War between Israel and Hamas sparks global outrage; Conflicts are also intensifying at the level of European institutions. Although the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, initially tried to form a united and compact front in support of Israel, as was done before in Ukraine, the institutional leaders and the institutional leaders of the Member States appear to be much more divided, and it seems clear that: To create a coherent European framework for the Middle East, the rights of the Palestinian people cannot be ignored.
Limitations on Israel’s right to defense
Just last week, the policy of European Union states regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas was characterized by conflicting messages, especially regarding aid to the Palestinians. Since subsidies were planned to be eliminated in the first declaration, Brussels decided to triple humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza instead. The latest heated debate concerns the statements of EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell. “Israel, like any country attacked in this way, has the right to defend itself, but we all agree that the right to defense has limits, which in this case are protected by international humanitarian law,” Borrell said. European Parliament chamber. “We must be able to condemn both terrorist attacks against Israel and attacks against Palestinian civilians,” the EU diplomacy chief added. “We cannot hold all the people of Gaza responsible for Hamas,” said Erdogan, adding, “For us, Hamas is a terrorist organization that never wants peace, only destruction.” The High Representative emphasized that “there are rules even for wars, and cutting off a people’s water and basic needs is not in accordance with the law of war.” Finally, he recalled that following the Hamas offensive and Israeli bombings, “there were already three thousand dead in Gaza, and a quarter of them were children.”
No trip to Tel Aviv
Borrell’s words sparked a series of criticisms, especially from Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party (EPP) parliamentary group. “I respect Borrell, but at a time when we see the centrality of the role of the region with Blinken (US Secretary of State). ed) He was traveling to the Middle East, he went to China. Speaking in Strasbourg during a debate on conflicts in the Middle East, Weber attacked Israel in the last four years for dialogue with the aim of establishing a peace process. On October 13, about a week after the violent attack. Hamas against Israel. Borrell, where thousands of people were killed and hundreds were taken hostage, went to China to meet with Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss international and regional issues, as well as to intensify EU-China bilateral relations. Leyen, who is from the same party as Weber, went to Israel: ” We resolutely defend Israel, I thank President von der Leyen for her visit, Europe must stand together in this difficult situation,” added the leader of the European People’s Party. In fact, during the debate, he reiterated strong condemnations of Hamas and its oppression. There were numerous interventions by European parliamentarians who also recalled as a priority the concern for the protection of innocent Palestinians, who are equally victims of the conflict.
Different opinions
When Ukraine was invaded in February 2022, Brussels had managed to coordinate an almost unanimous condemnation of Russia, with relevant sanctions and the spread of the yellow-blue Ukrainian colors to all institutions, including flags, clothing and various instruments. This harmony appears to be disappearing in terms of the conflict in the Middle East. After the State of Israel was accused of bombing a hospital in Gaza on the evening of October 17, European Council President Charles Michel declared that attacking civilian infrastructure was against international law. Although responsibility for this attack, which killed at least 500 people, has not yet been clarified, Michel spoke immediately at a press conference at the end of a video conference specially planned by EU leaders to coordinate the 27 line against Israel. -Hamas conflict. But Von der Leyen was much more cautious, saying of the alleged Israeli bombing: “I have just become aware of the incident” and adding that she needed confirmation as she “cannot comment at the moment”. The biggest absentee from the EU leaders’ meeting was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was in China to take stock of the Silk Road during the Belt and Road Forum. There, the Hungarian leader met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and cemented their alliance with a historic handshake, the first photograph taken between a Russian President and an EU leader since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine. Another crack in Europe’s common castle.
Von der Leyen objected
Even Michel and von der Leyen reacted differently to Borrell’s statements. “When you cut off basic infrastructure, when you cut off access to water, when you cut off electricity… all of this is not in accordance with international law,” the Belgian president of the Council of Europe told the press. When asked about the same issue, the German head of the EU executive body refrained from making further statements, merely saying, “It is important to look at today’s statement by the leaders.” Von der Leyen’s activism was highly criticized in her recent visit to Israel with EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola, despite having no government authority. After initially backing a position of full support for the Israeli government without mentioning the need to respect international law to protect the Palestinian people, the EU executive chief was forced to rebalance his statements and renew economic support for Gaza. Someone must have reminded you that foreign policy is the prerogative of the member states, not the European Commission.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
