EU Parliament Calls For Implementing the Goldstone Report Recommendations About Israeli War Crimes in Gaza

Haniya gov’t welcomes EU parliament’s adoption of Goldstone report

[ 11/03/2010 - 10:10 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Palestinian government headed by premier Ismail Haniya hailed on Wednesday the European parliament for adopting the recommendations of judge Richard Goldstone mentioned in his report on Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement to the Palestinian information center (PIC), Palestinian minister of justice Faraj Al-Ghoul expressed hope that this decision would be circulated in European countries whose law allows the prosecution of Israeli war criminals in order for the Palestinians to be able to file lawsuits with their courts.

“The government had already welcomed Goldstone mission and facilitated its work, and when the report was issued we supported it with some reservations about points affecting the resistance,” Ghoul underscored.

For its part, the Hamas Movement welcomed the European decision and considered it an important step forward to confront the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people and bring their perpetrators to justice.

Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri urged in a press statement to the PIC the European parliament to translate its decision into reality.

335 European lawmakers voted on Wednesday in favor of the resolution, 267 opposed it and 43 abstained.

The resolution demanded EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to monitor Israel’s compliance with the report, which was criticized severely by Israel.

The resolution called on both Israel and the Palestinians to conduct transparent investigations into their actions, pursuant to the request issued in this regard by the UN General Assembly last February.

It also called on Israel to open Gaza crossings and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.

In another context, the European parliament on Wednesday evening demanded the Palestinian resistance to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, ignoring thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Head of the European parliament Jerzy Buzek along with 20 other lawmakers received yesterday the father of the captive soldier in the French city of Strasbourg prior to holding a session to issue an appeal to Palestinians to release Shalit.

E.U. Parliament Calls For Implementing The Goldstone Report

Thursday March 11, 2010 11:48 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The European Parliament adopted during its Wednesday session a decision calling for implementing the recommendations of the Goldstone report on Gaza war, in preparation to present the resolution to the 13th session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council which will be held in Geneva by the end of March.

The decision states that the E.U. has the responsibility to monitor the Israeli and Palestinian investigations of war crimes committed during the Israeli war on Gaza.
It urged Israel and Hamas to conduct independent investigations, and to ensure that the investigations are not biased.

The investigations, according to the decision, should be conducted within five months and should be based on international standards to ensure the prosecution of those responsible for war crimes committed during the war.

The decision also called for respecting the international law, and urged all parties to seek comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East.

It also voiced a sharp condemnation of the Israeli siege on Gaza and called on Israel to lift the siege immediately, and to open Gaza’s border terminals.

The E.U. also slammed Israeli’s decision to build 1600 homes for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem.

Catherine Ashton, E.U. Foreign Policy representative, told the European Parliament that she joins the statement of U.S. Vice President, Joe Biden, in condemning the Israeli decision.

She added that she will be heading to the Middle East next week.

Ashton called for a diplomatic solution to the issue of the “Iranian nuclear agenda”, and added that the E.U. supports the Security Council regarding carrying measures that limits the Iranian nuclear capabilities.