October 8, 2009

Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies – Washington will not support any potential action by the UN Security Council on the Goldstone report on war crimes in Gaza, Former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Alejandro Wolff has declared.

Wolff said the US believes that the appropriate platform to discuss the report is the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The announcement came after a closed-door meeting Wednesday, where the UN Security Council decided to push up their next meeting from 20 to 14 October so a discussion on the Goldstone report can be held, UN officials said.

The Wednesday session was called to order by Libya, which holds the rotating presidency of the UN General Assembly this year. The country called the meeting in response to growing concern over a US-backed move by the Palestinian Authority to postpone a resolution that could have seen the UN Human Rights Council adopt the Goldstone report, which calls for the investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Israel's Operation Cast Lead last winter.

The 14 October meeting will focus on the report. President Mahmoud Abbas dispatched his Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki to New York for the talks. He is set to arrive Thursday.

Those who wish to see its findings adopted are calling for the Security Council do resolve to take on the report and ensure that the recommendations of official, likely International Criminal Court, investigations over the allegations be seen through.

While Hamas initially condemned the report, outrage in Gaza over the Palestinian Authority's decision to put it aside for a rumored Israeli agreement on settlements, seems to have changed the tune of the party.

Abbas, though accused to quashing earlier attempts to see the report passed at the Human Rights Council said he "appreciate[s] the initiative of the Libyan Arab Republic and consider[s] it a step to support the Palestinian people and their rights of justice."