The Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights demanded an explanation from the PLO’s Executive Committee over the Palestinian stance on the UN-mandated Goldstone report.
A statement from the center, released Saturday, described the Palestinian stance as a “stunning blow” to the report which is called an “international achievement.”
The Palestinian stance, according to Badil statement, is against the interests of Palestinian victims and against the higher Palestinian interest as well as efforts to incriminate Israel for its illegal actions. The Goldstone report represented a viable chance to take legal procedures against Israeli decision-makers who were responsible for the war crimes in Gaza, it said.
The statement called for the formation of a Palestinian national committee to coordinate between the PLO and Palestinian human rights groups so they could play a more efficient role in the prosecution of Israeli crimes.
Badil lamented that the Palestinian response to the Goldstone report coincided with a noticeable improvement in the UN’s performance vis-à-vis the Palestinian situation.
“The PA is abandoning a golden opportunity to get the UN Human Rights Council, the UN General Assembly, and the UN Security Council along with the US and the EU to stick to their responsibilities of treating Palestinian victims justly against Israeli criminal acts,” it said.
Badil refuted the justifications the PLO gave describing them as “pulling wool over the eyes.”