The EU makes Gaza fodder for its delayed diplomacy

Leaked excerpts of the European External Action Service’s (EEAS) review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement exhibits more cautiousness than determination to condemn Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza. “There are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israeli Association Agreement.” 

If Israel does not improve ‘the situation’ in Gaza, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas stated, “then we can discuss further measures and come back in July.”

Israel has forced Palestinians into forced into colonisation, military occupation, apartheid, and its latest ongoing phase of genocide in Gaza, and the EU still thinks it has time to assess and debate rather than act. It may be right – the EU has time, but Palestinians cannot spare time for debate. So, is the review about the EU trying to save face while placating Israel, or about saving Palestinians from genocide?

Amnesty International called the review “a greenlight for Israel to continue its genocide in the Gaza Strip and unlawful occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).” It also lamented that the EU took so long to review the agreement. 

The truth is that even international human rights organisations took too long to call out Israel’s genocide in Gaza, including Amnesty International. World leaders, international institutions and rights organisations have completely obliterated the fact that they are supposed to be serving the oppressed, and that the oppressed should not serve as fodder for the former’s existence. 

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A complete suspension of the agreement has already been ruled out due to a lack of agreement among EU member states. One option is said to be a partial suspension of “certain provisions related to free trade, research, technology in the EU-Israel Association Agreement.”

Weak language and weak decision-making consolidate the foundations for Israel to argue in favour of genocide. Rejecting the findings, Israel’s Foreign Minister wrote to the EU External Action Service, stating that “Israel is engaged in an existential struggle by defending against the shared enemies of the West.” It further noted that “this report and its conclusions should not be taken seriously or used as a basis for any future actions or conversations.” 

The irony is that there is a truth to Israel’s words, albeit not it in the way Israel is implying. But the West has conjured enemies out of the countries and people Israel has defined as enemies. Also, the EEAS report’s weak language cannot really be considered a foundation for further action, because it does not specify Israel’s genocide in Gaza. So, shifting attention back to the EU again, how can the bloc be taken seriously when it comes to punitive measures against Israel?

From the information revealed so far, the EU does not seem to have mentioned genocide. This means that this review could have taken place much earlier, when Israel was committing international law violations that the EU, like the rest of the international community, had normalised. At a moment that is crucial for Gaza, the EU took a step back to review international law violations that it should have brought to attention years ago, and which Israel is now applying with alarming frequency to consolidate its genocide in Gaza. This decades-long delay only spells the urgency to stop the genocide and to completely suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. 

It also exposes the EU’s exploitation of Palestinians for its own purpose – safeguarding its trade agreements with Israel. Genocide remains profitable, and fodder for the EU’s delayed diplomacy. 

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