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October 5, 2009

Under US Pressure, Palestinian Authority Drops Demand for Vote on Gaza Report
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The Palestinian Authority is being denounced for agreeing to defer a
vote in the UN Human Rights Council on the Goldstone report, which
criticized Israeli troops for “targeting and terrorising civilians”
during the assault on Gaza. The Palestinian Authority made the decision
after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas to encourage him to withdraw support for the report. The
vote would have forwarded the Goldstone report to the UN Security
Council, which in turn could have referred Israel to the International
Criminal Court. The Palestinian Authority has been widely criticized by
many Palestinian leaders and the families of the victims of the Gaza
assault. Palestinian economy minister Bassem Khuri resigned on Saturday
to protest the Palestinian Authority’s decision.

Mustafa Barghouti, independent Palestinian lawmaker: “It is totally
unjustified. It is frustrating and disappointing. There was a majority
in the Council of Human Rights that would have approved this report.
This report would have finally took away the feeling of impunity of
Israel in front of international law and would have held the Israeli
establishment accountable for the war crimes that took place in Gaza.”

Bill Van Esveld of Human Rights Watch criticized the Obama
administration’s actions.

Bill Van Esveld: “Due to American pressure, strong pressure from
Washington, the Palestinians have withdrawn their request that the UN
act on the Goldstone report…What the US has effectively done is sent a
strong signal that Israel doesn’t need to investigate itself, because
that was the recommendation of the Goldstone report.”



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