Israel, Self Defense and The Goldstone Report
A Community Lecture by Professor Amos N. Guiora
Temple Emanuel of Newton
January 24, 2010

Event Pictures

Audiocast (Listen to the Actual Lecture)

Introduction by Jeff Robbins:

About The Event (Press Release)

BOSTON COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO LEARN ABOUT GOLDSTONE REPORT IMPLICATIONS

175 Community members fill Temple Emanuel hall to capacity to hear international law expert Amos Guiora

January 28, 2009 – Boston, MA – A capacity audience of 175 community members packed a hall at Temple Emanuel in Newton, MA on Sunday to learn about the meaning of The Goldstone Report from Professor Amos N. Guiora, an expert in International Law, Criminal Procedure, Global Perspectives on Counter-terrorism, and Religion and Terrorism at J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah.  The lecture marks the first of a planned series of community outreach programs being offered by The David Project to the Boston and New York communities.

“The Goldstone report,” relayed Guiora to a captivated audience, “is a seminal moment in history because it lays down very articulately clear boundaries and attacks the essence of the State…If Israel were not to have the right to engage in self defense, I need not tell you what would happen to it.”

Guiora explained that the report relayed heavily on information from witnesses who were under duress and that the report authors were escorted by armed Hamas gunman.  Israel did not participate in the development of the report.   It therefore comes as no surprise, he noted, that the report concludes that Israel absolutely and deliberately committed war crimes in Gaza. The assertion that Israel does not have the right to aggressive self defense, Guiora argued, legitimizes terrorism.

Guiora said of the report that it “is here to stay,” and therefore “we have no choice today but to read it, to understand it and to understand its impact.”

Professor Guiora ended his lecture with a passionate appeal to audience to learn more about this topic and to become more active in spreading the facts: “I stand before you – and thank The David Project for this opportunity – to implore upon you to educate yourselves, educate your friends, educate your children and be active, because this report is absolutely critical and it raises profound questions both on a practical level and on an intellectual level…There are a hundred different reasons not to do something, but we don’t have that luxury.“

Jeff Robbins, a Litigation Member at Mintz Levin and an Executive Board Member of The David Project, introduced the speaker.  He said that “The David Project has set a new standard and new expectations for performance in our community and prods all of us to do better,”

“We are very pleased to have been able to bring the community together around this important cause,” said Lawrence Muscant, The David Project’s Acting Executive Director.  “We thank the various organizations that co-sponsored this event and hope to continue this collaboration to bring more speakers and educational events to the community in the future.”

The event was co-sponsored by CAMERA, CJP, Consulate General of Israel to New England, Hadassah, JCRC, JNF and Temple Emanuel.

A podcast (audio recording) of the entire lecture is offered for free on The David Project’s website – www.davidproject.org/goldstone.

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About the Speaker
Author of the recent book Freedom from Religion: Rights and National Security, Professor Amos N Guiora teaches International Law, Criminal Procedure, Global Perspectives on Counter-terrorism, and Religion and Terrorism at The S. J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah.   He also holds a number of prestigious positions and fellowships at leading think tanks and universities around the world, including the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel.

Retiring as Lieutenant Colonel in the IDF, Guiora served for 19 years in the Judge Advocate General's Corps.  He held a number of senior command positions, including Commander of the IDF School of Military Law and the Legal Advisor to the Gaza Strip.  During his military service, Professor Guiora was involved in legal and policy-making issues, including the capture of the PLO weapons ship Karine A, implementation of the Gaza-Jericho Agreement, the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, and "Safe Passage" between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Professor Guiora has been published extensively.  An expert commentator, he is also frequently interviewed and quoted by news outlets such as CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, BBC, PBS,  Associated Press, C-Span, Fox , The Jerusalem Post, Al-Jazeera TV and The Bloomberg Report.

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