The European Foreign Ministers, who met this Monday in Brussels to approve the military naval mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant shipping from the harassment of the Houthis of Yemen, supported the political exit of European diplomacy from launch a peace plan to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who met with them, objected. But the head of European diplomacy, the Spanish-Argentine Josep Borrell, had already warned at the beginning of the meeting: “What other solution do you have in mind? (referring to Katz) Make all the Palestinians leave? Kill them all?”.
Summit. The Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad Najeeb al-Maliki (left) and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. Photo: EFEBorrell has just over eight months left in his term and seems determined to move the pieces on the board in the Middle East. This is why on Monday he made the heads of Israeli and Palestinian diplomacy sit at the table of European Foreign Ministers.
For days he has also been in dialogue with his counterparts in the Middle East and with the Arab League. It wants to provide a political solution to the conflict in the medium term that is needed so that the bombings end as soon as possible, stabilize a Gaza where more than 25,000 people have already died under Israeli bombs.
Israel’s position
Israel claims that casualties are so high because the ultra-Islamic terrorist group Hamas uses civilians as human shields when it barricades itself in civilian structures such as homes or hospitals.
Katz called on the European Union to help Hamas free the hostages as soon as possible which still lasts from the terrorist attack in southern Israel on October 7, which caused the death of over 1,200 people. Israel has asked Europeans for support in the war against Hamas (no one in Europe thinks of resorting to military aid in any way) and has said nothing along the lines of the European peace plan, which provides for the creation of a Palestinian state as ordered since then several United Nations Security Council resolutions decades ago.
The Palestinian response
His Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki, called on European governments to sanction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli prime minister does not accept the creation of a Palestinian state. Katz and Al-Maliki did not see each other yesterday.
Netanyahu’s refusal was harshly criticized by Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin: “Prime Minister Netanyahu’s statements are unacceptable and do not contribute in any way to the prospects for peace.”
Finnish Elina Valtonen said Netanyahu’s refusal was “not an acceptable position.” Latvian Krisjanis Karins argues that the European Union will have to exert economic pressure against Israel if it does not accept a Palestinian state.
German Annalena Baerbock said that although the creation of the Palestinian state alongside the Israeli one “is complex”, Europeans should not “put their heads in the sand”. Frenchman Stéphane Séjourné added that “Netanyahu’s position is worrying.”
Al Maliki, who spoke much more to the press than Katz, said that Europeans have “a collective responsibility to show leadership and courage by taking the right position, because otherwise what we have long been saying about double standards will be clearly demonstrated.” case. I hope I’m wrong”.
Half the planet accuses European governments of having double standards measure human rights violations based on who is responsible.
An island in the Mediterranean?
Diplomatic sources reportedClarion’ that Katz showed European foreign ministers the plan for an artificial island outside Gaza in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Israeli diplomat did not say that it was about deporting Palestinians to that island, and the video talks about a small island intended mainly for port and energy infrastructure, but the Europeans did not understand the projection. Katz’s idea dates back to seven years ago, when he was transportation minister.
Palestinian Al-Maliki said: “We don’t need any islands, neither natural nor artificial. We will stay in our homeland, Palestine is ours, it belongs to us and will remain so.” Borrell criticized the fact that the videos have no relation to the current conflict.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.