EU cancels reception in Israel due to police minister’s attendance – Politics

The EU mission in Israel has canceled a Europe Day diplomatic reception in response to the planned speech by far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. “The EU delegation in Israel looks forward to celebrating Europe Day on May 9th as it does every year,” it said on Monday Twitter. “Regrettably this year we have decided to cancel the diplomatic reception as we do not want to provide a platform for anyone whose views are at odds with the values ​​that the European Union stands for.”

However, the cultural event for the Israeli public will take place. A spokesman for the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had previously announced in Brussels that he wanted to discuss the procedure internally and also with the member states. Ben-Gvir was originally supposed to represent his country’s right-wing religious government at the event in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. According to his office, a speech “on the importance of fighting terrorism together” was planned.

Ben-Gvir: EU behaves “undiplomatically”

After the rejection, Ben-Gvir said it was “a pity that the European Union, which professes to represent democratic and multicultural values, shuts its mouths in an undiplomatic way”. Ben-Gvir from the right-wing extremist Otzma Jehudit had been convicted several times in the past for, among other things, racist hate speech and support for a Jewish terrorist organization. He advocates a tougher approach to the Palestinians in the government.

Europe Day commemorates the historic Schuman Declaration by then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman in Paris. In his speech he presented his vision of a new kind of political cooperation in Europe to prevent wars between European nations.


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