UN General Assembly approves Goldstone report

The General Assembly of the United Nations on Thursday adopted a resolution urging Israel and the Palestinians to investigate charges of war crimes made in the controversial Goldstone report on the war in Gaza. The Arab-drafted resolution is not binding, the outcome was seen by Arab states as a public relations coup against Israel, which has reacted with outrage to the findings of the report, as have Jewish organizations including the World Jewish Congress.

Following a two-day debate, 114 countries voted for the resolution with 18 opposed – including Germany, Israel and the United States – and 44 abstaining, including Britain, France and Russia. China voted in favor. The General Assembly resolution calls on Israel and "the Palestinian side" to undertake within three months credible investigations into the report's charges.

Israel rejected the General Assembly vote and condemned the UN body as "completely detached from realities". In a statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Israel "maintains the right to self-defense" and would "continue to act to protect the lives of its citizens from the threat of international terrorism".

In a statement, the World Jewish Congress condemned the resolution and said it was “ironic that this vote at the General Assembly took place just one day after the Israel Defense Forces intercepted an Iranian weapons ship headed for Syria containing 3,000 rockets.”

At a forum at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, South African Judge Richard Goldstone criticized Israel for refusing to cooperate and alleged that the IDF had responded to Palestinian attacks with disproportionate force. At the same forum, former Israeli UN Ambassador Dore Gold defended his country's decision to boycott the investigation and sparred verbally with Goldstone. "This was a fixed fact-finding mission. It wasn't looking for the truth," he said.

Voting record of UN members on the General Assembly resolution:

In favor:  Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against:  Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Netherlands, Palau, Panama, Poland, Slovakia, FYR Macedonia, Ukraine, United States.

Abstain:  Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Samoa, San Marino, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Tonga, Uganda, United Kingdom, Uruguay.

Not voting:  Bhutan, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Togo, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.