A Worsening Middle East Conflict: EU's Tough Stance on Israel's Actions
Israel Accused of Breaching Shared Collaboration Tenets by EU Evaluation
Brussels (dpa) - The EU's close relationship with Israel is facing turbulent waters, as an internal review by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, reveals Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip violate the principles upholding their cooperation. The report, now sent to member states, sparked heated discussions about potential reactions, from suspending the partnership agreement to imposing economic sanctions.
Israel's strategic privileges such as tariff reductions and access to the EU research funding program Horizon could be at stake. The escalating crisis in Gaza, where around two million Palestinians reside, has been a topic of concern for the EU. Israel's restrictive humanitarian aid deliveries, justified by their concern over Hamas gains, have fallen under the microscope.
The upcoming foreign ministers meeting and heads of state summit will delve into this contentious issue.
The Anatomy of a Diplomatic Review
The review, spearheaded by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, comes in response to a mandate from the EU Foreign Ministers Council. Back in May, the council, by a large majority, decided to evaluate whether Israel Still adheres to the fundamental principles of the association agreement. This includes the yardstick of a mutually respectful relationship grounded in human rights[2].
Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip are now deemed a violation of this basic principle. The prolonged blockade of humanitarian aid to the region has raised alarm bells in the EU.
von der Leyen under the EU's Spotlight
The report's findings have been a looming shadow for some weeks now. In late May, EU Commission President von der Leyen criticized Israel's actions, stating that the escalation and disproportionate use of force against civilians in the Gaza Strip is unjustifiable under humanitarian and international law. She expressed her dismay over Israeli military operations that target civilian infrastructure and result in deaths of children, such as the destruction of a school serving as a shelter for displaced Palestinian families[2].
Intensive dialogues about the partnership agreement with Israel had already taken place in the EU last year, initiated predominantly by Spain and Ireland.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-air-strikes-kill-7-palestinians-injure-56-gaza-2021-11-16[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/27/israel-gaza-conflict-death-hamas-rockets/[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-61211916[4] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/23/gaza-truce-is-seen-as-a-prelude-to-more-violence[5] https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/policy/israel/en/eu-israel-association-agreement_en
- The family of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, long concerned about the escalating crisis and the restrictive humanitarian aid deliveries, is watching closely as EU foreign ministers and heads of state discuss potential responses to Israel's actions.
- Amidst the heated discussions about potential reactions to Israel's actions, including the suspension of the partnership agreement and the imposition of economic sanctions, politicians within the EU are divided over general-news issues such as human rights, the rule of law, and the Middle East conflict.
