RSS Feed MenuThe United Nations Council for Human Rights today approved the Goldstone Report, which falsely accuses Israel of targeting civilians during the December-January war in Gaza. While the move has been accurately described as a naked attempt to demonize Israel, it was also a distinct failure for President Barack Obama in the Middle East.
When the Goldstone Report was first released in September, the White House reportedly signaled to Israel that it would die quietly in Geneva. Jerusalem, in turn, signaled it would continue to cooperate with Obama’s peace team, led by George Mitchell.
Obama then went to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and requested that the Palestinian Authority drop pursuit of the report. Abbas reluctantly acquiesced.
“After studying the situation and in order to ensure the largest possible support, we agreed to delay the vote till the next session of the council (in March 2010),” Abbas said in a speech on Palestinian television.
Abbas, however, faced an intense backlash on the Palestinian street. Throngs of angry Palestinians relished the possibility that the report could reach the International Criminal Court (ICC). In short order, Abbas flipped positions and snubbed Obama’s request.
As a result, the U.N. Human Rights Council approved the report today in Geneva by a vote of 25-6. Douglas M. Griffiths, the U.S. representative to the council, merely registered “disappointment at the outcome of this resolution.”
Apart from his inability to hold Abbas to his word, Obama failed to appeal to the sensibilities of U.S. allies on the council such as Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, who voted in favor of the report. This confirms that the Arab world is still more interested in vilifying Israel than negotiating with it – despite Obama’s attempts to engender good will in the Arab world by exacting concessions from Israel.
More importantly, Obama has conveyed to the Israelis that he lacks sway with the Palestinians. This bodes poorly for future negotiations.
The Goldstone is not just a black eye for the United Nations. Obama has demonstrated that his diplomatic efforts in the Middle East have thus far failed.
SFTor1 // Oct 16, 2009 at 5:54 pm
“Throngs of angry Palestinians relished the possibility that the report could reach the International Criminal Court (ICC).” Maybe this was because Israel used white phosphorus munitions to bombard several cities and towns. Is that so wrong? Nothing says friendly like white phosphorus.
Maybe it was also because Israel bombarded buildings clearly marked with the Red Cross, and denied passage to aid convoys.
And could it also be possible that everything that is not to the taste of Republicans is not Obama’s “failure?”
Moderate // Oct 17, 2009 at 12:58 am
This is Israel’s failure, not Obama’s. I’m more disappointed that Obama agreed to cover up a report of war crimes- that diminishes his moral credibility more than the approved report diminishes his political credibility (presumably only amongst right-wing Israeli exceptionalists, who don’t like or trust him anyway).
balconesfault // Oct 17, 2009 at 8:11 am
Apart from his inability to hold Abbas to his word
Abbas is the leader of the PLO, and there is an upcoming election. Like a politician, he realized that his party was going to get killed by Hamas were he to stand firm. Democracies are messy things.
despite Obama’s attempts to engender good will in the Arab world by exacting concessions from Israel
See – that’s kind of the problem. What concessions from Israel? Last I heard, settlers were pouring concrete on the West Bank as fast as they can.
sinz54 // Oct 17, 2009 at 9:11 am
The terrorists of Hamas and Hezbollah deliberately hide in hospitals, schools, and civilian homes, daring the Israelis to come after them.
In such a war, civilian casualties as collateral damage are inevitable. And then left-wingers call this “war crimes”!!! The real war crime is the terrorists using civilians as human shields. But they don’t get called out for that.
You fight wars to win.
Consider our war against al-Qaeda.
If Osama bin Laden were hiding behind a civilian mom and her kids, and there was no way to separate them, I would give the order: Shoot right through the mom and the kids — and kill Osama bin laden.
War is hell.
Derek // Oct 17, 2009 at 9:15 am
I haven’t read the report but from what I heard it accuses both sides of war crimes. I would think the best way to deal with it is with the facts, not by assuming that one side or the other would never do anything they were accuses of. An argument like that would rule out the need for a system of laws.
As for the accusation that Obama has failed to bring peace to the ME in less than one year, what do you call not doing it in 8 years?
ottovbvs // Oct 17, 2009 at 10:11 am
I believe Obama is also responsible for the spread of swine flu and that helium balloon escaping in Colorado.
greg_barton // Oct 17, 2009 at 10:52 pm
sinz, remind me to never introduce you to my wife and kids.
Rod // Oct 20, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Not standing behind Israel is a war crime.