Opinion Editorials, October 2009

In Response to the Mishandling of Goldstone Report,

Palestinians seek new Leadership and independence

By Sameh A. Habeeb

ccun.org, October 9, 2009

Palestinian Return Center (PRC) held an urgent meeting in London, on October 7, 2009, to discuss the consequences of the withdrawal of the Goldstone report before submitting it to UN Human Rights Council of the United Nations. The meeting also discussed the needed and required Palestinian united position in response. A number of Palestinian Organizations, politicians and academics participated in the meeting where a constructive discussion took place for nearly 2 hours.

The participants came out with a number of recommendations in an attempt to face the recent challenges facing the Palestinians.

They have strongly condemned the Palestinian Authority for its "harassing" decision and requested an immediate accountability against those responsible.

"We call for immediate general elections that include all Palestinians in the occupied Palestine and outside. The elections would lead to form a new Palestinian National council that will elect a new leadership and executive committee to lead the Palestinian nation towards getting its rights and demands." Participants said

The Palestinian Unity was on the agenda as they have considered it is key and strategic objective towards achieving Palestinian goals and gaining back all rights. According to them, "Palestinian entire unity is a priority on basis of holding all responsible people accountable for their gross and flagrant mistakes against their people and their rights."

We call on all Palestinians to keep defending Jerusalem particularly after the last Israeli attacks and attempts to crack down the Palestinian existence in the city through the Judaizing policy.

Palestinians, from all factions including members of Fatah party, have strongly criticized the Goldstone vote postponement, holding Abbas responsible for the decision which was in their view a flagrant mistake.

It's remarkable that the Goldstone report issued late in September identifies war crimes committed during Israel's war on Gaza between last December and January. Israel was about to be criminalized but the postponement of the report would emphasize its abilities to sneak out from accountability.

Israeli launched a full-scale offensive in Gaza that left at least 1,400 Palestinians killed and over 5000 injured. The entire infrastructure in Gaza was destroyed as Israeli attacks targeted schools, hospitals, streets, water wills, sewage system, farms and police stations.

http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/palestinian-refugees/2545-palestinians-in-london-call-for-accountability-over-goldstone-report-dilemma

Sameh A. Habeeb is the Editor of Palestine Telegraph in London.

Falk: The PA betrayed its own people

[ 07/10/2009 - 07:42 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Richard Falk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that that the Palestinian authority (PA) in Ramallah betrayed its own people at a moment when the international community was so close to endorse Goldstone’s report accusing Israel of war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

"The Palestinians have betrayed their people, this was a moment when finally the international community indorsed the allegations of war crimes and it would have been an opportunity to vindicate the struggle of the Palestinian people for their rights under international law and for the Palestinian representatives in the UN themselves to seem to undermine this report is an astonishing development," he told al-Jazeera.

The UN official, however, said that the report, despite being delayed, is still very important because it exposed the inadequacy of Palestinian representation at the international level and will encourage groups supporting the Palestinian struggle to continue their efforts in this regard.

For his part, member of the central committee of the popular front for the liberation of Palestine Kayed Al-Ghoul said that delaying the vote on Goldstone’s report is a sin committed by Mahmoud Abbas, demanding him to apologize for this wrongdoing before the Palestinian people.

Ghoul stressed that this apology is a necessary step to stop the negative repercussions and to hold accountable all Palestinian officials who were responsible for what happened.

In the same context, PA official Sa’eb Erekat told Al-Jazeera satellite channel on Tuesday that the PA in Ramallah is responsible for delaying taking action on Goldstone’s report, alleging that there was a misunderstanding of the PA position.

Erekat during his talk to the channel appeared to be trying to absorb the popular anger towards the PA astonishing position against Goldstone’s report.    Senior Fatah leader and former Palestinian ambassador to Egypt Nabil Amr held Abbas on Monday in remarks on the same channel fully and directly responsible for what happened in Geneva and called on him to stop fabricating excuses.