Letter in the Jerusalem Post April 5, 2011
Sir, A large part of the credit for Judge Goldstone’s retraction must go to Maurice Ostroff, an ex-South African who fought as a volunteer in the War of Independence and who now resides in Herzliya.
Ostroff runs, single-handedly, a major voluntary PR project for Israel challenging editors, correspondents, academicians, writers, etc. whenever he detects unjust attacks on Israel. He has succeeded in his very fair, polite and analytic way to obtain apologies from the greatest in the world media.
From the day Goldstone and his commission were appointed, Ostroff opened a communications link with the judge and worked tirelessly to bring to his attention some of the experts he should consult and sources of evidence he should consider, and trying to redress the commission’s one-sided approach.
Even after the damming report was issued, Ostroff continued to engage Goldstone, and over many months the judge conceded and agreed with many of his arguments.
Those of us on Ostroff’s distribution list could observe Goldstone’s gradual concessions until this major breakthrough.
The government and the public at large owe a great debt to Maurice Ostroff.
DAVID GOSHEN
Kiryat Ono
