2 min read
Israel and the Palestinians are preparing for next week's publication of the UN Human Rights Council report on last year's conflict in Gaza.
But events on the ground this week seemed to overtake any struggles to define the past as reports circulated of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas and, on Wednesday, the Palestinian government resigned.
Israel has refused to co-operate with the UNHRC investigation, claiming the Geneva-based council was "hopelessly biased" against Israel.
Canadian Professor William Schabas, who initially chaired the UN probe, once recommended that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be put on trial for war crimes allegedly committed during Operation Cast Lead, even though he was not in government at the time.
The professor was forced to resign in mid-investigation when it was revealed that he had once given legal advice to the PLO. He was replaced by American jurist Mary McGowan Davis, who is seen as more balanced. But Israel's attitude toward the inquiry is unchanged: on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said the reading the report will be "a waste of time".
Israel is aware, however, that the UNHRC report will be taken seriously by many in the international community and, on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry published its own report alleging war crimes by Hamas during the conflict and the precautions taken by Israel to prevent loss of civilian life.
In another PR exercise, the Foreign Ministry posted a YouTube video showing a cartoon of a buffoonish correspondent reporting from Gaza while ignoring Hamas terror all around him.
In London this week, Zionist Union MK Tzipi Livni handed the Israeli report personally to Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood. The meeting with Mr Ellwood allowed Ms Livni to give her visit "special mission status", meaning she had immunity against arrest for alleged war crimes under the Universal Jurisdiction law.
The efficacy of Israel's campaign is unclear since the UNHRC report will go ahead and then it will be up to the Security Council to decide what action to take and whether it should be referred to the International Criminal Court. If previous precedent is anything to go by, it will cause a 24-hour stir in the media and then will get tied up - probably forever - in UN red tape.
Meanwhile, indirect talks between Israeli representatives and Hamas leaders - including political chief Khaled Mashal - are taking place through a variety of channels in an attempt to agree terms for a long-term ceasefire.
While there has been little progress, the talks' very existence is an indication of the mutual interest in a ceasefire. They also angered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who sees Hamas as the main threat to his rule. As a result, the Palestinian "unity government" resigned. Hamas's refusal to recognise to recognise the resignation was another indication of the irrelevance of the unity government and of so many of the political and diplomatic proceedings currently making the weather over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
