Richard Falk is not an unbiased observer. Falk served on the special interest vehicle known as the UNHCR. This organization has only directed country specific resolution regarding Israel.

Falk has also compared Israeli treatment of Palestinians to the Nazis during the Holocaust. Clearly the man has taken sides.

It get worse though. The whole UN is riddled with an anti-Israel bias.

"This year, during the 61th Session of the General Assembly (2006-2007), the time spent by ambassadors on enacting the 22nd anti-Israel resolution of the year was time not spent on passing a single resolution on Sudan's genocide in Darfur. http://www.unwatch.org/site/c.bdKKISNqEmG/b.1359197/k.6748/UN_Israel__AntiSemitism.htm

Of 10 emergency special sessions called by the GA, six have been about Israel. No emergency sessions have been held on the Rwandan genocide, ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia, or the two decades of atrocities in Sudan.

The Durban conference on Racism, has been suborned into another forum for those who hate Israel and the US. It is chaired by Libya and Iran this year.

So any investigation of Israel by the UN might as well be chaired by Hamas.

I have yet to see any evidence that Israel used White Phosphurus to attack military or civilian targets. I have seen WP used as a smokescreen, which is NOT even remotely the same thing.

As for depleted uranium, " An IAEA article on the issue says that while the substance "is assumed to be potentially carcinogenic ... the lack of evidence for a definite cancer risk in studies over many decades is significant and should put the results of assessments in perspective."

Furthermore, Israel denies using DU shells, which are generally designed for use against tanks and other armoured vehicles. This doesn't categorically mean Israel didn't use these shells, but Hamas claims should be treated with a healthy degree of skepticism.

Foxy, I was wondering why you only post on the left hand side of the page?

Dear Paul,

You're not the first person to ask me about why I only post on the left hand side. Leigh asked me that earlier.

As I explained, this was suggested by someone in another thread
as making posts easier to read. So, I thought, 'Great, I'll
do it.' And I did. But as it does seem to annoy more people
I'll stop. My apologies to everyone.

Now to get back to the issue of war crimes in Gaza. I raised the issue - should an investigation proceed, for the very reasons that are now being brought to light by posters. As with all war crimes tribunals in history, there is a selectiveness about what is considered a war crime and who ends up on the dock. Historically we have perpetrators who never saw the inside of a jail cell or faced criminal prosecution for their crimes against humanity.

Google 'global atrocities' and you'll come up with lists that are mind-boggling.

The truth is horrifying enough in cases of war crimes - however
there are two schools of thought generally associated with the right
and the left wings of the political spectrum, and they often accuse
each other of being blinded by prejudice, stubbornly refusing to
admit the truth, and perhaps even having a hidden agenda.

So perhaps the question that needs to be asked is - which war crimes
get prosecuted? And/or which ones should be?

Thank you Foxy, the last post had clarified it for me, and I understand the nature of you question.

There have been on occasions that Allied Soldiers have been charged with war crimes: – A term you have chose is Right- Left of Politics – I dispute that and seriously, but later perhaps; - More prominent Criminal intent of Individuals , engaged in Warfare , have been dealt with – I.e. , Assault on Civilian – Sexually – Physically – summery executed etc . May criminal offences, and there is not a soul that could dispute that; - but when you take aside the obvious commonality of those convicted of war crimes; it is one sided - ;
You can use Kosovo - and Serbian forces as an example , There was never any KLA, ever charged with war crimes , Before _During – or after - only Serbian were nominated to account;

I could write books Foxy, but in essence and as brief as I can, unless it is of an independent verification, and there are Facts – of Criminal behaviour of ANY Kind by, Any Individual, and as Paul so aptly explained – The UN_ Human Rights and The Media, are, at law, are technically aid and abet the commission of crimes and have clearly obviscated their responsibility, and actively engage in false and misrepresentation of Fact.

Many would be alive if the incitement of hatred was never perpetuated by the named Institutions , thus escalating the problem and accelerating it faster.

When such evidence is found wanting and proven to be fabricated for internal and Ideological propaganda purposes, then, those responsible for that , are responsible for a more prolonged and drawn out war – and They be found guilty of War crimes ;- The Criminal intent involved , is far greater than that committed by individuals.

Use of White Phophorus? -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5556027.ece

An example of claims made against Israeli soldiers:

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/world/world/general/gaza-family-says-israeli-soldier-shot-children/1415391.aspx?storypage=0

In another article that I can't find on the www, Israeli soldiers took over the house of a Gazan family and ransacked it by puching holes in the walls for gun-firing positions, rent a large hole in the floor so as to dig up the sand underneath to fill sandbags, threw belongings and clothes in a heap on the floor and scrawled anti-Arab graffiti inside the house. The soldiers even admitted to the family they were not Hamas.

In an ABC report this morning (Philip Williams), a grove of fruit trees belonging to civilians on the outskirts of Gaza were flattened to make way for heavy Israeli tanks and equipment. The trouble is that this was the people's only source of income, thus making them even more vulnerable and dependent on international aid to survive.

While these injustices certainly won't make it to a war crimes tribunal, such bullying actions are deliberately designed to humiliate and hurt ordinary Gazans. It's little wonder that some are spurred into fighting back.

I would like to Thank Everyone for their contributions
to this thread.I'm grateful that we were able to turn
the discussion around, and I did get an insight into
differing points of view, which has been interesting.

I personally feel that there will always be perpetrators
whose horrific deeds will never see the inside of a jail
cell or face criminal prosecution for their crimes
against humanity unless there is a massive
alteration in the balance of forces in the world between
the powerful and the dispossessed. All war crime
investigations should look into both sides of any
conflict, and try those guilty of war crimes. However,
as a poster indicated earlier, truth is the first casualty of war.

I recently came across this website:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/radio/2008/11/19/horton/index2.html

It's an interview with Scott Horton on war crimes
prosecutions by Glenn Greenwald, and deals with the
question of George W. Bush and his administration.
It brings out some questions which may be of interest.

For me this discussion has now run its course.
Thanks again.