World Jewish News

South African Jewish leaders meet with Richard Goldstone to discuss controversial report

The retired South African judge Richard Goldstone, who authored a controversial report into the war in Gaza that accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, has met with a delegation of local Jewish community leaders. Goldstone met with representatives of the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) and of the Sandton Synagogue in Johannesburg, where his grandson had his bar mitzvah last week.
The chairman of the SAZF, Avrom Krengel, expressed feelings of frustration within the South African community personally toward Goldstone. He said: “As a member of the Jewish community, we ask you to reach out to us and understand our pain and anger at what you have done and to work with us in ensuring that Israel is not treated in a manner different to any other nation.
Referring to passages of the Goldstone report, Krengel said: “Over 100 pages of your report are devoted to giving the reader a history of every actual and alleged human rights violation Israel has committed since 1967. One can only presume that this endless list of Israel’s ‘violations’ is designed to provide the report’s readers with an understanding as to why Hamas resorted to rocket fire into southern Israel and the capture of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit."
"In respect of Israel however, no such contextualization of its actions is provided in any meaningful manner. Nowhere in your 573-page report do you feel it is of value ‘for contextual purposes’ to mention that Hamas’ founding charter calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. You fail to disclose that Hamas killed over 500 Israeli civilians in suicide bombings committed during the years 2000 to 2009. You fail to disclose that the introduction by Hamas of suicide bombing into the Middle East has caused the death of tens of thousands of Muslims in the region," Krengel declared.
Goldstone replied by saying that he had taken “no pleasure in seeing people around the world criticize the South African Jewish community and I commend the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and all responsible for bringing an end to the unfortunate public issues that had arisen relating to my grandson’s bar mitzvah.”
On his controversial report he said: “It would have been hypocritical for me to continue to speak out against violations of international law and impunity for war crimes around the world but remain silent when it came to Israel simply because I am Jewish.” He also expressed frustration that the Israeli government and the IDF did not use the opportunity to present their case to the UN Human Rights Council. “I anticipated that this might herald the start of a new approach by the Human Rights Council to adopt an appropriate policy in which all similar human rights valuations around the world receive equal attention. But sadly for everyone, the Israeli Government squandered that opportunity. The right of Israel to act in self-defense was also not questioned by the report.”
Richard Goldstone added: “It is obvious but must be stated: Had Israel provided us with credible information to respond to the allegations we received they would have been given appropriate consideration and could potentially have influenced our findings. That was unfortunately not forthcoming. We cannot undo the past.”

WJC