A friend sent the note below along today. It is really all you have to remember when considering the fight over the Goldstone report. They aren’t talking about the factual assertions. They are talking about the international ramifications, about the legal implications, about alleged double standards and American practices, etc.
In all the criticism of Goldstone’s report there has been ABSOLUTELY no rebutting of the facts it contains. It set forth 37 specific incidents and if not rebutted as a matter of fact and law, we must assume them to be true. We must remember that if you can not challenge the facts, attack the messenger. The critics have changed the debate from the facts to the messenger and the press has done nothing to reverse this.
Yes: Has Israel denied destroying the flour plant? Has Israel denied targeting policemen at a graduation ceremony, and on what basis did it do so? Has Israel denied using white phosphorous in civilian areas? Has Israel denied the killing of protesters in the West Bank during the Gaza onslaught?
[From Uri Avnery: “So WHY did the Israeli government boycott the commission? The real answer is quite simple: they knew full well that the commission, any commission, would have to reach the conclusions it did reach.”]
