Peres: UN report mocks history, Israel had to defend itself

                President Shimon Peres on Wednesday slammed the Goldstone Commission's report on Operation Cast Lead, saying the report "mocks history and fails to distinguish between aggressor and those acting in self-defense." Peres claimed the commission members would not have written such a report, which accuses Israel of war crimes, "had their children been living in Sderot, under the constant threat of Hamas rockets." The president blamed Hamas for launching the war, claiming the terror group had committed numerous horrendous war crimes, and stressed that Israel had to defend itself. "Hamas carried out attacks against the children of Israel, detonating bombs in city centers, hurting civilians, firing more than 12,000 rockets and mortar shells at innocent civilians with one clear aim - to kill," he wrote in a statement. (14,49)