Ehud Barak seeks European support

JERUSALEM, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Ahead of the debate on a U.N. report accusing Israel of war crimes, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned European leaders against adopting it.

"The democratic nations of the world must understand that adopting the report will cripple their ability to deal with terror organizations and terror in general," Haaretz quoted Barak saying,

Barak spoke to the foreign ministers from France, Norway, Britain and Spain in a round of telephone calls late Tuesday, the newspaper said.

In talks with the world leaders, the defense minister described the report as "twisted, fraudulent and tendentious," Ynetnews.com said.

South African Justice Richard Goldstone headed a United Nations fact-finding investigation of alleged human rights violations during Israel's Gaza military offensive Dec.27-Jan. 18. He presented the findings to the Human Rights Council in Geneva in September.

After coming under harsh criticism, the Palestinian Authority reversed an initial decision not to push for debate on the report and has since been drumming up support within the United Nations to hold the discussion, the paper said.

Haaretz said the Palestinian Authority along with other countries from the Arab world submitted a request asking the United Nations to include the Temple Mount and Jerusalem in the debate.