[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL GOLDSTONE REPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHELE BACHMANN

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 29, 2009

  Mrs. BACHMANN. Madam Speaker, just as the United States is a symbol 
of hope and freedom around the globe, Israel stands as a symbol of 
freedom and democracy in an area historically rampant with violence and 
oppression. For this reason, I am compelled to voice my strong 
objections to the allegations made in a recent report commissioned by 
the United Nations Human Rights Council and carried out by former South 
African Judge Richard Goldstone. The report alleges human rights 
violations on the part of Israel.
  Madam Speaker, the U.N. Human Rights Council has long been recognized 
for its anti-Israel bias, so it comes as little surprise they would 
rubber-stamp the ``Goldstone Report'' and its findings of ``crimes 
against humanity'' with regard to Israel's activities in Gaza. As you 
may know, Israel is the only country listed on the Council's permanent 
agenda, which examines only supposed Israeli violations of Palestinian 
human rights, while ignoring the threats or actions of terrorist 
groups, or the nations that support them, and their calls for the 
destruction of other U.N. Member States. To quote Israel's Ambassador 
to the U.S., Michael Oren, ``Israel basically was the equivalent of 
being summoned to a court in which its guilt was already presumed . . . 
I can't think of any country in the world which would participate in 
such a farce of justice.''
  Indeed, while this report condemns Israel's actions, it ignores the 
precipitating causes of Israel's self-defensive actions, concluding 
that Israel's military operations were ``deliberate and systematic,'' 
and directed at the people of Gaza as a whole, failing to acknowledge 
Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism, namely the thousands 
of rockets launched daily at its citizens. Moreover, the Goldstone 
Report ignores the extraordinary steps taken by Israel to minimize 
civilian casualties, often putting its own soldiers at greater risk to 
do so.
  The United States and Israel have shared a close relationship of 
friendship, cooperation, and strategic alliance that serves as an 
example to the rest of the world. In order to preserve and foster this 
relationship, I believe it is imperative for the United States to 
unequivocally reject the findings of the Goldstone Report. And while 
recent years have unfortunately been marked by escalating armed 
conflict between Israel and Hamas, the United States should stand 
steadfast in its commitment to a free and secure Israel as the Middle 
East comes to embrace the liberties and freedoms of democratic 
societies.

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