obviously, he lacks a genuine, internally guided, sense of right and wrong. If the world media regards such a person as legal or moral authority, this says more about the world media then about him or Israel.
6. WRONG
(05.09.10)
Goldstones and his shoddy report's supporters focus on 1. Goldstone's courageous and impartial character; and 2. Goldstone's Jewish ancestry Their repeated assertion is that Goldstone's findings must be true because he is a respected and impartial Judge and a Jew. Obviously he is not impartial and courageous as his history shows him to be a toady.
7. Goldstone is a poor sap that was used by the UN
(05.09.10)
When did the noble and honorable UN and it's honarable judges and jurists ever investigate war crimes and human rights violations by Arab governments? Falling rockets and bombs on Jews are never a war crime or a cime against humanity. Golstone is a product of the so called "diaspora" a curse to the Jewish people. The international Jew that wants to teach us that we are no differant from Hamas or Hezbollah under the international law.
8. Factually - he is NOT an honorable judge
Mike ,   LA   (05.09.10)
This swhiny plea is ridiculous! His report states (often) that Israel refused to co-operate with the mission and is therefore to blame for any harsh findings made by your mission. BUT. Elswhere buried in the report, it states that absolutely no-one in Gaza, neither the civilian population, nor any armed group, nor the Gaza Authorities were prepared to co-operate in any way in respect of the way Hamas and others conducted their armed operations during the conflict. Why then does Godlsteone claim on page 6, that the mission received full co-operation from the Gaza authorities, when it is patently clear that it did not. Secondly why did he not make a negative inference from such refusal to co-operate, in the same manner which he did towards the Israelis. Answer? Because he is thoroughly DISHONORABLE - period.
9. The delivery boy can spit on and poison the pizza...
Gabriel ,   Brazil   (05.09.10)
10. are you foolish or something. of course it does. his past re
ralph   (05.09.10)
reveals that he is a scoundrel. for sale with no problem of morality or ethics. it proves he does not deserve respect and by all this that his opinions, decisions, points of view are rubbish.
11. We rename Qassams to Goldstone rockets.
Rehavam ,   Israel   (05.09.10)
12. Asaf Gefen are you also looking for glory on Jewish shoulder
Dani ,   Amsterdam   (05.09.10)
Stop to give space and salary to those who are directly or indirectly hitting Israelis and Jews for fame like Mr Goldstone and Mr Gefen.
13. Wrong, Asaf Gefen. Focusing on Goldstone's past has
leo ,   usa   (05.09.10)
everything to do with accuracy of his report. It has everything to do with Goldstone's integrity and the measure of trust, which can be afforded to him. There is no such thing in real life as wiping slate clean. Only in the movies. Everything we do in this life counts toward our accumulated worth and Goldstone is no exception and neither are you. The fact that you cannot recognize this makes me question your own integrity or stupidity and naivete. However, I do not know you well enough to pass final judgment, so, you tell me.
14. ICC severly criticised Goldstone
Frank ,   US   (05.09.10)
for his improper methods of charging without evidence when he was an ICC prosecutor. It is all part of his sad and shoddy unethical history and goes to his veracity, compet4ency lack of discretion and legal methods of bad conduct
15. richard richard goldstone
jo moor   (05.09.10)
Asaf gefen: have you ever wondered why rrg was called that by his fellow colleagues in South Africa. He had visions on the mantle of head of UN at the time of Beutros Beutros Gahli (spelling = apologies). So his mission or should I say commission is a step inthat direction???
16. LOL
Freddy747 ,   Paris   (05.09.10)
The last moral attack of UN was by former SS officer Kurt Waldheim at that time head of UN. Israel was officially declared a racist state. Mr Gefen (who believes he is funny and above all "uber alles") would have written that Israel should use Waldheim's expertise against Palestinians (LOL)
17. " above all "uber alles" " is redundant expression.
leo ,   usa   (05.09.10)
18. Goldstone - Israel
Torgeir Kvalvaag ,   Oslo, Norway   (05.09.10)
I seem to remember that there was especially one state that cooperated closely with South Africa for most of the dark years of apartheid. This not so glorius period is obviously forgotten in Israelis' ongoing war of words against judge Goldstone. -Let the man without sin throw the first stone" might still have some relevance.
19. Amnesty
David-S ,   USA   (05.09.10)
After the new revelations of the unhonarable judge, is it possible that he might be charged with murder in SA, and would Hamas grant him asylum in Gaza? or maybe Nasrallah might invite him to go and be roommate with Azmi Bishara? Odd Couple? absolutely not, they have a lot in common??
20. Asaf Geffen: You don't get it!
Robert Haymond ,   Israel/Canada   (05.09.10)
It's not because of Goldstone's past that we consider the Goldstone Report to be malicious, self-serving and inaccurate, it's just that his past goes a long way towards explaining why he took the perspective he took, a kind of psycho-biographical feature. And you use of "irony" at the end of your article was really thin and inappropriate.
21. GoldSchtinck is not a messenger, but created false messages
Michael Hess aka BS ,   Charlotte, NC   (05.10.10)
and concealed other true messages, this is the the core of the problem, Asaf, and now we know why.
22. Read the report!
Ussishkin ,   Tel Aviv Israel   (05.10.10)
Before you all condemn Goldstone, read what he wrote. Its a shame this article didn't appear sooner to neutralise the convenient character assassination Yediot already perpetrated
23. Goldstone is both Israel hater and anti-Black judge.
Chaim ,   Israel   (05.10.10)
Why exactly are we supposed to feel sorry for Goldstone? Goldstone is not merely being portrayed as an Israel hater and apartheid era anti-Black judge. He IS and WAS both those things.
24. Do Israeli accept critics ? any critics no matter how they a
George ,   Canada   (05.10.10)
are legitimate? Of course No , because they are above critics . Agree with the author, this attack on Goldstone will not change the fact that Israel committed a war crime in Gaza. Blaming him with racism is a cheap and unfortunate attack .It fired back and didn’t make the information contained in his report any less accurate. After the last Ynet article, this man grows up in my eyes more.
25. agree with the author ,good article
George ,   Canada   (05.10.10)
Agree with the author, this attack on Goldstone will not change the fact that Israel committed a war crime in Gaza. Blaming him with racism is a cheap and unfortunate attack .It fired back and didn’t make the information contained in his report any less accurate. After the last Ynet article, this man grows up in my eyes more.
26. goldstone
sas ,   israel   (05.10.10)
he caused us enough damage. who cares about is past he is a real criminal. he acomplished what he wanted - to ruin the state of israel. what does he care about south arrica???? let his family ROT there. May he find a place in the world to rest in peace./piece. for us he is a non started and un-wanted.
27. Gefen is irrelevant
Eddie ,   london UK   (05.10.10)
So is the title. Goldstone is not an honest broker. The critques of his report were sufficient to disprove it. The dark history of the racist judge Goldstone is simply further evidence to disqualify the man who purports to be objective and above moral reproach. It is not being touted as a rebuttal of the Goldstone report, since that has already been done by numerous articles. It simply shows the kind of dupliciitous character who is behind it.
28. to #22 people did read it, and find out
ghostq   (05.10.10)
that Goldston mention the west bank the last time people checked cast lead was only in gaza.
29. to #25 you know that how? you didn't see
ghostq   (05.10.10)
any avidences, how can you judge? you must be psychic :)
30. to #24 oh that isn't critisism that is full accusations
ghostq   (05.10.10)
if you don't know the difference than go to the dictionary, if you know how to use it. :)
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