Neither can anyone doubt his legal credentials, as a top-level international jurist with an impeccable reputation. The man who found out the truth about Rwanda and Yugoslavia has now done the same regarding Gaza. The former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague is not only a legal authority, he is also a moral authority; therefore complaints about the judge won’t hold water. Instead, it is time to look closer at the accused. Those responsible are first and foremost Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak and Gabi Ashkenazi. So far, incredibly, none of them has paid any price for their misdeeds.
Cast Lead was an unrestrained assault on a besieged, totally unprotected civilian population which showed almost no signs of resistance during this operation. It should have raised an immediate furor in Israel. It was a Sabra and Chatila, this time carried out by us. But there was a storm of protest in this country following Sabra and Chatila, whereas after Cast Lead mere citations were dished out. It should have been enough just to look at the horrendous disparity in casualties – 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli – to shake the whole of Israeli society. There was no need to wait for Goldstone to understand that a terrible thing had occurred between the Palestinian David and the Israeli Goliath. But the Israelis preferred to look away, or stand with their children on the hills around Gaza and cheer on the carnage-causing bombs.
Under the cover of the committed media, and criminally-biased analysts and experts – all of whom kept information from coming out – and with brainwashed and complacent public opinion, Israel behaved as if nothing had happened. Goldstone has put an end to that, for which we should thank him. After his job is done, the obvious practical steps will be taken.
Dopo sei mesi di detenzione amministrativa, Nasser Al Din al Shaer è stato liberato oggi. Considerato una delle personalità del fronte islamista più importanti della Cisgiordania, ex ministro dell’educazione e vicepremier nel governo Hamas del 2006, Al Shaer era stato arrestato senza accuse, suscitando dure critiche da parte di quelli che ritenevano l’ex preside della facolta di sharia dell’università di Al Najah uno dei possibili uomini-ponte per la riconciliazione della politica palestinese. Al Shaer ha sempre negato di appartenere a Hamas, ma si definisce comunque un islamista moderato. Jimmy Carter lo aveva incontrato nella penultima visita nell’area. E’ stato detenuto in due delle carceri israeliane ritenute più dure: Megiddo e il campo del Negev.
