Nov 19, 2009 By: yunews
Israel鈥檚 UN Ambassador Takes Issue With Goldstone Report at Student-Run Event
More than 250 students from the Beren and Wilf campuses flocked to hear Gabriela Shalev, Israel鈥檚 Ambassador to the United Nations, deliver a searing analysis of the Goldstone Report on Nov. 10. The 575-page report accuses both Israeli and Palestinian forces of committing war crimes in Gaza last winter.
Watch a video of the event here:
httpv://
The UN General Assembly endorsed the report in early November, with 114 votes for, 18 votes against and 44 abstentions. The Israeli government refused to cooperate with the UN Human Rights Council鈥檚 fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict, headed by Richard Goldstone, a former judge from South Africa. The Israeli government has rejected the report, claiming that it showcases bias against Israel.
鈥淭his council has adopted more resolutions condemning Israel than resolutions against all other countries put together,鈥 Shalev said. 鈥淪o how can we in Israel believe that this is an objective council?鈥
The report was 鈥渃onceived in hate and executed in sin,鈥 Shalev added, charging that among other things, the document prejudged Israel鈥檚 guilt without mentioning its right to defend itself. 鈥淲e in Israel, and especially the people in the southern part of Israel, suffered almost daily attacks by Hamas and the terrorists,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he Human Rights Council rejected any investigation regarding this constant firing of 12,000 rockets and mortars over eight years. At that time, our right of life, dignity and self-defense did not count in the eyes of the council.鈥
The United States, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic and Germany were among the countries that voted against the resolution, while the UK and France abstained. 鈥淲e know that we have a great friend in the United States,鈥 Shalev said. 鈥淭he reaction of the United States to the Goldstone Report was as adamant as ours. This is only an indication of how this friendship for many, many years is still going on and is going to continue.鈥
The Student American Israel Political Education Club (SAIPEC), a YU student club aimed at framing Israel in a more positive light on college campuses across North America, organized the event. SAIPEC鈥檚 president, Alexander Fischman, a Yeshiva College junior majoring in political science, founded the organization in 2008.
More than 250 students from the Beren and Wilf campuses flocked to hear Gabriela Shalev, Israel鈥檚 Ambassador to the United Nations, deliver a searing analysis of the Goldstone Report on Nov. 10. The 575-page report accuses both Israeli and Palestinian forces of committing war crimes in Gaza last winter.
Watch a video of the event here:
httpv://
The UN General Assembly endorsed the report in early November, with 114 votes for, 18 votes against and 44 abstentions. The Israeli government refused to cooperate with the UN Human Rights Council鈥檚 fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict, headed by Richard Goldstone, a former judge from South Africa. The Israeli government has rejected the report, claiming that it showcases bias against Israel.
鈥淭his council has adopted more resolutions condemning Israel than resolutions against all other countries put together,鈥 Shalev said. 鈥淪o how can we in Israel believe that this is an objective council?鈥
The report was 鈥渃onceived in hate and executed in sin,鈥 Shalev added, charging that among other things, the document prejudged Israel鈥檚 guilt without mentioning its right to defend itself. 鈥淲e in Israel, and especially the people in the southern part of Israel, suffered almost daily attacks by Hamas and the terrorists,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he Human Rights Council rejected any investigation regarding this constant firing of 12,000 rockets and mortars over eight years. At that time, our right of life, dignity and self-defense did not count in the eyes of the council.鈥
The United States, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic and Germany were among the countries that voted against the resolution, while the UK and France abstained. 鈥淲e know that we have a great friend in the United States,鈥 Shalev said. 鈥淭he reaction of the United States to the Goldstone Report was as adamant as ours. This is only an indication of how this friendship for many, many years is still going on and is going to continue.鈥
The Student American Israel Political Education Club (SAIPEC), a YU student club aimed at framing Israel in a more positive light on college campuses across North America, organized the event. SAIPEC鈥檚 president, Alexander Fischman, a Yeshiva College junior majoring in political science, founded the organization in 2008.
