Israel remembers victims of terrorism in Iraq, Pakistan, New York, Afghanistan, Spain...

November 6, 9:18 AMNY Israel Conflict ExaminerRichard Shulman

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In behalf of her country, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN expressed condolences and grief for the recent victims of terrorism: 150 innocents in Baghdad,100 in Peshawar and Rawalpindi, Pakistan, six United Nations employees in Kabul, and earlier “victims of terrorism in New York, Washington, London, Madrid, Bali, Lockerbie, Riyadh, Amman, Mindanao, Istanbul, Nairobi, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Sinai, Buenos Aires, Mumbai, Beslan, Islamabad, Algiers.” 

Instead of pursuing the barbarians responsible, including member states that smuggle weapons and terrorists, Ambassador Gabriela Shalev said, hatred impels the UN to campaign with a tainted report against victims of terrorism: the people of Israel.

“Justice Goldstone himself publicly conceded that if his fact-finding mission had been a judicial inquiry, a member of his team would have been disqualified for outright bias against Israel.  Nevertheless, the report makes sweeping judicial determinations of criminal wrongdoing in the absence of crucial information.  It makes explosive charges against Israel yet the evidence provided to support such accusations is at best uncorroborated, and at worst false.  In certain cases, the report makes conclusions based upon the absence of evidence to the contrary.  In others, the author's mere opinions serve as the evidence.” 

Justice Goldstone himself admitted that the Mission had deliberately selected incidents so as to evade the complex dilemmas of confronting threats in civilian areas.  The report ignores the reality of terror activity and the complexity of military challenges in fighting terrorists in urban warfare.  It ignores overwhelming evidence that Hamas intentionally operated from densely populated areas and from within hospitals and mosques, and booby-trapped civilian structures.  The report makes no reference to the recruitment and exploitation of civilians by Hamas and its use of human shields. It undermines every democracy defending itself against terrorist attacks.”  [it does refer to that, but just by accepting Hamas’ denial, contrary to evidence it didn’t pursue but exists.]

“Time and again, the report inverts Israel's unprecedented extensive efforts to save civilian lives as proof that any civilian casualties were therefore deliberate. This is not honest fact finding.”

“The report dismisses Israel's independent legal system, which I am a proud member of.  It disregards Israel's extensive criminal investigation process of allegations of misconduct by Israeli armed forces.  In so doing, it effectively calls into question the internal investigation procedures of the armed forces of most democratic states.”

”…Israel is committed to acting in accordance with international law.  The rules of armed conflict are part of the training of every Israeli soldier.  Israel is committed to investigating every allegation of misconduct by its forces.  These commitments are derived from our timeless values, and our longing for peace.”  (www.imra.org.il, 11/5.)

On two of the most important issues of our time, jihad and terrorism, the UN is counter-productive.  To compare UN ethics with Israel’s, click here