The foreign policy chief of the European Union has issued a warning, citing growing hostility inside the Muslim world and abroad as a result of charges of pro-Israel prejudice and applying double standards over the Gaza conflict.
Josep Borrell expressed his concern that the intense animosity between the two parties could potentially weaken the EU’s capacity to enforce human rights provisions in global accords and diplomatic support for Ukraine in the Global South.
In reaction to the lethal cross-border attack by the Palestinian militant group on October 7, he claimed that the EU needed to demonstrate “more empathy” for the civilian deaths of Palestinians during Israel’s fight against Hamas.
During a five-day journey to the Middle East, which included visits to the West Bank, the wreckage of Kibbutz Be’eri, a regional security conference in Bahrain, and royal audiences in Qatar and Jordan, he made these remarks in interviews with Reuters.
Borrell heard Palestinian civil society activists and Arab leaders lament that the 27-nation EU was not holding Russia’s conflict in Ukraine to the same standards as Israel’s war in Gaza during the tour, which came to a close on Monday evening.
He indicated with a wave of his cell phone that he had already received texts from some ministers indicating they would not back Ukraine in the event of a UN vote in the future.
Borrell responded to the criticism by emphasizing that all human lives are valuable and that the European Union has unanimously called for immediate humanitarian pauses to provide aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. The EU had also increased its humanitarian aid for the enclave by four times.
However, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run government, Israel’s shelling has killed at least 13,300 Palestinians, including at least 5,600 children. Arab leaders, however, demand an immediate end to the attack.
Both the EU and the US have come under fire from them for failing to denounce Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, in contrast to how the West handled the invasion of Ukraine.
Israel has emphasized that it is reacting to the worst attack in its history, which, according to Israeli estimates, resulted in roughly 1,200 fatalities and 240 hostages.
It claims that because civilian areas are where Hamas operates, it is striking them in an effort to prevent innocent casualties.
However, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run government, Israel’s shelling has killed at least 13,300 Palestinians, including at least 5,600 children. Arab leaders, however, demand an immediate end to the attack.
Both the EU and the US have come under fire from them for failing to denounce Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, in contrast to how the West handled the invasion of Ukraine.
Israel has emphasized that it is reacting to the worst attack in its history, which, according to Israeli estimates, resulted in roughly 1,200 fatalities and 240 hostages.
It claims that because civilian areas are where Hamas operates, it is striking them in an effort to prevent innocent casualties.
EUROPE CHALLENGES
Borrell’s job as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy is to coordinate stances among member states.
The EU has a significant interest in the most recent crisis because it is a Middle Eastern neighbor and the home of sizable Jewish and Muslim populations. It may not be as powerful diplomatically as the US, but it still has some influence in the area because it is the largest provider of aid to the Palestinian people.
But beyond simply denouncing the Hamas attack, the group has found it difficult to take a unified stand. Its actions have mostly consisted of advocating for ceasefires and supporting Israel’s right to self-defense under international law.
While some member nations, like Ireland, Belgium, and Spain, have criticized Israel’s military action, other nations, including Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, have emphasized their strong support for Israel.
In order to facilitate a ceasefire, France has asked for a humanitarian pause.
To the chagrin of certain EU members, senior Spanish socialist politician Borrell said last month that certain of Israel’s acts were illegal.
On his tour, he steered clear of such direct public criticism. In addition, he made an effort to demonstrate empathy for the suffering endured by Israelis by relating his own kibbutz experience from the 1960s.
However, he said that the EU need to do more to show that it genuinely cares about the lives of Palestinians. This might be achieved by making more forceful demands for aid to enter Gaza and redoubling its efforts to establish a Palestinian state under the so-called “two-state solution”.
