EU is complicit in Israeli crimes through inaction – Borrell

A third of the bombs used by West Jerusalem in Gaza are made in Europe, the former EU top diplomat has said

The EU can be seen as complicit in the Israeli war crimes in Gaza since it fails to act “in the face of a clear case of massive human rights violations,” the bloc’s former top diplomat, Josep Borrell, has said. Brussels is extremely reluctant to punish West Jerusalem for its transgressions, even though they “surpass” other crimes the bloc had condemned, he admitted.

Israel has been repeatedly accused of war crimes amid its ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. West Jerusalem launched its military campaign in the enclave in response to the October 7, 2023, attack in which the Palestinian militants killed 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages.

Since then, more than 60,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza, according to the enclave’s health ministry. West Jerusalem also faced accusations of obstructing humanitarian aid in the area.

According to Borrell, a third of Israeli bombs falling on Gaza “are made in Europe.”

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“Many member states simply don’t want to impose sanctions on Israel,” Borrell told the EU Observer in an interview published on Monday. He also believes that the EU Commission head, Ursula von der Leyen, also plays a major role in stalling the process as she simply does not put the issue of sanctions against Israel on the agenda and prevents an open debate on its within the commission.

According to the former top diplomat, Brussels only imposed restrictions against “maybe 20 people” over the Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank, despite such policies being considered illegal by the international community. “We sanctioned thousands in Russia for less,” he said, adding that restrictions considered by Brussels against West Jerusalem are nothing but “a bad joke.”

“What [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has done in Gaza surpasses many war crimes we've condemned,” Borrell stated, calling the situation in Gaza an example of “horrors” that are “greater than others.”

According to Borrell, further inaction in the face of Israel’s violations could cost the EU its international image and reputation. “There's a growing sense that inaction is starting to make us responsible for what’s happening.”