WIESENTHAL CENTER: GOLDSTONE COMMISSION REWARDS HAMAS

September 15, 2009

WIESENTHAL CENTER: GOLDSTONE COMMISSION REWARDS HAMAS

Center says Commission's report ascribes terror tactics to Israel efforts to protect her people

The Simon Wiesenthal Center today criticized the findings of a United Nations commission that stated that Israel was guilty of war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity during the three week Gaza conflict earlier this year.

“Hamas' peace dividend for Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza was 8,000 rockets. And now the UN's Goldstone Commission has rewarded Hamas terrorism by ascribing to Israel the very tactics Hamas openly deployed before and during last winter's confrontation with Israel,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Wiesenthal Center. “Hamas, not Israel deliberately targeted civilians, and Hamas, not Israel used hospitals, public institutions and private homes to deploy their weaponry. Their leaders deliberately hid behind the women and children as a matter of policy,” Cooper continued.

“So instead of standing up for beleaguered Israeli citizens, many of whom still suffer from post-traumatic syndrome, instead of speaking out on behalf the Palestinian civilians used as human shields by Hamas, the Goldstone Commission has rewarded terrorists and made a mockery of international laws designed to defend innocent civilians on both sides of conflict,” said Cooper.

“The world was fully aware of Hamas’ continuous attacks against Israelis and did nothing as Israel showed remarkable restraint before finally being forced to act. That is why this sham was boycotted by many members of the UN Human Rights Council. We are grateful that former High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson refused to head this fatally-flawed mission,” Cooper concluded.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).

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