2023-10-17 19:37:12
The Twenty-Seven tried to regain their unity after a week of cacophony. They condemned the massacre committed by Hamas, while calling on Israel to respect international law.
European Union (EU) leaders met urgently by videoconference on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza following the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas on October 7 and the return of war to the Middle East . The objective of the Twenty-Seven was to find their unity after the cacophony displayed when it was a question of condemning the massacre committed by the terrorists. They also mentioned the Islamist terrorist attacks perpetrated in France and, the day before, in Brussels.
“We had the opportunity, during this virtual meeting, to note a very firm, very solid and very united position des 27 leaders“, said the President of the European Council, Charles Michel (MR), during a press conference attended remotely by the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“We condemn in the harshest terms the terrorist attacks carried out against Israel”, he added, recalling the terms of a declaration adopted last Sunday, and “we affirm the right of Israel to defend itself in compliance with human rights“. He expressed “his emotion” after the bombing of a hospital Tuesday in Gaza. “An attack on civilian infrastructure does not respect international law,” he said.
Ursula von der Leyen’s response
This summit was convened by Charles Michel after Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Israel last weekend. This trip was criticized by certain capitals, the president having abstained fromcall on the Israeli government to show restraint in its response against Hamas.
“There is no contradiction in being in solidarity with Israel andact to meet the needs of Palestinians“, replied Ursula von der Leyen during the press conference. She pleaded for continued aid to Palestine. “I am not aware of any European funds that would be in the pockets of terrorists,” she said.
The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin in China, did not attend the summit.
Socialist and liberal offensive
“The common foreign policy is an intergovernmental policy, not a community policy.”
The controversy sparked by von der Leyen’s visit to Israel came from the socialist (S&D) and liberal (RE) leaders, while she is a member of the Christian Democrats (EPP). Elections are approachingand tensions multiply.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell (S&D), authorized himself on Sunday, for the first time, to send a call to order to Ursula von der Leyen. “The common foreign policy is an intergovernmental policy, not a community policy,” he said.
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