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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Peace talks off if UN adopts Gaza report: Israel |
| 2009-10-02 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Thursday the United Nations would deal a "fatal blow" to prospects for peace if it endorsed a report critical of Tel Aviv's 22-day assault on Gaza as Arab Israelis staged a general strike to protest for the right to live in dignity in their "homeland." Israel has been stepping up public attacks on the report into its air, land and sea attack on the Gaza Strip -- calling it unbalanced and one-sided -- before a meeting on Friday by the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council. "Advancing the so-called Goldstone report will deal a fatal blow to the peace process," Netanyahu said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting. "Israel will not be able to take further steps and take risks for peace if it is denied the right of self-defense," he said, echoing comments he made last week at the U.N. General Assembly. Formal negotiations on Palestinian statehood have been suspended since the Gaza conflict. Richard Goldstone, a former U.N. war crimes prosecutor who led the U.N. inquiry, urged on Tuesday the 47-member state Human Rights Council to adopt the report which found that the Israeli military and Palestinian militants committed war crimes. Adoption of the report would mean it is referred to the U.N. Security Council for further action. Goldstone has urged the Security Council to bring the allegations to the International Criminal Court in The Hague if either Israel or Palestinian authorities failed to investigate and prosecute those suspected of such crimes within six months. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Ouch. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-10-02 13:51 |