(Haaretz).Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz on Sunday accused the United Nations Human Rights Council of anti-Semitism, after the UN body endorsed a damning report on Israel's winter Gaza offensive.
"This is an anti-Semitic attempt to decide that what is allowed for the United States in Afghanistan, Russia in Chechnya and Turkey in north Iraq isn't allowed for Israel, a state that is trying to defend itself from the Gaza Strip," he told Army Radio.
The Council endorsed the report on Friday, which was authored by the South African Judge Richard Goldstone. While accusing both Israel and Hamas of war crimes, the bulk of the findings in the report focused on Israeli actions during the three-week campaign.
Steinitz further condemned the accusations against Israel. "We won't let Jews go again like lambs to the slaughter. The Jewish state has a right and a duty to defend its citizens no less that the United States, Russia, or Turkey."
The Finance Minister also accused the Palestinian Authority for taking the opportunity to harass Israel in every international forum. "We will need to think hard if we want to continue giving them donations and developing the Palestinian Authority. We can't continue turning the other cheek."
"This is an anti-Semitic attempt to decide that what is allowed for the United States in Afghanistan, Russia in Chechnya and Turkey in north Iraq isn't allowed for Israel, a state that is trying to defend itself from the Gaza Strip," he told Army Radio.
The Council endorsed the report on Friday, which was authored by the South African Judge Richard Goldstone. While accusing both Israel and Hamas of war crimes, the bulk of the findings in the report focused on Israeli actions during the three-week campaign.
Steinitz further condemned the accusations against Israel. "We won't let Jews go again like lambs to the slaughter. The Jewish state has a right and a duty to defend its citizens no less that the United States, Russia, or Turkey."
The Finance Minister also accused the Palestinian Authority for taking the opportunity to harass Israel in every international forum. "We will need to think hard if we want to continue giving them donations and developing the Palestinian Authority. We can't continue turning the other cheek."
