Richard Goldstone (1938-) is an outstanding , anti-racist, humanitarian Jewish South African lawyer who as a judge oversaw interpretation of the constitution of post-Apartheid South Africa. He headed a UN Human Rights Council inquiry into war crimes committed in the bloody 2008-2009 Israeli incursion into Gaza in which 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Goldstone ).
Richard Goldstone and UN Inquiry Report on Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Concentration Camp: “[Israeli incursion] a deliberately disproportionate attack designed to punish, humiliate, and terrorise a civilian population". [1].
[1]. UN Human Rights Council Report co-authored by Richard Goldstone, “Israel committed war crimes in Gaza, says UN Report”, New Statesman, 16 September 2009: http://www.newstatesman.com/2009/09/war-crimes-israel-gaza-rights .
Richard Goldstone: “Pursuing justice in this case [the charge of war crimes committed by the Israeli Defense Force] is essential because no state or armed group should be above the law. Western governments in particular face a challenge because they have pushed for accountability in places like Darfur, but now must do the same with Israel, an ally and a democratic state. Failing to pursue justice for serious violations during the fighting will have a deeply corrosive effect on international justice, and reveal an unacceptable hypocrisy. As a service to the hundreds of civilians who needlessly died and for the equal application of international justice, the perpetrators of serious violations must be held to account” (“Jewish Intellectuals Who Have Opposed Zionism and/or Israeli Racism, Injustices, Occupation, Apartheid and/or Ethnic Cleansing”, Hypertext: http://www.thehypertexts.com/Jewish%20Intellectuals%20Who%20Opposed%20Zionism%20Israel%20Racism%20Injustices%20Apartheid%20Ethnic%20Cleansing.htm ).