Jerusalem, October 22: US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice held talks with Israeli officials on Wednesday ahead of an expected General Assembly debate on a report that accuses Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes during the Gaza war.
She met for about one hour with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of an address she was to due to give to a conference organised by President Shimon Peres, officials said in a statement.
“The prime minister thanked Rice for the Obama administration’s vigorous opposition to the Goldstone report and its ongoing support (of Israel) at the United Nations,” the statement said.
It said Rice reiterated Washington’s commitment to Israel’s security and its determination to advance peace in the region.
Rice earlier met Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
On Tuesday, she held talks with Peres during which the two addressed the question of the Goldstone report, officials said.
The UN General Assembly is expected to discuss the report by the South African former international war crimes prosecutor by the end of the year after it was endorsed by the Human Rights Council.
Some 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in the 22-day Gaza conflict that erupted on December 27.
Richard Goldstone concluded that both Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers, committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the conflict that Israel launched in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian territory.
He recommended referring the report’s conclusions to the International Criminal Court prosecutor in The Hague, if Israel and Hamas fail to conduct credible investigations within six months.
Israel called the endorsement by the UN Human Rights Council a “diplomatic farce” and said it harmed Middle East peace efforts, but the Palestinians welcomed the resolution which they said should result in follow-up action from the UN Security Council.
Goldstone himself rejected the Israeli argument, saying there was currently no peace process to save.
Rice was expected to meet Palestinian leaders on Thursday in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
–Agencies