(Communicated by the Deputy Foreign Minister's Bureau)
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, speaking in Holon on Saturday (17 October), referred to the Goldstone Report: "Israel is disappointed that Russia, India and China supported the report. They should have acted with greater discretion, as this unprofessional and distorted report, which denies democracies the right of self-defense, will harm them as well." Ayalon added that Israel intends to act through diplomatic channels to clarify the vote of these countries in the Human Rights Council.
In response to a question on Israel's cooperation with Goldstone, the Deputy Foreign Minister said that "although Israel did not officially cooperate with Goldstone, there was indirect cooperation in that Israel did not prevent the residents of Sderot from testifying before the mission. However, their testimony, as expected, was not included in the report."
On Israel's relations with Turkey, Ayalon said that "The state of our relations is not easy, but can be rectified with appropriate action."