U.S. Jewish magazine honors Goldstone for 'upholding Jewish values'

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"The U.S.-based Jewish progressive magazine Tikkun has opted to give its annual prize to Judge Richard Goldstone for upholding what the publication called the "best ethical" Jewish values.

Goldstone was the author of a damning United Nations report which accused Israel of committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip during its three-week war with Hamas in late 2008 and early 2009.

In a statement released on Friday, editor Rabbi Michael Lerner said Goldstone had been chosen as this year's recipient of the Tikkun Award because "the peace community both in Israel and around the world see Justice Goldstone as upholding the best ethical values of the Jewish community."

Lerner also voiced "outrage" at what he called "the treatment (Goldstone) has received" by the Jewish community, making a direct reference to a recent report claiming that a pro-Israel group banned Goldstone from participating in his grandson's bar mitzvah in South Africa over his Gaza report.

"The banning of him from his own grandson's bar mitzvah in South Africa, led us at Tikkun to invite him to do his grandson's bar mitzvah here in the United States where many Jews would honor him," Lerner said, adding that Goldstone "was delighted with the invite, but said it was too late."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1164946.html

in the Jewish community. I think he is a courageous and thoughtful man. Cheers to him!

when it comes to to the Goldstones report on OCL I came to the conclusion long ago the problem for many was that it found any fault with the actions of IDF

Those who oppose both condemn it and try to suppress/demonize/distort it. For those who support peace and justice and regard Palestinians as human, facts and reality matter. For those of the kill-em-all or drive-them-all-into-exile or keep-them-locked-in-camps, he is a traitor to their colonialist and supremacist goals and denying and being blind to the facts is necessary.

Those who oppose both condemn it and try to suppress/demonize/distort it. For those who support peace and justice and regard Palestinians as human, facts and reality matter. For those of the kill-em-all or drive-them-all-into-exile or keep-them-locked-in-camps, he is a traitor to their colonialist and supremacist goals and denying and being blind to the facts is necessary.

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"Richard Goldstone is to attend his grandson's bar mitzvah ceremony after South African Zionists withdrew efforts to ban him from the event over his role in a controversial report on Israel's invasion of Gaza.

The retired judge, who authored a highly UN critical report on last year's three-week offensive, on Friday wrote to U.S. Jewish magazine Tikkun to say that Jewish groups had approached him to end the row.

"I need hardly say how happy our family is that I will be attending the synagogue services," Goldstone wrote.

The UN report, published in September 2009, accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes, provoking condemnation from many Jewish organizations.

In his letter, Goldstone quoted a statement from the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, which read:

"Following consultation between all the parties involved, an agreement has been reached confirming Judge Richard Goldstone attending his grandson's forthcoming barmitzvah ceremony.

There would also be no more protests associated with the bar mitzvah, the staement said.

Goldstone's correspondence with Tikkun followed the magazine's decision to award him its annual prize for work to uphold Jewish values."

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