Rights groups condemn bid to quash Goldstone report

International human rights groups have raised concern over a proposed non-binding resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives which would call on the White House to oppose any future endorsement or consideration of Judge Richard Goldstone's "Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict". The Goldstone Report, which detailed the laws-of-war violations by both sides during the Gaza War from Dec. 27, 2008 to Jan. 18, 2009, called for an independent committee of experts to examine how Israel and Hamas conduct domestic investigations into war crimes accusations. The Israeli government and right-wing Christian and Jewish Zionist groups have vocally denounced the report as unfairly critical of Israeli Defense Force actions and heavily biased in favor of Hamas. "We agree with the Obama administration, which has clearly said the biased and flawed Goldstone Report is based on an anti-Israel U.N. Human Rights Council mandate, makes unacceptable recommendations and undermines the peace process," said Josh Block, spokesperson for the right-leaning American Israel Public Affairs Committee. "In echoing the administration's condemnation and calling for concrete action, Congress will be sending the strong message that the United States will not stand for turning the victim into the perpetrator," Block went on to say.