High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul (not pictured) during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry, November 4, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo: Chung Sung-Jun/Pool via REUTERS)
The European Union’s outgoing Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell has suggested suspending the political dialogue with the State of Israel due to the Gaza war, Reuters reported on Thursday.
According to the Reuters report, which is based on four unnamed diplomats, Borrell sent a letter to the EU foreign ministers ahead of their summit on Monday. In his letter, Borrell claims there were “serious concerns about possible breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza,” adding that “thus far, these concerns have not been sufficiently addressed by Israel.”
“In light of the above considerations, I will be tabling a proposal that the EU should invoke the human rights clause to suspend the political dialogue with Israel,” Borrell argued in his letter.
One diplomat told Reuters that the purpose of Borrell’s proposal was to convey “concerns” about the Jewish state’s military operations against the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza.
Suspending the political dialogue forum with Israel would require the approval of all 27 EU member states, something that the diplomats believe is unlikely. Several EU countries have reportedly already rejected Borrell’s proposal after being briefed about it in Brussels, Belgium.
Borrell has been a vocal critic of the Jewish state both before and after the Hamas Oct. 7 attack.
In February, Borrell unsuccessfully tried to unite the EU bloc to oppose an Israeli military operation against Hamas forces in Rafah in southern Gaza. However, Hungary, which maintains close ties with Israel, opposed Borrell’s anti-Israel initiative.
The EU chief’s latest diplomatic move against Israel was influenced by a recent report from the United Nations Human Rights Office, which stated that nearly 70% of the verified fatalities in the Gaza conflict were women and children.
In May 2024, the UN revised its casualty figures, significantly reducing the reported number of women and children killed in Gaza by a whopping 50%.
“The UN has so far not been able to produce independent, comprehensive, and verified casualty figures,” the report stated.
The Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry claims that more than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attack last year. However, the numbers cannot be independently verified, and Hamas does not distinguish between civilians and terrorists who systematically blend among the civilian population. Furthermore, Hamas’ strategy to operate in civilian structures like hospitals, residential buildings and schools constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.
In August, the Israel Defense Forces estimated they had eliminated approximately 17,000 terrorists in Gaza since Oct. 7 of last year. If the Hamas fatality numbers are correct, it would mean roughly half of Gaza’s fatalities were terrorists belonging to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Israeli officials have blasted Borrell for what they view as one-sided hostility towards the Jewish state.
In June, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was nominated to replace Borrell as EU’s next foreign policy chief. Unlike Borrell, Kallas is believed to embrace a more nuanced position on the complex realities in the Middle East.
In November 2023, Kallas expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
“Israel is fully entitled to defend itself. But it must do so in a way that spares innocent lives and adheres to the norms of international law,” Kallas stated.
Israeli officials are hopeful that Kallas’ appointment will improve diplomatic ties between the European Union and the State of Israel.
