Foxman to Goldstone: Recant http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/foxman-to-goldstone-recant/ The ADL’s Abe Foxman wants Richard Goldstone to reepudiate his report accusing Israel of committing war crimes during last winter’s Gaza war. en-us rkampeas@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-11-04T;04:10:00-05:00 Comment by Evan Zuesse tzur@optusnet.com.au As a matter of fact, though, Foxman ignores in his courteous letter to Goldstone the overwhelming evidence from the Goldstone Report itself, and as well from Goldstone’s subsequent defenses of it, that Goldstone quite consciously and intentionally crafted the Report in a biased and dishonest manner, to demonize Israel and to slant the Report against Israel.  It goes beyond the evidence, for example, to lay the charge that Israel intentionally sought civilian casualties, when there is overwhelming evidence that it did not (if it had, Israel could easily have wiped out hundreds of thousands of Gazans, not a few hundred.) The Report even misrepresents international law itself in its claims against Israel, and shows very sloppy legal investigative methodology in handling witnesses and other evidence.  Goldstone knew, after all (as do we all), not only the heavy bias of the UN and HRC itself, which commissioned him, but also that of Hamas itself, an openly antisemitic terrorist organization which has boasted of its genocidal agenda against Jews.  Even its charter cites the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.  He choose to trust evidence from such an organization and to dismiss as unreliable and dubious evidence from Israel and NGOs and individuals defending it.  He continues to defend his indefensible Report, using dodgy answers.  This goes far beyond naivety.  So there will be no recantation coming from Richard Goldstone. As a matter of fact, though, Foxman ignores in his courteous letter to Goldstone the overwhelming evidence from the Goldstone Report itself, and as well from Goldstone’s subsequent defenses of it, that Goldstone quite consciously and intentionally crafted the Report in a biased and dishonest manner, to demonize Israel and to slant the Report against Israel.  It goes beyond the evidence, for example, to lay the charge that Israel intentionally sought civilian casualties, when there is overwhelming evidence that it did not (if it had, Israel could easily have wiped out hundreds of thousands of Gazans, not a few hundred.) The Report even misrepresents international law itself in its claims against Israel, and shows very sloppy legal investigative methodology in handling witnesses and other evidence.  Goldstone knew, after all (as do we all), not only the heavy bias of the UN and HRC itself, which commissioned him, but also that of Hamas itself, an openly antisemitic terrorist organization which has boasted of its genocidal agenda against Jews.  Even its charter cites the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.  He choose to trust evidence from such an organization and to dismiss as unreliable and dubious evidence from Israel and NGOs and individuals defending it.  He continues to defend his indefensible Report, using dodgy answers.  This goes far beyond naivety.  So there will be no recantation coming from Richard Goldstone.

]]> 2012-02-10T;12:44:00-05:00 Comment by Evan Zuesse tzur@optusnet.com.au Not really, David.  Foxman is merely stating the obvious, as any unbiased reader of his article can see.  For a full analysis of what is wrong with the Goldstone Report, and the dishonesty of “Goldstone’s” letter to Congress defending it (a letter not even written by Goldstone but by a founder and leader of J-Street, Mort Halperin), see my post at; http://blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/10/30/1008853/goldstone-v-ros-lehtinen-and-berman#comment_92224 There are links in that post to some of the chief detailed refutations of the Goldstone Report on the internet, showing the Report’s hollowness in case after case. Not really, David.  Foxman is merely stating the obvious, as any unbiased reader of his article can see.  For a full analysis of what is wrong with the Goldstone Report, and the dishonesty of “Goldstone’s” letter to Congress defending it (a letter not even written by Goldstone but by a founder and leader of J-Street, Mort Halperin), see my post at;

http://blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/10/30/1008853/goldstone-v-ros-lehtinen-and-berman#comment_92224

There are links in that post to some of the chief detailed refutations of the Goldstone Report on the internet, showing the Report’s hollowness in case after case.

]]> 2012-02-10T;12:44:00-05:00 Comment by David david.ehrens@gmail.com Why doesn’t Foxman repudiate his own views? They don’t make much sense, even on a good say, so perhaps even a blanket repudiation of his own views could serve Foxman well. As for Goldstone repudiating his, this makes no sense. His report was well-researched, amply corroborated by other sources, and only asked that Israel investigate itself and Hamas do the same. Even Dan Meridor, the Deputy PM, has stated that he thinks an internal investigation should be done. As usual, Foxman is to the right of even the Israeli right. Why doesn’t Foxman repudiate his own views? They don’t make much sense, even on a good say, so perhaps even a blanket repudiation of his own views could serve Foxman well.

As for Goldstone repudiating his, this makes no sense. His report was well-researched, amply corroborated by other sources, and only asked that Israel investigate itself and Hamas do the same. Even Dan Meridor, the Deputy PM, has stated that he thinks an internal investigation should be done.

As usual, Foxman is to the right of even the Israeli right.

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