Israel Matzav

'Human Rights Council endorses Goldstone Report 25-6 with 11 abstentions; GOLDSTONE 'SADDENED'!?!

The United Nations 'Human Rights Council' has just endorsed the Goldstone Report 25-6 with 11 abstentions a few minutes before I started this post (yes, this one is live). From putting together Hillel Neuer's Tweets from Geneva, the following countries voted no:

United States (also here and here)
Panama
Canada
Australia
Italy? (not sure of this one).

I believe the sixth country is France.

Among those abstaining: Norway, Mexico, Uruguay, Slovenia

But here's Neuer's most curious tweet of the day:

Israel: Goldstone said in Le Temps that the resolution saddens him because it only makes accusations against Israel.

If that's true, Goldstone is either being totally disingenuous or he's a bigger fool than I thought he was.

Given that nearly the entire report is accusations against Israel, what the *&^% did he expect?

Or has he just been horrified to discover that he's destroyed his daughter's chances for a shidduch (mate)?

UPDATE 2:17 PM

Soccer Dad provides the full quote:

Even Goldstone himself, who was in Bern for a conference Thursday, criticised the UN Council resolution for targetting only Israel and failing to include Hamas.

The UN resolution is peppered with references to “recent Israeli violations of human rights in occupied east Jerusalem” but failed to mention Hamas even once.

“This draft resolution saddens me as it includes only allegations against Isreal. There is not a single phrase condemning Hamas as we have done in the report. I hope that the council can modify the text,” he said in remarks published in Swiss newspaper Le Temps.

The issue was also raised by the United States, whose ambassador told the council on Thursday: “The report looks at allegations on all sides of the conflict and (the Human Rights Council) must do the same.”

Unbelievable. What did he think was going to happen? Hopenchange?

UPDATE 2:59 PM

Here's the original quote in French from Le Temps (Hat Tip: Yisrael):

Richard Goldstone ne cache pas son irritation: «Cette proposition de résolution m’attriste, car elle ne fait part que d’allégations à l’encontre d’Israël. Il n’y a pas une phrase pour condamner le Hamas comme nous le faisons dans le rapport. J’espère que le Conseil pourra encore modifier ce texte.» Le juge défend en revanche ses conclusions: «Les Américains parlent d’erreurs dans notre rapport, mais ils n’avancent pas un seul fait tangible pour le démontrer.» Malgré l’instrumentalisation politique de son rapport – notamment par le Hamas – qu’il ne peut que déplorer, il demeure confiant sur le fait qu’il fera son chemin et sera un soutien à la paix dans la région. Quant à la virulence des attaques israéliennes, il s’y attendait, «mais pas à un tel venin. C’est une triste expérience.»

Or with Google translation:

Richard Goldstone did not hide his irritation: "This proposed resolution saddens me because it indicated that allegations against Israel. There are no words to condemn Hamas as we do in the report. I hope the Council can still edit this text. "The judge, however, defends its conclusions:" The Americans talk about errors in our report, but they do not advance a single fact to demonstrate tangible. "Despite the politicization of his report - including Hamas - it can only regret, he remains confident that it will make its way and will support peace in the region. As for the virulence of Israeli attacks, he expected, "but not to such venom. It is a sad experience. "

Disingenuous.

UPDATE 3:14 PM

Here's the vote breakdown (Hat Tip: Anne H).

25 Yes, 11 Abstain, 6 No

Abstain:
Belgium
Bosnia
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Gabon
Japan
Mexico
Norway
Korea
Slovenia
Uruguay


No:
Hungary
Italy
Netherlands
Slovakia
Ukraine
USA


Countries that did not vote:
United Kingdom
Madagascar
Kyrgyzstan
France
Angola


Yes:
Argentina
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
China
Cuba
Djbouti
Egypt
Ghana
India
Indonesia
Jordan
Mauritius
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Pakistan
Philippines
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
South Afrivca
Zambia

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:54 PM