(Haaretz).President Shimon Peres said Wednesday that the Goldstone report, which accuses Israel of committing war crimes during its military offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip earlier this year, "makes a mockery of history."
"The report in practice grants legitimacy to terrorism, premeditated shooting and killing while ignoring the duty and the right of a state to defend itself, something which is explicitly stated in the UN charter," Peres said.
"The Hamas terror organization is the one that launched the war, and it also committed other horrific crimes, Hamas has employed terrorism for years against Israeli children. It has detonated explosive devices in the heart of Israeli cities, harmed civilians, launched over 12,000 missiles and mortar shells aimed at innocent civilians with one clear goal in mind - to kill."
"Israel evacuated its soldiers and citizens from Gaza, opened its crossings, and aided in the rehabilitation of the Strip, After the Israeli evacuation, Gaza was overrun by force by a murderous, illegitimate terrorist organization - Hamas - which launched a mutiny against the legitimate Palestinian Authority."
"Instead of building Gaza and worrying about the welfare of its residents, Hamas built offensive tunnels against Israel and brutally used Palestinian children and civilians in order to conceal terrorists and hide weapons," Peres said.
The president said criticism against Israel's actions fails to offer effective alternatives that can stifle rocket fire against the country's outlying towns.
"It is a fact that the criticism leveled against Israel's actions in response to Hezbollah fire from Lebanon and Hamas fire from Gaza and against the building of the separation fence did not stop the shooting in the south, the shooting in the north, and the planting of explosives in the center."
"IDF operations are what brought about economic prosperity in the West Bank, liberated Lebanon from the wrath of Hezbollah, and enabled Gaza residents to return to their daily routines."
"The report in practice grants legitimacy to terrorism, premeditated shooting and killing while ignoring the duty and the right of a state to defend itself, something which is explicitly stated in the UN charter," Peres said.
"The Hamas terror organization is the one that launched the war, and it also committed other horrific crimes, Hamas has employed terrorism for years against Israeli children. It has detonated explosive devices in the heart of Israeli cities, harmed civilians, launched over 12,000 missiles and mortar shells aimed at innocent civilians with one clear goal in mind - to kill."
"Israel evacuated its soldiers and citizens from Gaza, opened its crossings, and aided in the rehabilitation of the Strip, After the Israeli evacuation, Gaza was overrun by force by a murderous, illegitimate terrorist organization - Hamas - which launched a mutiny against the legitimate Palestinian Authority."
"Instead of building Gaza and worrying about the welfare of its residents, Hamas built offensive tunnels against Israel and brutally used Palestinian children and civilians in order to conceal terrorists and hide weapons," Peres said.
The president said criticism against Israel's actions fails to offer effective alternatives that can stifle rocket fire against the country's outlying towns.
"It is a fact that the criticism leveled against Israel's actions in response to Hezbollah fire from Lebanon and Hamas fire from Gaza and against the building of the separation fence did not stop the shooting in the south, the shooting in the north, and the planting of explosives in the center."
"IDF operations are what brought about economic prosperity in the West Bank, liberated Lebanon from the wrath of Hezbollah, and enabled Gaza residents to return to their daily routines."