Dershowitz to Goldstone: Do tshuva (repent)
We're approaching the festival of freedom and not the high holidays, but repenting is a good idea anytime. Alan Dershowitz writes that for Richard Goldstone, the time to repent is now (Hat Tip: Scott R). Goldstone now has a responsibility to report his new conclusions to the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and to other officials who are considering acting on the basis of the Goldstone Report. Although the report did not purport to make judicial findings of fact, demonizers of Israel, such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have used the report as a bludgeon against Israel, demanding boycott, divestment and other forms of delegitimizing sanctions. Goldstone has a moral and legal obligation to tell those who are treating the original report as if its findings were conclusive that even its primary author currently finds them unworthy of belief. It remains to be seen whether Goldstone will carry through on these obligations.I wish I could share Dershowitz's optimism. Goldstone's blaming Israel for all the evidence supposedly not being before him (as he did in his Washington Post article) does little to help me share Dershowitz's optimism.
What then is there to say about Goldstone the man? When his report was first issued, I wrote critically not only of it, but of him. I knew Goldstone as a colleague at Harvard, and I was disappointed in him for lending his credibility to so biased and mendacious a report.
I am sure he will say that he was right then and he is right now, because the evidence has changed. Though I disagree with that assessment, I commend Goldstone for his willingness to consider new information and to reassess his conclusions. The Goldstone Report did much harm by lending an aura of credibility to some of the most defamatory and false charges ever made against Israel and its defense forces. But the Jewish tradition of teshuvah, or repentance, demands that we look forward, not backward. It also demands that the person seeking teshuvah do everything in his power to right the wrong he has committed.
I hope that Goldstone will stand up against those who continue to rely on his original, now discredited, conclusions in seeking the delegitimation of Israel through boycotts, divestment and other sanctions. I maintain an open mind. I hope Richard Goldstone does not disappoint me again. I have a feeling he will continue to do the right thing.
Labels: Alan Dershowitz, Goldstone Report, Richard Goldstone
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:31 PM
3 Comments:
Goldstone reportedly accepted an invitation to visit Israel from Interior Minister El Yishai and will at some point move to have the Goldstone report nullified when "the dust settles".
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=215275
J-Street's and the NGO's excuse for authoring/tarting up this travesty is what?
This doesn't sound like a full Jewish approach to his rehab. Words will not correct his wrong against other people. I want him to get involved with the actual correction - raise the $$ and, assuming he is actually as smart as some say, spearhead the production of fact sheets, displays, videos, websites, etc etc presenting the factual information concerning Israel's situation with the neighbors. One of the best thing about Judaism is the idea of actually setting things right, rather than being dispensed instant forgiveness, without even having to ask for it much less attempt to fix the damage done.
carl,
pesach is indeed about teshuva
removal of the chametz from ones home is a cleansing process
goldstone will not do teshuva...he does not believe he has done anything wrong
evil people never do
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