U.S. House of Representatives Opposes the Goldstone Report

On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution with a 344-36 vote which condemns the Goldstone Report and urges President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to oppose unequivocally any endorsement of the report.

Following the resolution, U.S. Representative Howard Berman, chairman of the Foreign Relations committee, said: "This resolution defines the report as biased and unworthy of further consideration."

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said: "The report paints a distorted picture. It epitomizes the practice of singling Israel out from all other nations for condemnation."

Democratic Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Chair of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, stated that the Goldstone Report could damage the Middle East peace process::

Israel, like all sovereign nations, has the responsibility to respect human rights and adhere to international law. However, its defense of its citizens against attacks by Hamas militants simply cannot be conflated with terrorist actions.

Facilitating a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians is among our most important foreign policy priorities, and further consideration of the Goldstone report could hinder movement toward peace negotiations.