Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has expressed opposition to a state inquiry into the Goldstone Report, which alleges Israel is guilty of war crimes in the Gaza counter-terrorism offensive. According to statements released by his office, he was misquoted in a weekend Washington Post interview stating Israel is considering such an inquiry. The prime minister explained that Israel probed the operation and the actions of the IDF and therefore, there is no need for such an inquiry today.

He and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have announced they have no intensions of supporting such a move, explaining the IDF has probed allegations of wrongdoing and they reject the legitimacy of the Goldstone fact-finders, explaining the members of the UN Human Rights Commission probe made up their minds before arriving in the region.

The prime minister sent a message to the White House, thanking President Barak Obama for supporting Israel’s position against Goldstone.

In a weekend interview with the Washington Post, Mr. Netanyahu had harsh words for the UN Human Rights organization, accusing it of a total lack of objectivity. He reiterated Israel defended herself against Hamas terrorism, a legitimate right and responsibility to “defend ourselves against Hamas war crimes”.

President Shimon Peres also spoke with the Washington Post over the weekend, calling a decision to bring the Goldstone Report to the United Nations a “victory for terrorism”. Both Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Minister Silvan Shalom released similar sentiments in statements to UN Secretary-General Bank ki-Moon.

Minister of Strategic Affairs Dan Meridor last week announced he believes it would be in Israel’s interest to launch an internal inquiry to show the world the truth regarding the IDF’s operation.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)