Yesterday, Yediot Ahronot publicized in its “7 Days” Friday supplement an article about the sordid past of Richard Goldstone, who condemned Israel for its war law violations during the Cast Lead operation in Gaza Strip.
To his credit, Goldstone was serious about responding to the allegations made in the article. To the newspsper’s credit, they were serious about giving him the time to put together a comprehensive response. Goldstone seems to have acknowledged the right of the newspaper to investigate his past, and was serious about responding to the allegations without evasions or refusal to respond to embarrassing points.
Assuming the correctness of the facts in his response and in the declaration, which he enclosed with his response, he is not to be faulted for what he did as judge in the Apartheid regime. If Nelson Mandela and his people did not condemn Richard Goldstone, it says a lot about him.
Of course, Goldstone’s report about IDF’s behavior in Cast Lead operation is not equitable. However it is because the law, as it is applied in this case, is not equitable. Goldstone should have added to his report also recommendations for changing the relevant international law so that it is equitable also toward democratic governments having to protect their citizens from bloodthirsty terrorists.
