More than 300 former ambassadors from the EU and its member states, along with ex-EU officials, have jointly signed a letter urging the EU to immediately suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement and to introduce targeted sanctions against members of Israel’s government, reports RTE.
Addressed to EU institutions and leaders of all 27 member countries, the letter also urges the 13 EU states that haven’t done so to join the 147 UN nations that already recognize the State of Palestine.
It reads: “We strongly urge the European Union to immediately impose targeted sanctions on the Israeli government and suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, reports RTE.
“In addition, we urge the President of the UN General Assembly and the Chair of the UN Security Council to convene Emergency Meetings of UNGA and the UNSC to adopt sanctions against the multiple violations of international law being perpetrated daily by the Israeli government on the people of Palestine.”
“We cannot stand idly by, watching Gaza reduced to rubble and its inhabitants to destitution and starvation,” stated former EU Ambassador Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, speaking on behalf of all signatories.
“The issue is whether the EU and like-minded nations are going to stand up for basic humanity and for the values that underpin the post-war international order, reports RTE.
“Action needs to be taken urgently to preserve life, end the military onslaught on Gaza, secure the return of all hostages and move to governance arrangements that allow for a swift return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza as a necessary step towards a unified and democratically elected Palestinian government”, reports RTE.
This marks the fourth appeal by former ambassadors and senior EU officials, who had previously represented either the EU or their respective nations abroad.
These former diplomats are also calling on the EU to back the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution and are urging the United States to “rescind decisions taken preventing official representatives of Palestine and the UN from even engaging in dialogue at UNGA,” reports RTE.
**EU to propose sanctions on extremist settlers in West Bank**
This letter comes in the wake of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issuing her strongest condemnation of Israel to date. She announced plans to propose sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank and to suspend trade elements of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Ms von der Leyen made these remarks during her highly anticipated State of the Union address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, reports RTE.
She said: “What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world. People killed while begging for food, mothers holding lifeless babies. These images are simply catastrophic,” reports RTE.
“I want to start with a very clear message: man-made famine can never be a weapon of war for the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity. This must stop,” reports RTE.
She also criticized what she described as the “financial suffocation” of the Palestinian Authority, as well as Israel’s settlement expansion plans in the West Bank that threaten to sever East Jerusalem.
“All of this points to a clear attempt to undermine the two-state solution, to undermine the vision of a viable Palestinian state,” she said. “And we must not let this happen,” reports RTE.
Von der Leyen acknowledged public frustration over the EU’s failure to adopt a unified stance on Gaza.
She said: “They are asking, how much worse things must get before there is unity in response. I understand, because what is happening in Gaza is unacceptable, and because Europe must lead the way, just as it has done before.,” reports RTE.
“Our financial support and humanitarian aid far outweigh that of any other partner,” said Ms von der Leyen.
“Our commitment to a viable Palestinian Authority is keeping the two-state solution alive, and we must urge others to urgently step up.”
A Commission spokesperson has since confirmed that EU financial assistance to Israel will be frozen, though this will not impact funding for Israeli civil society groups or Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre,” reports RTE.
“As announced by President von der Leyen in the \[State of the European Union speech], the Commission will propose a package of measures aimed at stopping the unacceptable situation in Gaza,” the spokesperson said, reports RTE.
EU funding aimed at enhancing EU-Israel relations currently totals €6 million annually across various programs, and will continue until 2027, after which it will be paused.
“In addition, the EU will put on hold approximately €14 million for ongoing projects,” said the spokesperson, reports RTE.
“More specifically, it means that we will put on hold … ongoing institutional cooperation projects with Israel (i.e., twinning programmes) … and we will further evaluate the projects funded under the Regional EU-Israel cooperation facility,” reports RTE.
During her address, von der Leyen also emphasized that Europe must assert itself in an increasingly hostile global environment.
She said a new, more self-reliant Europe needs to emerge.
“This must be Europe’s independence moment,” she told MEPs.
She said: “This is our union’s mission: to be able to take care of our own defense and security, to take control over the technologies and energies that will fuel our own economies, to decide what kind of society and democracy we want to live in, to be open to the world and choose partnerships with allies, old and new,” reports RTE.
“Ultimately, it is about having the freedom and the power to determine our own destiny, and we know we can do it, because together, we have shown what is possible when we have the same ambition, unity and urgency,” she said, reports RTE.
Ms von der Leyen pointed to the EU’s response to Covid-19, its recovery strategy, and support for Ukraine as evidence that Europe can act effectively when united.
“The central question for us today is a simple one, does Europe have the stomach to fight?”, she asked, reports RTE.
“Do we have the unity and the sense of urgency, the political will and the political skill to compromise, or do we just find one to fight between ourselves be paralysed by our divisions?”
Speaking about recent overnight drone strikes on Poland, the Commission President said: “We have seen a reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe’s airspace by more than 10 Russian Shaheed drones,” reports RTE.
“Europe stands in full solidarity with Poland,” Ms von der Leyen said.
She told MEPs: “Putin’s message is clear, and our response must be clear too. We need more pressure on Russia to come to the negotiation table. We need more sanctions. We are now working on the 19th package, in coordination with partners. We’re particularly looking at phasing out Russian fossil fuels faster, we are looking at the shadow fleet and at third countries, and at the same time, we need more support for Ukraine. No one has contributed as much as Europe, close to 170 billion euros of military and financial aid so far and more will be needed and it should not only be European taxpayers who bear the brunt of this. This is Russia’s war, and it is Russia, that should pay,” reports RTE.
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