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At Large
Beware the Next Goldstone
Don’t legitimize the UN Human Rights Council.
Following Israel’s May operation to halt a flotilla seeking to breach Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) — true to form — condemned the Jewish State and passed a resolution calling for an “independent international fact-finding mission to investigate violations of international law… resulting from the Israeli attacks…. ” The human rights paragons from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) demanded the investigation, which has already been dubbed “Goldstone II.” The original “Goldstone” refers to last year’s UNHRC-sponsored fact-finding report, headed by South African judge Richard Goldstone, which accused Israelis of committing war crimes and terrorism during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza in 2008-2009. The controversy following its release should warn anyone who is tempted to participate in another imminent fact-finding charade.
Since its inception, the UNHRC, which succeeded the equally shameful UN Commission on Human Rights, has been reliably embarrassing. During the Bush era, the U.S. refused to partake in the Council’s activities and lend it any credibility; the Obama administration reversed that policy. The UNHRC’s agenda is dictated by Arab theocrats who aim to humiliate Israel and subtly impose an Islamic agenda on the West through such tactics as banning the “defamation of religion.” Unfortunately, however, the UNHRC’s very name (emphasizing “human rights”) and prominence within the United Nations hierarchy automatically lends it credence in the eyes of casual observers and its Leftist devotees.
This might explain why someone like Richard Goldstone, who previously enjoyed significant international respect, would join one of its officially sanctioned fact-find missions. During Judge Goldstone’s career, he was the Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Many also credited him with helping to heal the wounds of South African apartheid. Certain incidents in Goldstone’s past raised ethical questions, such as his ICTY indictment against someone who “wasn’t an appropriate first person to indict… but if we didn’t do it, we would not have got the budget.” Nonetheless, he generally was respected as a jurist and as someone who could preside over a fair fact-finding mission. He was.
While Goldstone’s report condemned Israel for its war-time tactics, many in the international legal community condemned Goldstone’s politically-driven, disingenuous, and sloppy report. It immediately became clear how badly Goldstone had been played as a pawn, especially given his eagerness to demonstrate his objectivity in spite of his Jewish heritage and supposed affection for Israel.
Following the report’s release, Goldstone seemed genuinely shocked by this criticism, and he repeatedly stressed his intended impartiality and fairness. He publicly professed his love for Israel and called himself a justice and truth-seeking Zionist. But whatever his good intentions, Richard Goldstone’s lasting legacy will be the utter nonsense, endorsed by the UNHRC and the UN General Assembly, to which he forever affixed his name — and reputation.
UNHRC members may be perverse, but they are not stupid. As they prepare to announce new members to the flotilla fact-finding mission — it is rumored that former ICC President and Canadian jurist Philippe Kirsch will be named to Chair the mission — they will seek others to serve as straw men — just like Goldstone. Individuals who prize justice and the rule of law, or who, perhaps, sympathize with Israel and its right to self-defense, might be attracted to an opportunity to serve as judges on a UN fact-finding investigation. Those who believe they could bring evenhandedness and sensibility to such an investigation might be especially tempted. That sort of motivation would be highly naïve, however.
The UNHRC is incapable of serious reporting. The institution’s very mission taints the legitimacy of everything it does. Especially for those who care about Israel, it would be presumptuous — and inaccurate — to think that their well-meaning participation in future investigations could erase that stain. Instead, such participation only will help to cloak the UNHRC in a façade of sanity, while exonerating murderers and terrorists. That is Richard Goldstone’s legacy. For anyone who cares about Israel and international law, hopefully it will not be theirs as well.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (14) | Leave a comment
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Louis Jenkins| 7.21.10 @ 9:44AM
Israel aside, the HRC is a farce. Why the Pretender n Chief lends credence to that body is beyond belief. Murders and thiefs, that's a bit too light don't you think. Their methodology goes even deeper.
S.L. Toddard| 7.21.10 @ 12:02PM
“Nothing is more essential, than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular Nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded.”
- President George Washington
“Not seldom it has seemed as if some eminent Neoconservatives mistook Tel Aviv for the capital of the United States.”
- Russell Kirk
NavyBrat | 7.21.10 @ 12:51PM
Ahh, Doddard. How'd I know you'd show your swastika loving face on this thread? Is it because you show up on ANY thread having to do with Israel & post out of context quotes from Gen. Washington & the same tired line from Mr. Kirk? You're a one trick pony if there ever was one.
Christopher Holland| 7.21.10 @ 11:47PM
Yogi Bear said 'yabba dabba doo!' S L Toddard makes Yogi Bear sound like Socrates.
Yosemeti Sam| 7.22.10 @ 12:32AM
George Washington quoted: " ... and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded."
IOW - Thanks France, for aiding our revolution - now bug off!
And don't send us any statues!
Don't call us, we'll call you.
Passionate regards though!
LOL.
DC| 7.22.10 @ 8:10PM
To S.L. Toddard:
I applaud your quotations. Some people will justify any misdeed that Israel commits and try to kill the messenger when the message is irrefutably a criticism of Israel.
Ken (Old Texican)| 7.21.10 @ 12:17PM
Obama looks as if he wants to go down in history ahead of Prime minister Chamberlain as the biggest enemy appeaser of all.
And Toddard keeps playing his one note concerto. "Still stuck on stupid in G minor"
Hershl| 7.21.10 @ 9:45PM
The UN is dominated by those who hate America and Israel. UNESCO, which receives money from both lands, regularly boycotts Israel.
Robert Wright, a left-wing apologist writing in the NY Times, has questioned why anyone would reject a mosque at the site where 3,000 Americans were murdered in the name of Islam and the rule of Mohammad.
Mr. Wright's next step is to call for a picture of Bin Laden on the ten dollar bill.
He, like our president, believes that if we keep telling our enemies that we really like them in spite of their calls for our extermination, then they will play nice.
The 911 mosque idea is just the latest anti-Christian, anti-Jewish provocation that is dividing this country. Meanwhile, it is a crime to be a Christian in Saudi Arabia and Israel is being daily attacked by the left and their gun totting brethren around the world.
There is a war going on. Islam is the enemy. Get used to it. It will get much worse before it gets better. Ultimately ,the good guys will win but at what price?
http://jewishdailyreport.wordp.....11-mosque/
truthteller| 7.22.10 @ 3:04PM
Umm, are there any facts in this piece offered as a refutation of the Goldstone report, or only unsupported assertions?
Stoddard is right, and if you neocons have to jettison even George Washington to suit your twisted worldview, you will.
Israel is just another country, one that lost all value as an ally when the Cold War ended.
Like the redoubtable Washington said, and in answer to the French reference above, let all such alliances be "temporary".
Operation Cast Lead used cluster bombs in ways that both Ron Reagan and GW Bush proscribed.
I'm glad that the Tea Party is leaving you neocons at the side of the road, where you can disappear in the rearview mirror.
WAKE UP| 7.22.10 @ 10:03PM
There's a simple solution: revoke the lease and move the UNited Nations and all its infiltrated corrupt committes to somewhere congenial like Darfur. Then we'll see how many of them still want to play the game.
GavInTucson| 7.23.10 @ 12:17AM
Totally unnecessary. All we have to do is de-fund them and the U. N. will collapse.
The American teat is the only thing that's kept it alive all these years (25% of their funding comes from the U. S.)
Lucifer| 1.21.11 @ 1:42AM
Things will never change until you throw all jews out of government/courts/banking/media/TV ETC. Marxism and judaism are one in the same. Always has been always will be. They arent semites, even IF they do exist, and holocaust canard with the reparations and the 3 weeks my sons and daughters have to sit thru in public school for the social engineering of "implied guilt" must end. Even if it did happen, which it didnt, I and my family had nothing to do with it. Its always hung over humanities head, while they continue their parasitism. This joshpe sheister is a closet marxist zionist talmudic jew dual citizen clown. He needs to go back home with the rest of the illegal immigrants.