<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Dr. Ashrawi : We Expect Goldstone to Show Commitment to International Law, not Bow to&nbsp;Israel]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>04.04.11 &#8211; 13:37</p>
<p>Ramallah – PNN – Commenting on Richard Goldstone’s recent opinion  piece published in the Washington Post last week, PLO Executive  Committee member and MP Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said on Sunday that instead of  caving in to Israeli pressure, Judge Goldstone was expected to show an  unwavering commitment to international law.</p>
<div class="mosimage" style="float:right;border-width:2px;"><img title="Image" src="https://i0.wp.com/english.pnn.ps/images/stories/2008/IsraelattackUNschool.jpg" border="0" alt="Image" hspace="6" width="314" height="185" />&nbsp;</p>
<div class="mosimage_caption" style="text-align:center;"><em>Israeli Tanks fire white phosphors a UN school – Archive</em></div>
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<p>South  African judge Richard Goldstone headed the UN investigation on the  Israeli Cast Led operation on Gaza, which started on December 27 2008 at  ended on January 17 2009. During the 22 day long attack, Israel killed  1400 Palestinians and injured 5000 others. 13 Israelis were killed,  including 3 civilians and 10 soldiers during the attack.</p>
<p>“Richard  Goldstone’s attempt to rewrite the facts about Israel’s devastating  military assault on Gaza is not only deeply disappointing, it falls far  short of the standards of impartiality and an unwavering commitment to  international law expected of someone in his position and of his  stature”. Dr Ashrawi said “While he has come under relentless attack  within Israel ever since the publication of the Goldstone report, Judge  Goldstone is the last person we expected to succumb to that pressure.”</p>
<p>The  Goldstone report lists a number of incidents in which Palestinian  civilians were intentionally targeted and attacked by the Israeli  military, as well as used as human shields. It condemns Israel’s use of  white phosphorous and flechette missiles in built-up areas, and its  deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, including the  destruction of industrial infrastructure, food production, water  instillations, sewerage treatment and residential housing. Most famous  incident Israeli tanks used white phosphors to shells a UN school in  Gaza City that was used a refugee shelter.</p>
<p>Dr Ashrawi said that  “For over 500 pages, the Goldstone report documents in meticulous detail  the deliberate targeting of Gaza’s civilian population by Israel, and  the unprecedented scale of human devastation and loss that followed.  Goldstone’s about face in response to Israeli pressure simply does not  add up against the mountain of evidence presented in the report he  chaired.&#8221;</p>
<div class="mosimage" style="float:left;border-width:2px;"><img title="Image" src="https://i1.wp.com/english.pnn.ps/images/stories/2008/HananAshrawi.jpg" border="0" alt="Image" hspace="6" width="314" height="212" />&nbsp;</p>
<div class="mosimage_caption" style="text-align:center;">Dr. Hanan Ashrawi</div>
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<p>Dr  Ashrawi hinted that Goldstone recent article may give the needed  justification that Israeli needs to attack the Gaza Strip. The Emergency  and Ambulance High Commission based in the Gaza Strip issued a report  saying that since the start of this year Israeli attacks targeting the  costal enclave left 32 Palestinians dead and 118 others injured; noting  an increase of an increase of fatality numbers compared to 15  Palestinians killed 70 others injured by Israeli attacks during the same  period in 2010.</p>
<p>“Goldstone’s comments not only do a grave injustice  to the many Palestinians whose lives were lost and whose livelihoods  were shattered during Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza. They also  have the potential to open the door for further aggression against  Gaza’s population at a time when some in Israel are openly advocating  another assault on Gaza.” Dr Ashrawi stated.</p>
<p>She concluded her  statement by saying that “Palestinians will continue to have recourse to  all international legal venues in the pursuit of our basic rights and  freedoms denied us by Israel.”</p>
<p><strong><em>Source: Palestinian Liberation Organization – PLO &#8211;  Department of Culture and Information</em></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=9823&amp;Itemid=56">Source</a></p>
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<h3>Related</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>SPECIAL TOPIC : <a href="https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/israels-next-whitewash-of-another-zionist-massacre/">WHITE WASH WATCH | Goldstone’s Reconciderations on the Gaza Cast Lead Report</a></strong></li>
</ul>
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