What is the EU’s stance on Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip? The member states are divided here. The final declaration is apparently a compromise – the EU wants to advocate for individual “humanitarian breaks”.
A common European line on the crisis in the Middle East has not yet gone very far. After the condemnation of Hamas violence, the call for the release of the hostages and the emphasis on Israel’s right to self-defense, comes the disunity.
“It is clear that we all agree that we respect Israel’s right to defend itself under international law,” EU Council President Charles Michel said before the debate. “At the same time, it is extremely important to enable humanitarian access and we will have this debate intensively.”
Discussion about “humanitarian pause”
What is particularly controversial is what exactly the framework in which fighting can be interrupted in order to supply the people in the Gaza Strip with food, water and medicine. But what should the whole thing be called? To the annoyance of some member states, Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat, has publicly supported calls for a ceasefire. Council President Charles Michel is in favor of the phrase “humanitarian pause”.
Some countries that have traditionally been more on the side of the Palestinians – such as Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg – are moving in this direction. Spain also: “I am definitely in favor of a humanitarian pause. Because the images of human suffering in the Gaza tire are unacceptable,” said Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Time is running out to open the humanitarian corridor “to channel all this humanitarian aid and to have a break to make the work of the NGOs on site possible.”
Scholz: “There is no doubt that Israel will respect international law”
For many countries, this is clearly going too far. A demand that could make Israel feel pressured into a unilateral ceasefire in view of the ongoing terror of the militant Islamist Hamas is inappropriate. Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia and Germany, for example, argue this. They have probably prevailed with their demand to use the phrase “humanitarian breaks” – i.e. the plural of the pause phrase that Spain, Ireland and others originally proposed – in a final declaration of the summit. These should be interpreted as individual limited periods of time in order to ensure supplies for the civilian population.
“Israel is a democratic state with very humanitarian principles that guide it,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Brussels. “And that’s why you can be sure that the Israeli army will also observe the rules of international law in what it does. I have no doubt about that.”
“Israel is a democratic state with very humanitarian principles that guide it,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Brussels.
But Scholz also made it clear that the EU summit, which will take place until tomorrow, should not just fight for words. The EU needs a more extensive diplomatic strategy. It is important that the EU does everything to ensure that the conflict does not escalate throughout the region. “It should not happen that Hezbollah enters the war in the north with its own activities or that Iran and its proxies (Note d. Editor: this means representatives) “try to intervene here, so to speak,” said the Chancellor. “But that also requires our solidarity.”
Planned EU aid package for Ukraine worth billions
Solidarity with Israel and the people of the Middle East should not lead to the impression that solidarity with Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia, takes a back seat. Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen emphasized again today that the opposite is the case: “We are steadfastly providing Ukraine with the necessary resources to withstand Russia’s aggression.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyj should also receive assurances of this continued support directly from the circle of 27 heads of state when he is broadcast via video into the Brussels Council building. There will then be a specific and probably controversial discussion about the EU’s next planned aid package, which could be worth up to 70 billion euros.