The Goldstone report: A Jewish view

[bemildred]

I recently spent an evening on a conference call with Judge Richard Goldstone, who headed up the United Nations fact finding mission on the Gaza conflict.

His commission authored the Goldstone report, which has been received with controversy in some quarters of the Jewish community.

On the call were 150 American rabbis and rabbinic students who wanted to hear directly from Goldstone about the process of creating the report and about its findings.

There is an old saying that where there are two Jews, there will be three opinions. This is especially true on the subject of Israel and Palestine, where passions run high on all sides.

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/11/20091139240897444.html

[Jefferson23]

1. From the OP

"Narrative of victimhood"

"Though many of my coreligionists do not accept the validity of the report - indeed, there have been strong efforts to quash and discredit it in the Jewish community worldwide - many Jews agree with me."


The US has it's own bullshit to stop, as with HR 867.

[Mosby]

2. "narrative of victimhood" continued

snip

Both sides need to let go of our collective trauma-filled past in order to move forward with the work of creating change.

Both Israelis and Palestinians will need to relinquish some of the narrative of victimhood in order to acknowledge that both sides have suffered and both sides are culpable.

I believe that this acknowledgement is a necessary prerequisite for forward motion and for change.

[Jefferson23]

3. Yep, I agree, but let us keep in mind who has had control of that more for their

own political gain, meaning who has the US behind them with HR 867. This needs to stop in order to go forward.

[bemildred]

4. Leftist Jews to Israel: Stop villifying Goldstone

A letter appealing for the support of the Goldstone report's findings was articulated by the leftist Jewish organization "Jews say no!" and signed by hundreds of Jews worldwide on Wednesday.

"When it comes to Israel, hard-core censorship and intimidation by those claiming to speak in the name of the Jewish people have been the order of the day," the letter said regarding Israel's response to the Goldstone report findings.

The letter also accused the worldwide Jewish community of unsuitably attacking Justice Goldstone and said "when those within a community try to "excommunicate" and dishonor truth-tellers, it is our obligation and responsibility to speak out vehemently on their behalf and on behalf of the truth they bring." It further elaborated that Judge Goldstone should be "applauded for his honesty" and for "following where the truth led him and releasing a report detailing human rights abuses and violations of international law by Israel, as well as by Hamas."

Also, the letter called for Israel's government to be held accountable for "attempting to vilify a truth-teller and for suppressing the truth about Israeli government crimes against the Palestinian people."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1125830.html

[Jefferson23]

5. Good for them!

"Well known intellectuals like Tony Judt and Howard Zinn are among the signatories, as well as organizations such as ICAHD-USA, Jewish Voice for Peace, American Jews for a Just Peace, and the Alliance of Concerned Jewish Canadians."