Gaza: how should Europe deal with Israel?
The tone of exchanges between Israel and Europe is becoming harsher. In a break with previous language, EU Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera described Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide". Speaking in Paris, the Spanish politician said that the situation there had exposed "Europe's failure" to act and speak with one voice on this issue. The Belgian government also took a tougher stance this week when it unilaterally imposed sanctions on Israel.
Tel Aviv's double standards
Tygodnik Powszechny accuses Netanyahu's government of duplicity:
“Every Israeli retaliation in recent history has ended in bloodshed. But the current actions in Gaza and the number of innocent victims are on an unprecedented scale. Israel likes to present itself as 'the only democracy in the Middle East' and 'a partner of the West'. But when demands for civilians to be protected grow loud, the narrative suddenly changes: you Europeans have naive pacifist convictions that cannot be implemented in this wild and brutal region.”
This people's history doesn't give them carte blanche
An awareness of history should not pose an obstacle to taking a clear stand on Israel's policies, Público argues:
“Europeans' sympathy, understanding and sense of responsibility towards Jews in the context of the Shoah during the Second World War are justified, and the Jewish cause must be defended by combating antisemitism, hate speech and all other forms of discrimination. But memory and the weight of history must not prevent political action, especially when too many qualified voices are now using the word genocide to describe what's going on in Gaza. ... The dangerous path Netanyahu has embarked on narrows the scope for rhetorical subtleties from those who want to sit on the fence: Gaza is a collective imperative.”
Merz should do the EU a favour
The Süddeutsche Zeitung sees the chancellor in a tight spot over Germany's blockade stance on Israel sanctions:
“Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) claims to play a leading role in the EU. If he wants to fulfil this claim, he will now have to end the German blockade and clear the way for pan-European sanctions against Israel. Comparatively mild proposals for this have long been on the table. Merz will not bring peace to the Middle East. But mending the rifts within Europe would be a decent achievement in itself.”