THE GOLDSTONE INQUIRY: THE UN BLOOD LIBEL
The Judges:
Israel is Already Guilty
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Justice Richard Goldstone,
Head of the Commission
Richard Goldstone signed an open letter, published 16 March 2009, addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Security Council Ambassadors. It stated: "...we believe there is an important case to be made for an international investigation of gross violations of the laws of war, committed by all parties to the Gaza conflict...A prompt, independent and impartial investigation would provide a public record of gross violations of international humanitarian law committed and provide recommendations on how those responsible for crimes should be held to account...We urge world leaders to send an unfaltering signal that the targeting of civilians during conflict is unacceptable...The events in Gaza have shocked us to the core...We must also establish the truth about crimes perpetuated against civilians on both sides."
Goldstone, therefore, began this inquiry with his mind made up. Events in Gaza - Israeli actions, not some abstraction - had "shocked him." He had already called for a commission to hold criminals "to account." Account for what he had already decided were crimes that had occurred. He had already decided that "gross violations of the laws of war," "gross violations of international humanitarian law," "targeting of civilians," and "crimes perpetuated against civilians" had been committed.
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Professor Christine Chinkin,
Member of the Commission
Christine Chinkin signed a letter dated January 11, 2009, which appeared in The Times, stating: "Israel's bombardment of Gaza is not self-defence - it's a war crime." In addition, the letter stated: "The rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas deplorable as they are, do not, in terms of scale and effect amount to an armed attack entitling Israel to rely on self-defence...Israel's actions amount to aggression, not self-defence".
Chinkin, therefore, began this inquiry with her mind made up. She had already decided Israel had committed war crimes and that Israel had not acted in self-defence.
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Ms. Hina Jilani,
Member of the Commission
Hina Jilani signed an open letter, published 16 March 2009, addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Security Council Ambassadors. It stated: "...we believe there is an important case to be made for an international investigation of gross violations of the laws of war, committed by all parties to the Gaza conflict...A prompt, independent and impartial investigation would provide a public record of gross violations of international humanitarian law committed and provide recommendations on how those responsible for crimes should be held to account...We urge world leaders to send an unfaltering signal that the targeting of civilians during conflict is unacceptable...The events in Gaza have shocked us to the core...We must also establish the truth about crimes perpetuated against civilians on both sides."
Jalani, therefore, began this inquiry with her mind made up. Events in Gaza - Israeli actions, not some abstraction - had "shocked her." She had already called for a commission to hold criminals "to account." Account for what she had already decided were crimes that had occurred. She had already decided that "gross violations of the laws of war," "gross violations of international humanitarian law," "targeting of civilians," and "crimes perpetuated against civilians" had been committed.
In 2005, Jilani was quoted as stating: "Israel is depriving Palestinians of their basic human rights using security as an excuse." JURIST, 2005
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Colonel Desmond Travers (R),
Member of the Commission
Colonel Desmond Travers signed an open letter, published 16 March 2009, addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Security Council Ambassadors. It stated: "...we believe there is an important case to be made for an international investigation of gross violations of the laws of war, committed by all parties to the Gaza conflict...A prompt, independent and impartial investigation would provide a public record of gross violations of international humanitarian law committed and provide recommendations on how those responsible for crimes should be held to account...We urge world leaders to send an unfaltering signal that the targeting of civilians during conflict is unacceptable...The events in Gaza have shocked us to the core...We must also establish the truth about crimes perpetuated against civilians on both sides."
Travers, therefore, began this inquiry with his mind made up. Events in Gaza - Israeli actions, not some abstraction - had "shocked him." He had already called for a commission to hold criminals "to account." Account for what he had already decided were crimes that had occurred. He had already decided that "gross violations of the laws of war," "gross violations of international humanitarian law," "targeting of civilians," and "crimes perpetuated against civilians" had been committed.
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