IDF set to counter Goldstone Report

Military officials finalizing Israel's response to Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of committing war crimes; NYT publishes findings that contradict report's claims. Judge Advocate General: Goldstone Report a vicious lie

The IDF report to be submitted in response to the Goldstone Report will include photographed evidence contradicting war crime charges against Israel.

 

The New York Times published Saturday findings from the IDF report that contradict some of Goldstone's claims regarding destruction in Gaza during Israel's Operation Cast Lead.

 

Among other things, a flourmill that was said to have been targeted by Israeli warplanes was in fact hit by Hamas fire, according to Israel's rebuttal. In another case, Israel will argue that a sewage facility said to have been deliberately targeted by the IDF was mistakenly hit during a firefight with Hamas.

 

'Truly vicious lie'

The Goldstone Report addressed at length cases where Gaza infrastructure was allegedly razed by IDF forces. The report charged that the great destruction of civilian facilities was a result of methodical and deliberate policy by Israel's army in a bid to punish, humiliate, and terrorize Palestinian civilians.

 

However, the charges have been vemently denied by Judge Advocate General Avichai Mandelblit in an interview with the New York Times.

 

"I have read every report, from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Arab League,” Mandelblit was quoted as saying. “We ourselves set up investigations into 140 complaints. It is when you read these other reports and complaints that you realize how truly vicious the Goldstone Report is. He made it look like we set out to go after the economic infrastructure and civilians, that it was intentional. It’s a vicious lie.”