New Delhi: After days of conflicting statements about the Israel-Hamas conflict from various EU member states, 27 European leaders converged for an emergency virtual meeting Tuesday. The urgent gathering, summoned by European Council president Charles Michel, aimed to chart a “common position” and a “clear unified course of action” amid the unfolding crisis.
In a joint statement released after the meeting— which took place in the backdrop of a hospital explosion killing hundreds in Gaza—the EU leaders condemned the “brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks” by Hamas. They also expressed solidarity with the people of Israel and said the country had the right to defend itself “in line with humanitarian and international law.”
Moreover, the EU expressed its commitment to mobilising humanitarian aid “for the populations most in need” and political and diplomatic engagement with regional partners to secure “lasting and sustainable peace based on a two-state solution”.
However, as foreign policy experts predicted ahead of the meeting, the statement stuck firmly to the middle ground and did not offer a “single direction”.
For instance, Harsh V Pant, vice president (foreign policy) at Observer Research Foundation told ThePrint Tuesday that the EU’s joint statement would be “an amalgamation of responses from various member states”, reiterating the two-state solution and denouncing terrorism.
“It will not have a single direction but rather the lowest common denominator across all members,” he said.
While the EU’s response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict displayed cohesion despite some differing opinions among member states, the Israel-Hamas conflict has laid bare deep divisions.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stirred controversy when she visited Israel Friday to highlight Europe’s ‘unequivocal’ support for Israel, without mentioning the need for it to adhere to international law.
In a joint press statement with Israeli PM Netanyahu, she decried the “barbaric terrorists” of Hamas and said there was only one possible response: “Europe stands with Israel. And Israel has a right to defend itself. In fact, it has the duty to defend its people.”
Her statements earned criticism from within the EU, including its top diplomat Josep Borrell. He reinforced Sunday that the official position of the EU on any foreign policy issue had to be made according to established guidelines.
Von der Leyen, a German politician, has also been criticised for remaining silent on Israel’s “total blockade” on Gaza, including restricting access to water, electricity, and medicines. This stance is starkly different from her position during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, wherein she referred to Russia’s attempts to cut off electricity to civilians as “acts of pure terror”.
“In the case of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ursula von der Leyen was praised for leading the consensus on the issue. Here, the threat unified Europe as it came to the region’s territorial integrity,” said Professor Gulshan Sachdeva of the Centre for European Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. “However, in complex subjects such as the Palestine issue, it is much more difficult to achieve consensus.”
After the Gaza explosion Wednesday, von der Leyen said there was “no excuse” for hitting a hospital full of civilians, but stopped short of fixing accountability, stating that “facts need to be established”. Both Israel and Palestine have blamed each other for the blast.
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‘How dare she?’
The emergency meeting of the EU came in response to more than a week of internal strife and division over the Israel-Gaza conflict. With escalating fears of a wider war and a humanitarian crisis, achieving consensus becomes important. As reported by The Guardian Tuesday, worries loom that the conflict could not just disrupt the EU’s “coalition of support” in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, but also hinder the Ukraine peace process.
While EU leaders released a statement Sunday stressing that Israel’s right to defend itself had to be in line with international law and reiterating the importance of providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, it could not quite paper over the ruptures in the union.
For instance, Spain social rights minister Ione Belarra denounced Israel’s “planned genocide in the Gaza strip” in a video statement Monday.
We ask our partner that, as the Government of Spain, we bring Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court for war crimes. Here is my official statement 👇 pic.twitter.com/Wuu8nnKfVp
— Ione Belarra (@ionebelarra) October 16, 2023
“This collective punishment seriously breaches international law and may be considered war crimes,” she said. Belarra also accused the US and EU of “encouraging Israel and its policy of apartheid and occupation that violates human rights”.
Ireland’s Clare Daly, a member of the European Parliament, also did not hold back on her criticism of von der Leyen.
“When the EU should have been arguing for a ceasefire, for the upholding international law and protection of civilians, Ursula von der Leyen was in Tel Aviv to photo op the preparation of a genocide and says Europe stands with Israel,” she said in Parliament.
“How dare she? She has no authority on foreign affairs matters. She does not speak for me, Ireland or the citizens of Europe,” Daly added.
How dare @vonderleyen declare "Europe stands with Israel"?
She does not speak for me.
She does not speak for Ireland.
She does not speak for the citizens of Europe.
We stand for peace, international law and justice for the people of #Palestine.
It's time for her to go. pic.twitter.com/odyvwluPPh
— Clare Daly (@ClareDalyMEP) October 17, 2023
Meanwhile, Borrell said that Israel’s right to defend itself had a “limit”, namely international law, and acknowledged the “very dire humanitarian situation in Gaza”.
Influence of domestic politics
Many of the EU countries’ responses are influenced by their domestic policies on subjects such as terrorism and extremism, according to foreign policy experts.
“Historical linkages and the nature of regimes definitely impact statements made on this conflict. Domestic issues such as Macron’s strong views on terrorism, concern over growing extremism in Nordic countries such as Sweden and more, will all be reflected in their responses addressing this issue,” Pant said.
“This is a balancing act. Many countries have Muslim as well as Jewish constituencies, which are important for these leaders and hence, they are catering to them as well,” he added.
In France, where combating extremism is a key domestic issue, all pro-Palestine protests have been banned since the conflict, with police using tear gas on protestors last week.
However, the country, which has a significant Jewish and Muslim population, has also tried to maintain a balance in its rhetoric. While French President Emmanuel Macron has denounced Hamas as a terrorist group that Israel has the right to eliminate through “targeted actions”, he has also reinforced the need for “preserving civilian populations because that’s the duty of democracies”.
Germany’s domestic policies also impact its stance in the conflict. Its dark history of the Holocaust makes its commitment towards protecting and supporting Israel, a ‘special responsibility’ or “staatsräson” (reason of state), according to former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 2008 speech at the Knesset.
Experts say that the EU’s response to the Russia- Ukraine war was more unanimous as it was a specific issue that was closer to home.
“Traditionally, the EU always takes time to come to a consensus. In the case of Ukraine, unanimity was easier to achieve as it was perceived as a threat by all states, occurring so close to Europe. Yet, in this conflict, the EU also has interests in the Middle East and Arab world to think about,” Sachdeva said.
Pant also observed that Ukraine was a “threat at the heart of Europe” and so viewed more personally. “However, Israel-Hamas is a much more distant question and hence, responses are divided and more influenced by domestic concerns,” he added.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
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