The European Union must stop staying to look at and do something to save the Palestinians of Gaza, as he is doing with the Ukrainians. A group of officials of the Community institutions wrote at the top of the EU to denounce the “scarce or no significant action” in the face of the humanitarian crisis underway in the strip.
The letter, signed by over 2 thousand employees of the European Commission, Parliament and various agencies, is a tough accusation against the institutions for what is called a “clear double moral”.
“Just inaction”
As the Guardian reports, the group “EU Staff for Peace” had already drawn up a first appeal in May 2024
“EU institutions have not been able to assert the political, diplomatic and economic influence of the Union to improve the situation in Gaza”, reads the new document. The “inaction” of the EU, continues the letter, “contributed to creating a context of impunity that led to the current large -scale invasion of the Gaza Strip”.
The review of the agreement with Israel
The new appeal comes a few days after the high representative Kaja Kallas has announced a review of the commercial agreement with Israel, under pressure from 17 Member States, and the opposition of Italy by Giorgia Meloni, as well as Germany. A move that the signatories welcome, but define “devastatingly late for the thousands of people killed in Gaza”.
“The recent announcement of the revision of the EU-Israel Association agreement-20 months after the start of the conflict, while thousands of children risk hunger for the renewed blocking of humanitarian aid-raises serious concerns about adequacy and the timing of the EU response,” said Zeno Benetti, one of the co-authors of the letter.
However, the revision does not mean the suspension, but only an assessment by the community executive if there are in progress violations of human rights by Israel. Only in that case could we move on to a request for suspension, which however should be approved by the twenty -seven.
The agreement in its suit can only be suspended with the unanimous green light between the 27 Member States, but the key provisions, including the trade and participation of Israel in the European Horizon research financing program, can be frozen on the basis of a weighted majority vote.
Double standard
The officials recall that last year they had already asked for the suspension (and not only the review) of the agreement with Israel, the end of the exports of weapons by the Member States and concrete support to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
In the new appeal, the institutions of “apparent double standard” accuse, criticizing the absence of convictions against European leaders who have hosted or proposed to host Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli premier on which a stopping mandate hangs by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.
Hungary welcomed Netanyahu on a state visit for four days in April. Poland took into consideration its participation in the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, while the then German -designated chancellor, Friedrich Merz, promised that he would find a way to allow Netanyahu to visit Germany without being arrested.
“Eu Staff for Peace” asked for meetings with the offices of the three EU presidents. Every Thursday, the group organizes a garrison in front of the European Council and the Commission, during the lunch break, to ask for peace in the Middle East.
