Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Thursday that a UN report on Israel's Gaza offensive, if adopted, would lead a "critical blow" to the Middle East peace process. The report by South African judge Richard Goldstone accuses both Israel and its Palestinian adversary, the radical Islamist Hamas movement ruling Gaza, of having committed war crimes, and possibly even crimes against humanity, during and ahead of 22 days of deadly and devastating fighting in the strip last winter.
Netanyahu urged members of the UN Human Rights Council, convening in Geneva, to vote against a proposal to refer the Goldstone report to the Security Council in New York.
Endorsing the Goldstone report, and implementing its recommendations, "would deal a critical blow to the peace process, because Israel will not be able to take further steps and take risks for the sake of peace, if it is robbed of the right to self-defence," Netanyahu, in a counteroffensive, told his cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
He was referring to Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, which was followed by an upsurge in Palestinian rocket attacks from the strip.
The 575-page report, the result of a three-month investigation, published earlier this month and presented to the Human Rights Council by Goldstone Tuesday, demands that both Israel and Hamas launch independent investigations that answer to international standards into the allegations against them.
If they fail to do so, the Security Council should refer them to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
That recommendation has sparked serious concern in Israel that senior political and military leaders may face prosecution abroad.
Already this week, a Palestinian group, using the Goldstone report as ground for its war crimes allegations against Israel, attempted to bring about the arrest of Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak as he visited Britain. The group's application for an international arrest warrant was rejected by the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court.
Netanyahu charged the Goldstone report, if taken further, would also "deal a serious blow to the war against terror, because it gives absolute legitimacy to terrorists who fire at civilians and hide behind civilians."
Addressing the Human Rights Council Tuesday, Goldstone himself urged it to adopt his recommendations, and issued a warning contrary to that of Netanyahu's, arguing that failure to do so would undermine the peace process.
The lack of accountability regarding the Middle East conflict "has reached a crisis point" and was undermining any hope for a successful peace process" because it reinforced "an environment that fosters violence," he argued.
The 47-member Human Rights Council is said to be deeply divided over the report, with Islamic member states promoting a resolution that "fully endorses" it.
The body is expected to vote on the resolution before the council ends its current month-long session on Friday.
The Palestinians have also urged the council to adopt the report.
