Public shapes EU’s pro-Gaza stance

Relentless public pressure is among the main drivers that got the United Kingdom, France and Canada to warn Israel of non-specified sanctions if it didn’t end its military operations and allow humanitarian aid to Gaza.

A separate statement from the European Commission signed by 23 countries, including Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands, essentially underlines the impact of public pressure that has been consistently mounting in Europe to stand up for Gazans. While Tel Aviv eased the blockade for humanitarian aid over a week after the word of caution, there is still no sign of even pausing the air strikes on Gaza.

Instead of allowing reputed international aid agencies to supervise the aid distribution, Israel deployed its Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for the job, a move that didn’t appeal to the EU. On its part, France is lobbying Europe and the UK to recognise Palestinian statehood at an upcoming UN conference. Experts see it more as a reprimand to Tel Aviv if France indeed takes the mission
to fruition.

Norway, which recognised the state of Palestine last year, slammed Israel for weaponising food and blocking independent aid workers from Gaza as Europe solidified its response. Sweden had recently resolved to push the EU to introduce sanctions against Israel. Swedish foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told local media that her government would seek sanctions against Israeli ministers responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

But the shift has been most notable from Israel’s key ally Germany which traditionally owed its loyalty to the Holocaust that killed six million Jews. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz didn’t mince words in saying he “no longer understands what Israel is trying to achieve.”

Israel had earlier justified the blockade from March 2 as a strategy to keep the supplies out of the hands of Hamas which, in turn, had made free flow of aid a condition to initiate peace talks. The European and Canadian statements mark a significant shift from the American stance, especially after President Donald Trump called for converting Gaza into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ and asked neighbouring Arab countries to accommodate Gazans who would be consequently displaced.

In their statement, the UK, France and Canada explicitly warned Israel of “concrete actions” if it failed to comply, although they didn’t specify the retribution. “We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response,” the trio cautioned Israel.
The UK paused its trade talks with Israel.

The signatories, however, urged Hamas to return all Israeli hostages under its custody for a new beginning to find a two-state solution. The response of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on expected lines, as he termed the European position as “a huge prize” for the October 7, 2023, “genocidal attack on Israel” by Hamas that left 1,200 dead and 250 abducted, many of whom are still in custody.

The two statements on May 19 coincided with a massive demonstration in The Hague, The Netherlands, where some 100,000 protestors dressed in red marched denouncing the attack on Gaza.

Most of the European countries had witnessed similar protests in the recent weeks, as visuals from Gaza presented the traumatic consequences of sustained military assault by Israel and the humanitarian crisis with over two million people, including children, left with no food, water or medicines. But a stubborn Israel cocked a snook at the EU and Canada by approving 22 settlements in the West Bank, where the West-backed Palestinian Authority exercises limited control.

Israel intercepts aid boat

Israeli forces even seized an aid boat carrying peace activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others early on Sunday. The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, was trying to deliver a symbolic quantity of aid including baby formula to Gazans.

Israeli media have been reporting about fears of Europe and Canada closing their airspaces to Israeli carriers. The Israeli civil aviation sector is already in tumult following suspension of operations to the country by several international airlines after a missile fired by Yemeni Houthi rebels struck an area near Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.

The European position, supported by Canada and Australia that are signatories in either of the two joint statements, is in tandem with the call from the intelligentsia to free itself from Washington’s Middle East policy.

(The writer is a senior journalist based in Berlin)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.