Minister on Goldstone report: Israel won't be led to slaughter
During cabinet meeting, ministers criticize UN Human Rights Council's endorsement of report accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza. 'Israel has right to defend its citizens,' Finance Minister Steinitz says
Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat attacked Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni over her involvement in the campaign against the Goldstone report.
"I expect Livni to recruit and make phone calls to world leaders. There is no coalition or opposition here. Unfortunately, she is not doing that," said Livnat on Sunday.
A source close to Livni said in response to the accusations that "we expect every government minister, and certainly from Livnat, to check the facts before making claims that have nothing to do with the truth.
"This is an attempt to gain political capital at the expense of a struggle in which there is no coalition or opposition. Livni condemned the report from the first day of its publication in dozens of meetings with foreign leaders, international bodies, and foreign media," said the source.
On Friday the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council endorsed the report, which accused both Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas of committing war crimes in Gaza in their December-January conflict.
The Council voted to refer the report to the Security Council, possibly setting up international prosecution of Israelis and Palestinians accused of war crimes.
Ahead of Sunday's cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz severely criticized the UN report.
"Israel will not go like a lamb to the slaughter, it has a right to defend its citizens like the US and Russia. This is an attempt at anti-Semitism – what is permitted to the US in Afghanistan and Russia in Chechnya is prohibited for Israel, and we will not allow this to happen," he said.
Interior Minister Eli Yishai attacked the international community for adopting the Goldstone report.
"Six thousand to 7,000 rockets were fired at Israel. Nor the Americans, the British, nor the French would be willing to accept that one rocket be fired at them. On the one hand, we are being called to conduct negotiations. On the other hand, we are being prevented from protecting ourselves. Israel has always been one sheep among 70 wolves," said Yishai at the cabinet meeting.
