#eu-foreign-policy

#eu-foreign-policy

Separately, the conclusions of the UN commission of inquiry have echoed what human rights organisations and genocide experts have been warning for months: Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. As the ground invasion of Gaza City intensifies, the international community has a legal and moral obligation to act. This includes the immediate imposition of sanctions on Benjamin Netanyahu's government to halt war crimes.

The EU executive has called for a suspension of free trade with Israel and sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Ursula von der Leyen had already floated the proposal to suspend the trade parts of the EU-Israel association agreement last week as the European Commission faced intense pressure for greater action amid criticism that it was not using its economic leverage to influence the Israeli government.

Delivering her state of the union address in Brussels last week, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, painted a grim but accurate picture of the challenges faced by Europe as the first quarter of the 21st century draws to a close. A world of imperial ambitions and imperial wars, she noted, is a world in which dependencies are ruthlessly weaponised.

There is a "growing majority" of countries that support sanctions against Israel, the EU's foreign affairs boss, Kaja Kallas, said recently. But Europe's top diplomats were unable to reach any kind of consensus. And some privately expressed frustration with EU nations blocking sanctions on Israel. One of these is Germany. In Copenhagen: Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and others would like some sort of sanctions while Italy, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Germany are reluctant

European leaders are grappling with the need to assert autonomy in Middle East policy amidst a fractured transatlantic relationship and increasing US-Iran tensions.

I am shocked and appalled at reports that the IDF fired shots in the vicinity of a visit to Jenin today by a group of diplomats, including two Irish diplomats based in Ramallah.