Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eli Cohen, set out, on Wednesday 8 November, Israel’s position in the face of what he described as a war not only against his country, but also “against the free world”, placing all responsibility for the current situation on Hamas.
Speaking at a conference organised by the Israeli Embassy to the European Union and NATO in the European Parliament, he said: “We must free Gaza from Hamas for the security of Israel and for the people who live in Gaza”.
The minister also went back over Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, referring to the disengagement plan, the operation initiated by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a decision which, according to Eli Cohen, did not lead to the hoped-for peace, but to an escalation of violence.
For the Israeli minister, who described the events of 7 October as “the worst day for the State of Israel and for the Jewish people since the Holocaust”, this rise in tension took place despite the international financial aid provided to Gaza. Mr Cohen deplored the fact that instead of using these resources to improve the lives of the people of Gaza, the funds had been diverted to making rockets. He said that, since 2005, his main wish has been to coexist peacefully with his neighbours.
The minister also commented on Hamas’ handling of the attacks. He stressed that these atrocities had not only been filmed by the perpetrators, but had also been shared by them.
Eli Cohen stressed as well that Hamas is not the only threat facing Israel. According to the minister, the country is also targeted by Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels in Yemen and from the Islamic State. He said he believed all these groups shared a common benefactor, Iran, which he accused of trying to destabilise the region and halt the peace process.
Eli Cohen thanked the international community, particularly Europe, for its support for Israel during this difficult period. He underlined the urgency and gravity of the situation, drawing attention to the five families present at the conference whose relatives had been kidnapped. In his words: “This is not just the war of the State of Israel. We need to win this war to ensure that the West will not be next”. He concluded his speech by urging the international community to act, calling for the immediate release of the hostages.
At the event, chaired by Spanish MEP Antonio López-Istúriz White (EPP), personal accounts were given by families affected by the abductions. One of the witnesses described the horror of discovering that his family had been kidnapped via a video on the social network TikTok, emphasising the premeditated and organised nature of the attack. The tone of the conference, resolutely heavy, was amplified by the broadcasting of images of the attacks, before the testimonies, as if to rally the audience, overcome by emotion in the face of the unbearable, to the Israeli cause. No exchange followed. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)