Taken from UNHRC webcast:

MRAP (France):

“Despite the dozens of resolutions adopted by various UN bodies condemning the actions of the state of Israel, colonial occupation follows the destruction, massacres follow the abuses, and the international law is constantly trampled.”

FIDH, PCHR (Raji Sourani) (Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, European Union):

“The smell of death and destruction because of the war [is] still there. Still there in criminal siege imposed among the protected civilians in Gaza…For the first time ever war crimes were broadcasted live on air at the real time and the whole world witnessed it. Can we hold these criminals accountable? Can we bring sort of justice to the victims?…I want to say here, on its part, Hamas expressed its readiness publicly to investigate judicial body. To investigate all things related to [it in the] Goldstone report…By the name of victims and whom we represent, what we are seeking, asking for, simple: rule of law, not rule of jungle. And we are saying for those who are going to abstain or to vote against Goldstone endorsement report – you are for rule of jungle, you want Israel to repeat that once again against Palestinian protected civilians.”

Al Haq (Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland), Badil (Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Norway), DCI-PS (Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark):

“There can be no justice, peace or security without accountability. Impunity has prevailed and will continue to prevail if you, Mr. President and member states, do not take concrete action. The Israeli justice system has consistently failed to provide the Palestinian people with effective avenues for any meaningful action and effective remedies… we urge you, Mr. President and member states, to demand an end to the relentless blockade on the Gaza Strip which collectively punishes the people of Gaza and deprives them of their basic needs. The occupation, which is the root cause of this conflict, has persisted for over 42 years. Impunity effectively encourages the continuation of unlawful activities by Israel in the entirety of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In East Jerusalem…houses are being systematically demolished, settlement construction and expansion continues and holy sites are violated…Let us be sure that no one escapes the hand of justice…”

HRW (Oxfam NOVIB (Netherlands), Trocaire (Ireland)):

“Actors on all sides played political games to the detriment of civilian victims of the Gaza conflict…Those who argue that the report will derail peace efforts should acknowledge that persistent impunity, not the prospect of justice, is the greater threat to peace. The OHCHR should follow up on the implementation of recommendations contained in the report, not the resolution adopted during the 9th special session of the council which focused solely on the responsibility of Israel…the blockade in Gaza [] amounts to collective punishment against the civilian population.”

Amnesty International:

“Without effective action to address accountability and impunity there will be no long term peace in the Middle East.”

Badil (Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Norway):

“Justice delayed is indeed justice denied. Approximately 500,000 Palestinians in 92 communities are currently facing the risk of forced displacement…Unlawful destruction of human lives, confiscation of private and public Palestinian property and forced displacement of the Palestinian people continues in the OPT because Israel, the occupying power, has never been held accountable for its legal obligations. In the climate of impunity Israel continues to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law and gross violations of international human rights law…We Palestinian and international human rights organizations ask the HRC to condemn Israel’s recent human rights violations in occupied East Jerusalem, in particular Israel’s efforts at changing the demographic composition of the city by demolishing Palestinian homes, expanding construction of the wall and Jewish settlements, restricting Palestinian freedom of movement and access to essential services and religious sites…Our special concern is still with the victims of Israel’s military practice of targeting civilian shelters and shelter seekers…this practice has escaped justice…the impunity of these crimes has undermined faith in international law globally…”

ICJ (France, Austria, Finland, Cyprus, UK, Sweden, Ireland, Greece):

“The request for national investigations do no restrict the duty of every state of the international community to stop condoning pervasive impunity and prepare the ground for the investigation and possible persecution of all those suspected of serious violations of international law.”

Adalah (EU, Switzerland):

“The Israeli legal and judicial systems have consistently failed in providing any legal remedies to the Palestinian people who are protected under international humanitarian law…Since the beginning of the occupation the Israeli legal system has consistently approved illegal policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian Territories which violate international law…Since the second intifada Israel has stopped investigating the killing and injury of civilians who were not involved in hostilities except for in extraordinary circumstances…The most famous example is of the assassination of Salah Shehadah…since 2006 Gaza became a legal black hole with no applicable legal protection…the Israeli Supreme Court approved all punitive measures imposed against the one and a half million living in Gaza…The HRC has to act and put an end to the culture of impunity and the lack of justice in the region.”

PCHR (Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, European Union):

“The Goldstone report provides a historic opportunity to end the status of impunity of Israel to international law…Any abstention from condemning the Israeli attitude, any abstention from condemning the Israeli crimes would actually blow up the possibility for peace because it would encourage Israel to continue its occupation which has become the longest in modern history and the consolidation of an apartheid system that has become the worst in modern history. This report…sends a message that after today, no state, no government, can attack civilians without being held accountable…[Justice Goldstone and his committee members] were not standing against Israel, they were standing against oppressive Israel, occupying Israel…there is nothing to be proud of in the beginning of the 21st century to be a country that is creating a much worse apartheid system than what prevailed in South Africa…this opportunity of ending impunity serves the interest of all people in our region.”

ITTIJAH, Union of Arab Jurists, General Arab Women Federation (GAWF), Arab Lawyers Union (ALU), Arab Organization For Human Rights (AOHR), International Educational Development (IED), Inc.

“As long as we have those who want to convince us that these crimes are legitimate self-defense or that they are just a mistake and as long as there are those who need more time to take a stand vis-à-vis such crimes even though they have been taking place for over 50 years…we totally refuse to equate the aggressor with the victim. We all know what the Hamas missiles are and what is the Israeli military arsenal and where it comes from, the fact-finding mission report has documented this difference clearly.”

Nord-Sud XXI

“The Palestinian people who continue to suffer from conditions of life imposed by Israel with the apparent intention of destroying these people in whole or in part cannot be forced to wait for action to be taken to protect their rights…when bodies such as this council…do not act, people fighting for self-determination against foreign and oppressive occupiers are forced to turn to the use of force to try to end their oppression.”