On Wednesday 11 October, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the Allied Defence Ministers would be briefed on Thursday “by the Israeli Defence Minister, [Yoav] Gallant, on the situation in Israel”.
“Allies condemned the horrific terrorist attacks on innocent civilians in Israel over the weekend, and we are looking forward to the briefing from the defence minister”, added Mr Stoltenberg. Later in the day, he said that while Israel had the right to defend its territory, he expected to see a “proportionate response”. As the Israeli response to the Hamas terrorist attacks continues (see EUROPE 13267/1), Mr Stoltenberg said that everything possible must be done to avoid the loss of innocent civilian lives.
Alongside him, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, present in Brussels for the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, called on the Allies to show unity and solidarity with the Jewish state. “My recommendation to the leaders [is] to go to Israel and I think to support people, just people. I’m not speaking about any institutions, just to support people who have been under terrorist attacks”, he said.
Mr Zelensky explained that the situation in Israel reminded him of the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022. “It was the worst tragedy, with many people killed. It was essential not to feel alone. Feeling supported can help you save your country, your people and your life”, he emphasised.
For their part, the European institutions paused their business for a moment of reflection on Wednesday. The European College of Commissioners and the European Parliament observed a minute’s silence in memory of the Israeli victims.
On the esplanade of the European Parliament in Brussels, several hundred people gathered around the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, the Presidents of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Israeli Ambassador to the EU, Haim Regev. We have come “to express our solidarity, to condemn the appalling acts of terror and murder and to demand the immediate release of the hostages”, declared Ms Metsola in a speech followed by a minute’s silence and the Israeli and European anthems.
For the European Parliament President, “October 7th is a day that will go down in global infamy”.
In a speech to the College, Ms von der Leyen described the actions of Hamas as “abhorrent crimes” and an “act of war”. She “fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself”.
The two Presidents stressed that Europe stood by Israel.
They called for a distinction to be made between the terrorist organisation Hamas and the Palestinians. “Hamas [...] do not represent the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. They do not offer solutions. They offer bloodshed”, said Ms Metsola. For Ms von der Leyen, “the horror that Hamas has unleashed will lead to further suffering for innocent Palestinians” and “Hamas alone is responsible for its actions”.
Ms von der Leyen also believes that efforts must be made to contain the destabilising effects of the situation on the region and that Iran’s response must be monitored “closely”.
To see Ms von der Leyen’s speech, go to https://aeur.eu/f/901
To see Ms Metsola’s, go to https://aeur.eu/f/900 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)