Netanyahu says Israel must not be held to account.
Tom Tate | 01.10.2009 08:24
Netanyahu said that if Israel were brought before the International Criminal Court in The Hague for their war crimes in Gaza he would stop all attempts at peace talks with the Palestinians.
Speaking during a meeting with ambassadors from Asia and the Pacific islands, Netanyahu said that democratic nations must be allowed to take terrorist actions against civilians.
Netanyahu explained to the ambassadors that the principle that a democratic nation has a legitimate right to kill civilians, any time it wants, will be "crushed by a body belonging to the United Nations."
"This is a serious blow to Israel" he went on to say. "The UN could revert back to the days when it, rightly, compared Zionism to racism. It's starting in Israel again, but it will reach other nations like the Americans in Afghanistan."
"Anyone who supports the Goldstone report and its conclusions is in effect against Israel and America killing civilians," the prime minister continued, "since no aggressive and colonial country would be willing to stop killing civilians as and when they want."
"If the report reaches the international court in Hague, it will bring the peace process to a halt because Israel won't take the risks necessary to achieve peace if it is not assured the right to bomb and kill any Palestinians it wants. Anyone who desires peace must not hold Israel to account for their war crimes," the prime minister concluded, asking the ambassadors to pass the message along to their respective governments.
Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu announced plans to present a proposal to his cabinet for the establishment of an investigative commission to rubbish the findings of the Goldstone report.
Speaking during a meeting with ambassadors from Asia and the Pacific islands, Netanyahu said that democratic nations must be allowed to take terrorist actions against civilians.
Netanyahu explained to the ambassadors that the principle that a democratic nation has a legitimate right to kill civilians, any time it wants, will be "crushed by a body belonging to the United Nations."
"This is a serious blow to Israel" he went on to say. "The UN could revert back to the days when it, rightly, compared Zionism to racism. It's starting in Israel again, but it will reach other nations like the Americans in Afghanistan."
"Anyone who supports the Goldstone report and its conclusions is in effect against Israel and America killing civilians," the prime minister continued, "since no aggressive and colonial country would be willing to stop killing civilians as and when they want."
"If the report reaches the international court in Hague, it will bring the peace process to a halt because Israel won't take the risks necessary to achieve peace if it is not assured the right to bomb and kill any Palestinians it wants. Anyone who desires peace must not hold Israel to account for their war crimes," the prime minister concluded, asking the ambassadors to pass the message along to their respective governments.
Earlier Wednesday, Netanyahu announced plans to present a proposal to his cabinet for the establishment of an investigative commission to rubbish the findings of the Goldstone report.
Tom Tate