Israel to Sideline EU after UN Vote on Security Fence

Fed up with the partisan U.N. vote against its security barrier, Israel has said the European Union is possibly kaput as a player in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Israel made clear to senior European officials at United Nations headquarters yesterday that "it will be very difficult in the future to include the EU as a party in efforts to advance the peace process," after the European Union joined the sweeping majority that passed an extreme resolution on the separation fence.

In a round of talks with EU representatives, Israeli diplomats stated that "the atmosphere created at the UN following passage of a one-sided resolution makes it doubtful that the EU, UN, and Quartet will be able to play the role of honest broker."

Israel said that by backing the resolution, "EU countries ignored even Israel's right to defend itself. How can Israel place its future in your hands?"

Right now, why would anyone place their security in the hands of Europe. Even the likes of Britain, Poland and the Czech Republic refused to side with Israel or, at the very least, abstain (kudos to Australia for their nay vote, and a mild golf clap Canada for their abstention).

Playing their usual role, the Europeans immediately took their traditional two steps backwards.

Several European ambassadors tried to assuage Israel's anger. "We succeeded in balancing the wording of the resolution," a senior European diplomat told an Israeli colleague.

Senior EU officials also pledged that "we won't support additional measures that [Nasser] al-Kidwa is planning," referring to the PLO observer to the UN.

I've studied a lot of history, but I have yet to come across the moment in time when so many Europeans became invertebrates.