Quotes by Richard Goldstone

Q: Was and is the blockade of Gaza a war crime?

RG: It was a violation of international law, it was not a war crime because there was no war. It was a violation of the 4th Geneva convention. There has to be an actual military armed conflict for it to be a war crime. It is also a violation of international human rights law.

Q: What are the specific steps that Israel could have taken to stop the shelling of southern Israel before commencing an attack on Gaza?

RG: Well, it could have used greater pressure by diplomatic means. They could have used the security council for that purpose. Israel could have put the security council on notice and said "if you don't stop this, if you don't do something to stop it, we will have to resort as a last resort to military means."

... Military force should be the very last resort. I think it is arguable here that other diplomatic means could have worked.

... the real point of the [Goldstone] report was that it was disproportionate force. Look at the thousands of homes destroyed, the factories, the agricultural land, this is almost impossible to justify militarily.

... I don't think there is any dispute [that it was deliberate]. The Israeli army has very sophisticated weaponry, and I don't think they make many mistakes as to what they target.

Q: As regard to [bombing] wells and the factories, one can make a reasonable argument, not a pleasant argument, why Israel would want to do it?

RG: There was a political reason, and that was collective punishment and an effort to weaken the support for Hamas.

Q: Is that a violation of international human rights, destruction of infrastructure?

RG: It is a war crime. It is an attack on civilian objects, as opposed to military objects.