Despite intense lobbying efforts from Jewish groups and attempts by the Christian-Democrats to prevent a vote, the European Parliament adopted Wednesday in Strasbourg a joint resolution urging “both sides” to follow up the Goldstone Report’s conclusions by conducting “investigations within five months”.

The resolution, tabled by the four political groups – the Socialists, Liberals, Greens and the European Left- was approved with 335 votes in favour, 287 against and 43 abstentions.

The Goldstone Report on the Gaza conflict in January 2009 was first presented in September 2009 by the head of the UN Fact Finding Mission, South African judge  Richard Goldstone, to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. It was later adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

The document accuses Israel of having perpetrated war crimes during its military operation against Hamas in January 2009 in response to near-daily rocket and mortar attacks from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip at Israeli southern towns.

It also blamed the Islamic group which is in the EU’s list of terrorist organizations.

In the resolution, the European Parliament urged “both sides” to follow up the Goldstone report’s conclusions by conducting “investigations within five months that meet the standards of independence, impartiality, transparency, promptness and effectiveness.”

The same request was expressed in a UN General Assembly resolution on February 26.

“Respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law by all parties under all circumstances and trust-building between Israelis and Palestinians are essential components of a peace process leading to two states living side by side in peace and security,” says the resolution, which stresses “once again the importance of achieving a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, and between Israelis and Palestinians in particular”.

Israeli officials have stated that the Goldstone report “lacks credibility and reliability” due to its “serious methodological errors.”

In the resolution, MEPs invited EU’s foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, who is due to visit the Mideast later this month, and the EU’s member states to “demand the implementation of (the Goldstone report’s) recommendations and accountability for all violations of international law, including alleged war crimes.”

MEPs also called on the Israelis and Palestinians “to refrain from any measures restricting the activities of non-governmental organizations that were involved in the preparation of the Goldstone report.

They welcomed a call by the EU Council for “an immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings” along the Gaza-Israel frontier as the blockade has further worsened the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

(Source: http://ejpress.org/)