Tue, November 21, 2023
By Andrew Gray
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union faces growing animosity across the Muslim world and beyond due to accusations of pro-Israel bias and double standards over the war in Gaza, the bloc's foreign policy chief has warned.
Josep Borrell said he feared such acrimony could undermine diplomatic support for Ukraine in the Global South and the EU's ability to insist on human rights clauses in international agreements.
He said the EU had to show "more empathy" for the loss of Palestinian civilian lives in Israel's war against Hamas, launched in response to the deadly Oct. 7 cross-border assault by the Palestinian militant group.
His comments came in interviews with Reuters during a five-day Middle East trip that took him to the rubble of Kibbutz Be'eri devastated by Hamas, the West Bank, a regional security conference in Bahrain and royal audiences in Qatar and Jordan.
On the trip, which ended on Monday evening, Borrell heard Arab leaders and Palestinian civil society activists complain that the 27-nation EU was not applying the same standards to Israel's war in Gaza that it applies to Russia's war in Ukraine.
"All of them were really criticising the posture of the European Union as one-sided," Borrell said.
Waving his mobile phone, he said he had already received messages from some ministers signalling they would not support Ukraine next time there was a vote at the United Nations.
"If things continue a couple of weeks like this, the animosity against Europeans (will grow)," he added.
In response to the criticism, Borrell stressed human lives had the same value everywhere and that the EU had unanimously urged immediate humanitarian pauses to get aid to Palestinians in Gaza and quadrupled its humanitarian aid for the enclave.
But Arab leaders want an immediate end to Israel's bombardment, which has killed at least 13,300 Palestinians, including at least 5,600 children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run government.
They have lambasted both the EU and the United States for not condemning Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza, in contrast to the West's response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Israel has stressed that it is responding to the deadliest attack in its history, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
It says it is attacking civilian areas as that is where Hamas operates and it is trying to avoid innocent casualties.
EUROPE STRUGGLES
As High Representative for foreign policy, Borrell is charged with crafting common positions among EU members.
A neighbour of the Middle East and home to substantial Jewish and Muslim populations, the EU has a major stake in the latest crisis. Although not in the same league as the United States, it has some diplomatic weight in the region, not least as the biggest donor of aid to Palestinians.
But the bloc has struggled for a united stance beyond condemnation of the Hamas attack. It has largely limited itself to support for Israel's right to defend itself within international law and calls for pauses in fighting.
Individual member countries, meanwhile, such as Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary have stressed strong support for Israel while others such as Ireland, Belgium and Spain have criticised Israel's military action.
France has called for a humanitarian truce that would pave the way for a ceasefire.
Borrell, a veteran Spanish Socialist politician, last month declared that some of Israel's actions contravened international law - to the annoyance of some EU member countries.
He avoided such direct public criticism on his trip. He also sought to show understanding for the pain felt by Israelis, recalling his own experience on a kibbutz in the 1960s.
But he said the EU also should do more to demonstrate it also cares about Palestinian lives and this could come through stronger calls for aid to get into Gaza and a renewed push for a Palestinian state under the so-called "two-state solution".
(Reporting and writing by Andrew Gray; Additional reporting by John Irish; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
EU must ‘show more sympathy for Palestinians’ amid accusations of pro-Israel bias
Joe Barnes
Tue, November 21, 2023
Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for foreign policy
- MAZEN MAHDI/AFP
The European Union must show more sympathy for Palestinian civilians because accusations of pro-Israel bias are fuelling anger across the Muslim world, the bloc’s top diplomat has said.
Josep Borrell said Arab leaders had accused Brussels of not applying the same standards to Israel’s war with Hamas that it applies to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“All of them were really criticising the posture of the European Union as one-sided,” he said after holding talks with Arab leaders and Palestinian activists during a five-day trip to the Middle East.
Mr Borrell claimed ministers from the region had signalled they would not support Ukraine the next time there was a vote on the war at the United Nations.
“If things continue a couple of weeks like this, the animosity against Europeans will grow,” he added.
As the EU’s High Representative for foreign policy, Mr Borrell, a veteran Spanish socialist, is tasked with formulating common positions amongst the bloc’s 27 member states.
But he has struggled to balance pro-Israeli voices in Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic with the likes of Spain, Belgium and Ireland, which have voiced criticism of its offensive in Gaza.
A neighbour of the Middle East and home to substantial Jewish and Muslim populations, the EU has a major stake in the latest crisis.
Although not in the same league as the United States, it has some diplomatic weight in the region, not least as the biggest donor of aid to Palestinians.
However, the EU has yet to reach a united stance on the conflict, beyond condemnation of the Hamas attack. Instead, it has largely limited itself to support for Israel’s right to defend itself within international law and calls for pauses in fighting.
Broken international law
During a fierce debate over whether the EU should back calls for a ceasefire last month, Mr Borrell was criticised for suggesting Israel’s response to Hamas’s Oct 7 terror attacks had broken international law.
Last week, he declared that “one horror does not justify another”, and urged Israel not to be consumed by rage as it moves to eradicate the terror group.
Israel insists it is working hard to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza while arguing it has has no choice but to take its fight to civilian areas where it says Hamas terrorists operate.
In response to criticism of the EU, Mr Borrell has insisted the bloc has backed humanitarian pauses – short breaks in the fighting to pave the way for vital supplies to be delivered and evacuations to be carried out – while quadrupling its own aid to Gaza.
Pro-Palestine protests calling for an immediate ceasefire have taken place across the bloc in recent weeks.
Some governments, such as in France and Germany, have tried to limit the demonstrations citing concerns over security and anti-Semitism, which has spiked in the wake of last month’s massacre by Hamas.
Arab leaders have demanded an immediate ceasefire to end Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, which has killed at least 13,300 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s Hamas-controlled health ministry.
Similar criticisms have been made of the US, which is seen as the foreign power most capable of tempering Israel’s response.
‘EU roadmap’ to peace
Mr Borrell outlined an “EU roadmap” to peace after fighting between Israel and Hamas ends during his visit to the Middle East, which ended on Monday after taking him to the rubble of Kibbutz Be’eri, devastated by Hamas, the West Bank, a regional security conference in Bahrain and royal audiences in Qatar and Jordan.
The plan called for a commitment from Israel not to occupy Gaza and hand control of the coastal enclave to a Palestinian authority, as well as promises not to forcibly displace Palestinians.
Mr Borrell said the draft plan would require the help of the US and Arab states to implement.
He also voiced fears the conflict could further enflame the volatile situation in the West Bank and drag in other actors in the region if left unchecked.
“In light of increased extremists and settlers’ violence against Palestinians there is a real risk that the situation could escalate,” Mr Borrell said.
“Reports of a ship hijacked by the Houthis are another worrying signal of a risk of the regional spill over,” he added, citing the recent seizure of a Japanese-operated vessel in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group.
Meanwhile, Cyprus said it was ready to open a maritime humanitarian aid corridor between its ports to Gaza.
Nikos Christodoulides, the Cypriot president, said the proposal was the “only one currently being discussed on an international level” that could increase the trickle of aid reaching Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing.
The plan would require the backing of Israel’s government, which controls and restricts access to the enclave’s coastline.
Supplies reaching Gaza would be distributed by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees using its established network, Mr Christodoulides said.
Planning for the corridor of about 230 miles is essentially completed, and aid can begin to flow when a pause in fighting is declared, he added.
The European Union must show more sympathy for Palestinian civilians because accusations of pro-Israel bias are fuelling anger across the Muslim world, the bloc’s top diplomat has said.
Josep Borrell said Arab leaders had accused Brussels of not applying the same standards to Israel’s war with Hamas that it applies to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“All of them were really criticising the posture of the European Union as one-sided,” he said after holding talks with Arab leaders and Palestinian activists during a five-day trip to the Middle East.
Mr Borrell claimed ministers from the region had signalled they would not support Ukraine the next time there was a vote on the war at the United Nations.
“If things continue a couple of weeks like this, the animosity against Europeans will grow,” he added.
As the EU’s High Representative for foreign policy, Mr Borrell, a veteran Spanish socialist, is tasked with formulating common positions amongst the bloc’s 27 member states.
But he has struggled to balance pro-Israeli voices in Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic with the likes of Spain, Belgium and Ireland, which have voiced criticism of its offensive in Gaza.
A neighbour of the Middle East and home to substantial Jewish and Muslim populations, the EU has a major stake in the latest crisis.
Although not in the same league as the United States, it has some diplomatic weight in the region, not least as the biggest donor of aid to Palestinians.
However, the EU has yet to reach a united stance on the conflict, beyond condemnation of the Hamas attack. Instead, it has largely limited itself to support for Israel’s right to defend itself within international law and calls for pauses in fighting.
Broken international law
During a fierce debate over whether the EU should back calls for a ceasefire last month, Mr Borrell was criticised for suggesting Israel’s response to Hamas’s Oct 7 terror attacks had broken international law.
Last week, he declared that “one horror does not justify another”, and urged Israel not to be consumed by rage as it moves to eradicate the terror group.
Israel insists it is working hard to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza while arguing it has has no choice but to take its fight to civilian areas where it says Hamas terrorists operate.
In response to criticism of the EU, Mr Borrell has insisted the bloc has backed humanitarian pauses – short breaks in the fighting to pave the way for vital supplies to be delivered and evacuations to be carried out – while quadrupling its own aid to Gaza.
Pro-Palestine protests calling for an immediate ceasefire have taken place across the bloc in recent weeks.
Some governments, such as in France and Germany, have tried to limit the demonstrations citing concerns over security and anti-Semitism, which has spiked in the wake of last month’s massacre by Hamas.
Arab leaders have demanded an immediate ceasefire to end Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, which has killed at least 13,300 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s Hamas-controlled health ministry.
Similar criticisms have been made of the US, which is seen as the foreign power most capable of tempering Israel’s response.
‘EU roadmap’ to peace
Mr Borrell outlined an “EU roadmap” to peace after fighting between Israel and Hamas ends during his visit to the Middle East, which ended on Monday after taking him to the rubble of Kibbutz Be’eri, devastated by Hamas, the West Bank, a regional security conference in Bahrain and royal audiences in Qatar and Jordan.
The plan called for a commitment from Israel not to occupy Gaza and hand control of the coastal enclave to a Palestinian authority, as well as promises not to forcibly displace Palestinians.
Mr Borrell said the draft plan would require the help of the US and Arab states to implement.
He also voiced fears the conflict could further enflame the volatile situation in the West Bank and drag in other actors in the region if left unchecked.
“In light of increased extremists and settlers’ violence against Palestinians there is a real risk that the situation could escalate,” Mr Borrell said.
“Reports of a ship hijacked by the Houthis are another worrying signal of a risk of the regional spill over,” he added, citing the recent seizure of a Japanese-operated vessel in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group.
Meanwhile, Cyprus said it was ready to open a maritime humanitarian aid corridor between its ports to Gaza.
Nikos Christodoulides, the Cypriot president, said the proposal was the “only one currently being discussed on an international level” that could increase the trickle of aid reaching Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing.
The plan would require the backing of Israel’s government, which controls and restricts access to the enclave’s coastline.
Supplies reaching Gaza would be distributed by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees using its established network, Mr Christodoulides said.
Planning for the corridor of about 230 miles is essentially completed, and aid can begin to flow when a pause in fighting is declared, he added.
EU says no Palestinian aid going to Hamas, programmes to continue
Reuters
Updated Tue, November 21, 2023
European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis addresses a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union said on Tuesday a review of its development aid to Palestinians, ordered after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, found no evidence of funds going to the militant group and that its assistance would continue.
The EU is the biggest provider of such aid to Palestinians. It has earmarked some 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for its programmes for the period between 2021 and 2024.
The European Commission, the EU's executive body, announced the review two days after Hamas militants attacked Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Officials said the review was ordered as a precaution, not because they had any indications EU cash was going to Hamas.
"The review found no indications of EU money having directly or indirectly benefited the terrorist organisation Hamas," said Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.
Development aid is used for projects designed to have a long-term impact, such as paying the salaries of officials at the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, and the work of U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.
It is separate from humanitarian aid, meant for urgent needs for essentials such as food, water and shelter.
"The review found that the control system in place has worked. As a result payment to Palestinian beneficiaries and UNRWA will continue without any delays," Dombrovskis told reporters.
The Commission said, however, that it would not proceed with plans to provide 75.6 million euros ($82.5 million) for Gaza infrastructure projects that were not "feasible in the current context". That money will now go to other projects.
Israel launched heavy bombardment of Gaza after the Oct.7 attacks as part of a campaign to defeat Hamas.
The enclave's Hamas-run government says at least 13,300 Palestinians have been confirmed killed - including at least 5,600 children - during Israel's aerial blitz and invasion.
($1 = 0.9168 euros)
(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Philip Blenkinsop; editing by Bart Meijer and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Reuters
Updated Tue, November 21, 2023
European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis addresses a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union said on Tuesday a review of its development aid to Palestinians, ordered after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, found no evidence of funds going to the militant group and that its assistance would continue.
The EU is the biggest provider of such aid to Palestinians. It has earmarked some 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for its programmes for the period between 2021 and 2024.
The European Commission, the EU's executive body, announced the review two days after Hamas militants attacked Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Officials said the review was ordered as a precaution, not because they had any indications EU cash was going to Hamas.
"The review found no indications of EU money having directly or indirectly benefited the terrorist organisation Hamas," said Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.
Development aid is used for projects designed to have a long-term impact, such as paying the salaries of officials at the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, and the work of U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.
It is separate from humanitarian aid, meant for urgent needs for essentials such as food, water and shelter.
"The review found that the control system in place has worked. As a result payment to Palestinian beneficiaries and UNRWA will continue without any delays," Dombrovskis told reporters.
The Commission said, however, that it would not proceed with plans to provide 75.6 million euros ($82.5 million) for Gaza infrastructure projects that were not "feasible in the current context". That money will now go to other projects.
Israel launched heavy bombardment of Gaza after the Oct.7 attacks as part of a campaign to defeat Hamas.
The enclave's Hamas-run government says at least 13,300 Palestinians have been confirmed killed - including at least 5,600 children - during Israel's aerial blitz and invasion.
($1 = 0.9168 euros)
(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Philip Blenkinsop; editing by Bart Meijer and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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