Netanyahu seeks to change rules of war

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Benjamin Netanyahu ordered several government ministries to look into floating an international initiative to change the rules of war in light of global terrorism.

The Israeli prime minister at a meeting Tuesday of the Ministerial Committee on National Security also ordered the justice minister to form a committee to deal with international legal proceedings against Israel and Israeli officials in the wake of the Goldstone report.  

Also, the committee declared 500 organizations to be terrorist organizations. Most of the organizations direct their activities toward various targets in the West and not necessarily against Israel, and nearly all are connected to al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden or the Taliban.

“Our challenge is to delegitimize the continuous attempt to delegitimize the State of Israel," Netanyahu said at the meeting, according to a statement released by the Government Press Office. "The most important arena where we need to act in this context is in the arena of public opinion, which is crucial in the democratic world.  We must continue to debunk this lie that is spreading with the help of the Goldstone report.”

He added: “In Lebanon, in Gaza and in other places, weapons are being piled up around us with the sole aim of firing them at the citizens of the State of Israel. I want to make it clear to everyone: No one will undermine our ability and right to defend our children, our citizens and our communities.”

Though the meeting had been called to discuss the implications of the Goldstone report, Defense Minister Ehud Barak refused to address the idea of forming a commission to look into its findings regarding Palestinian civilian casualties, according to reports.

The Goldstone report was adopted last week by the United Nations Human Rights Council and sent on to the U.N. Security Council.