The Senate action follows the admission by Commission Chair judge Richard Goldstone that the UNHRC reports findings had serious errors and was heavily and intentionally biased against Israel. The Goldstone report issued by the UNHRC (Human Rights Commission), in a 575 page doctored manuscript, accused the Israel Defense Forces of "a deliberately disproportionate attack designed to punish, humiliate and terrorize a civilian population" during its three-week military incursion (operation Cast Lead) into the Gaza Strip in 2009. This report was heavily reported in major media worldwide.
US Senate Resolution 138 urges UNHRC members "to reflect the author's repudiation of the Goldstone Report's central findings, rescind the report and reconsider further Council actions with respect to the reports findings." The resolution also calls on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to "do all in his power to redress the damage to Israel's reputation" caused by the erroneous report and to urge the UNHRC to profoundly change course so it "no longer unfairly, disproportionately and falsely criticizes Israel on a regular basis."
The Senate resolution specifically affirms Israel's right as a sovereign nation to defend its citizens and pointedly notes that Goldstone has now admitted that Gaza's civilian casualties were exaggerated in his Washington Post op-ed - "In this article, Judge Goldstone contrasts the deliberate targeting of civilians by Hamas and its refusal to investigate its own war crimes with Israel's efforts to avoid civilian casualties and to fully investigate charges of IDF misconduct. Unfortunately, Judge Goldstone reached these conclusions only now, after his report seriously impaired the ability of Israel--and of all democratic states--to defend themselves, and furnished a major victory for terror," ….the Goldstone report "must be utterly discredited - US Ambassador M.Oren –April 2011
In spite of Goldstones recent recant, and US Senate actions, the UN and UNHRC has taken no action to cancel this report. Instead, some current members have rushed to support its conclusions. It appears that "real truth" is a common casualty when it comes to United Nations "justice".
