http://www.haaretz.com/news/goldstone-s-daughter-my-father-s-participation-softened-un-gaza-report-1.7776
Goldstone's daughter: My father's participation softened UN Gaza report
'My father took on this job for the sake of peace,' Nicole Goldstone told Army Radio on Wednesday.
By Haaretz ServiceHad Richard Goldstone not served as the head of the UN inquiry into the Gaza war, the accusations against Israel would have been harsher, Goldstone's daughter, Nicole, said in an interview conducted in Hebrew with Army Radio on Wednesday.
"My father took on this job because he thought he is doing the best thing for peace, for everyone, and also for Israel," Nicole Goldstone told Army Radio.
She added that her father wrestled with the decision to take on the task. "It wasn't easy [for him]," Nicole Goldstone said. "My father did not expect to see and hear what he saw and heard."
Nicole Goldstone, who currently lives in Canada with her family, spoke of her great love for Israel.
"Every time I dream of returning to the country or that my son will one day immigrate there," she told Army Radio.
"Israel is more important to me than anything. I'm not there at the moment, but my heart is always there."
Nicole Goldstone said she expects to host her father for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday.
What Made Goldstone Reconsider? 'Zionist Threats'? Guilt?
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
Hamas says death threats from the “Zionist lobby” forced Judge Richard Goldstone to write a “’ of his 2009 U.N. Human Rights Council report against Israel; a friend of Goldstone says, “Jewish reaction influenced him."
“The Zionist lobby’s death threats” and Israel-American pressure forced Goldstone to recant, Hamas stated Sunday. There is not evidence of either nor did Goldstone hint at the possibility in his article.
The rival Fatah movement, headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, also condemned Goldstone's reversal, singling out Hamas for not investigating war crimes while vindicating Israel for alleged intentional attacks on civilians during the Operation Cast Lead counterterrorist campaign two years ago.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior leader of the Secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive, told Voice of Israel government radio, "There was a war crime in which 1,500 [Arab] civilians were killed. One person [Goldstone] cannot change that.”
Former Foreign Ministry director-general Alon Liel, speaking on Channel 10 Sunday, said he is a friend of Goldstone and that the retired Jewish judge “couldn’t sleep at night" because of Jewish reaction to his scathing report against Israel. "The Jewish reaction definitely influenced him to write his op-ed in The Washington Post," Liel stated. "He added that his daughter Nicole's reaction also had an impact on him."
After the report was published in 2009, Nicole, who lived in Israel for six months and now lives in Toronto, was preparing to welcome her parents for a visit for the Rosh HaShanah holiday. She told Army Radio at the time that her father asked her, “Are you sure we can still come?"
Nicole said she was not angry at her father. “I love him and respect him. He is a Zionist. My dad loves Israel and it wasn't easy for him to see and hear what happened."
"[Israel] is the most important thing in my life, my heart is there...." She said. "I love Israel more than my family and friends and anything else."
However, no one really knows what made Goldstone write the retraction of his harsh, now proven to be innacurate by his own admission, report on Israel that caused damage of international scope and much anger in Israel.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)
The rival Fatah movement, headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, also condemned Goldstone's reversal, singling out Hamas for not investigating war crimes while vindicating Israel for alleged intentional attacks on civilians during the Operation Cast Lead counterterrorist campaign two years ago.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior leader of the Secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive, told Voice of Israel government radio, "There was a war crime in which 1,500 [Arab] civilians were killed. One person [Goldstone] cannot change that.”
Former Foreign Ministry director-general Alon Liel, speaking on Channel 10 Sunday, said he is a friend of Goldstone and that the retired Jewish judge “couldn’t sleep at night" because of Jewish reaction to his scathing report against Israel. "The Jewish reaction definitely influenced him to write his op-ed in The Washington Post," Liel stated. "He added that his daughter Nicole's reaction also had an impact on him."
After the report was published in 2009, Nicole, who lived in Israel for six months and now lives in Toronto, was preparing to welcome her parents for a visit for the Rosh HaShanah holiday. She told Army Radio at the time that her father asked her, “Are you sure we can still come?"
Nicole said she was not angry at her father. “I love him and respect him. He is a Zionist. My dad loves Israel and it wasn't easy for him to see and hear what happened."
"[Israel] is the most important thing in my life, my heart is there...." She said. "I love Israel more than my family and friends and anything else."
However, no one really knows what made Goldstone write the retraction of his harsh, now proven to be innacurate by his own admission, report on Israel that caused damage of international scope and much anger in Israel.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)
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