The decision on Thursday last by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva to create a database of businesses "involved in activities" in the illegally occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights, is something of a minor diplomatic coup for the international campaign for divestment from Israel (BDS).
In truth, its practical effect will largely, however, be confined to raising the blood pressure of “outraged” Israeli diplomats and politicians who predictably denounced the council as an “anti- Israel circus” (Benyamin Netanyahu).
The motion, passed by 32 to nil with 15 abstentions – unlike the Security Council there is no veto – came as what many of Israel’s critics see as a logical step in ramping up pressure on Israel over the settlements issue after Palestinian success in getting the EU to require that goods produced in the West Bank not be labelled “Product of Israel”.
Israel’s government worries that a boycott of settlements could pave the way for a boycott of all Israeli goods and warns that Palestinian jobs would be lost.
But while EU states strongly backed the labelling initiative, Ireland included, they have sought to draw a line at any policy of encouraging disinvestment or boycott from Israel which they see as implied in the database/ “blacklist” move.
Speaking for EU member states, who all abstained on Thursday, the Dutch ambassador explained that they saw the database proposal as ineffective and proposed that the committee should instead invest its resources in conscious-raising in the business community.
Among the 40 resolutions agreed at the end of its four week session by the council, which is much criticised by the Israelis for its "sole" focus on them, were resolutions on Syria, Iran and North Korea, and three other resolutions on the abuse of human rights in the Palestinian territories, the latter co-sponsored by Ireland which is currently not a member of the council.