The United States Senate voted unanimously on Friday in favor of calling the United Nations to revoke the Goldstone Report which accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza. The decision was made following Judge Richard Goldstone's retraction of the report's findings.
The vote was initiated by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Senator James Risch. While the decision has no legal binding, it is significant as the US is the UN's largest contributor.
Resolution 138 urges council members "to reflect the author's repudiation of the Goldstone report's central findings, rescind the report and reconsider further Council actions with respect to the report's findings."
The resolution also asks UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to "do all in his power to redress the damage to Israel's reputation" in the wake of the report, and to bring forth reforms within the council so that it "no longer unfairly, disproportionately and falsely criticizes Israel on a regular basis."
The Senate also urged UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and member states to carry out reforms in the Human Rights Council to prevent it from unjustifiably taking a harsh stance against Israel and leveling unfair criticism.
