Israel Matzav: The EU tries to step up to the plate

The EU tries to step up to the plate

With American leadership in foreign affairs lacking, the European Union is trying to step up to the plate on the Goldstone Report in the UN General Assembly. Unfortunately, their plan is not very effective.

The initiative is a list of "red lines" which was adopted by the 27 members of the European Union. Its main points:

1. A resolution brought for the approval of the General Assembly will not include operational steps, like taking the matter to the Security Council or the International Court of Justice.

2. The resolution would call on Israel and the Palestinians to embark on an independent investigation into the events of Operation Cast Lead, and the allegations of war crimes.

3. The handling of the Goldstone report will return to the Human Rights Council, the UN body in Geneva. The parties will have to report to the council on the findings of their investigations in a few months.

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The French and British has emphasized in their exchanges with the Arab representatives that if the "red lines" are not part of the resolution being prepared, the European Union will abstain, and may even vote against it - and expects that much of the international community will too.

"If you agree to go for a simple resolution which calls on Israel to carry out an investigation you will receive full support," a source familiar with the proposal said. "However, if you attempt to go further there will be at least 60 abstentions and only 120 votes in support."

Any resolution the Palestinians put forth will receive a large majority, but there is great importance to the weight of EU votes, and other countries who will vote in line with the EU.

With an automatic majority for anything they do, why should the 'Palestinians' care if 60 countries abstain? For that matter, why should they care if 60 countries vote against? If I'm the 'Palestinians,' I insist on passing a General Assembly resolution that refers the matter to the Security Council with a request that the Security Council use Chapter 7 (the Chapter that gives the UN the power to compel countries to take action) to implement the Goldstone Report, and refer it to the International Criminal Court if the parties don't cooperate with the Security Council. Then I sit and wait to see who will exercise a veto: Russia? England? France? The United States?

What could go wrong?

So what is the solution? Frankly, there isn't one. The only way that this is not going to come through the Security Council and pass is if someone exercises a veto. And I'm not counting on that.

Israel Matzav: The EU tries to step up to the plate