Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Judge Goldstone and the pollution of argument

Attacks on human rights groups that probe Israel's Gaza offensive are an insult to reasonable public debate

Antony Lerman
The Guardian, Tuesday 15 September 2009

"The despicable attacks on human rights organisations investigating Israel's Gaza offensive in January confirm Churchill's observation: "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." The mission led by the South African judge Richard Goldstone to investigate international human rights and international humanitarian law violations during Israel's offensive, established by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), is the latest victim. His findings are about to be made public. The knives have been out for the mission for months. Now they are being plunged into him and his colleagues. Until the report is out Goldstone can't defend it. So the smears and misrepresentation are left free to pollute public discourse......."

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