Is the UN Fact-finding mission into Gaza impartial?
By Maurice Ostroff Here are the facts. You decide. Israel is being widely criticized for refusing to cooperate with what it calls the “intrinsically flawed” UN fact-finding team led by Judge Richard Goldstone into alleged violations of international law during the recent Gaza war. As many consider Israels allegation of bias by the Human Rights council (HRC) to be merely an excuse, it is worth examining HRC resolution S/9-1 in terms of which, the mission was established. The full text is available at http://tinyurl.com/oya39d but the gist is contained in operative paragraph 14 (OP14), which states that the HRC decided to dispatch an urgent, independent international fact-finding mission, to be appointed by the President of the Council, to investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by the occupying Power, Israel, against the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, due t
