17 Oct 2009; Israel could face prosecution for “war crimes”

 

 

The United Nations Human Rights Council voted to approve the Goldstone report yesterday in a move that could see Israeli officials facing prosecution for “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” over their role in Israel’s three-week war in Gaza earlier this year.

 

The report, which was approved by 25 votes to 6, is critical of the level of civilian casualties and general destruction caused by Israel, which it finds was “the result of deliberate planning and policy decisions." Human rights groups including Israel’s B’Tselem claim that most of the 1400 Palestinian victims were civilians. 

 

The vote also means that Hamas officials too could be prosecuted for their part in the killing of 3 Israeli civilians and 6 soldiers. Unless both sides properly investigate the allegations in the report, the UN Security Council is recommended to refer the parties to the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

 

Hamas spokesperson, Taher al-Nono, welcomed the development: "We thank whoever voted for it, and we hope that this vote will be the beginning of the process to bring the Israeli war criminals to justice".

 

Israeli officials were less welcoming of the UN body’s decision however, which Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai described as "an anti-Israeli resolution which joins an anti-Israeli report." Opposition leader, Tzipi Livni said that “Since its establishment, the UN Human Rights Council has looked at Israel in a distorted and distorting way - exactly like the [Goldstone] report".  

 

In the run up to the vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the report as "a serious blow to the UN", and warned that the UN “could revert back to the days when it compared Zionism to racism.”

 

Mick Napier, chair of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, praised the UN body, but criticised the UK for being among 5 countries that chose not to vote on the report: “The Human Rights Council should be congratulated for this move which puts Israel just one step away from being prosecuted for crimes against humanity.

 

“Anyone who saw the white phosphorous raining down on Gaza already knew that Israel was guilty of war crimes. It is shameful that Gordon Brown couldn’t bring himself to endorse the report.”

 

ENDS

 Notes for editors:

 1. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign started in autumn 2000 in response to the Palestinian second uprising against Israeli occupation (Intifada). The SPSC has branches and groups of supporters in several Scottish cities and universities, as well as individual members across Scotland and elsewhere.
For further information, contact:
SPSC Chair: Mick Napier: 0131 620 0052; 07958002591
Email: info@scottishpsc. org.uk
Website: www.scottishpsc. org.uk 

2. United Nations Press Release on Human Rights Council decision:

 

3. UN Human Rights Council Draft Resolution A/HRC/S-12/L.1

14 October 2009

 

4. The Goldstone Report in full & the Executive Summary can be found here:

 

5. Casualty figures:

 

BBC News; Friday, 16 October 2009

 

 

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1117893.html

Haaretz; 01/10/2009