The “inaction” of the European Union’s institutions has contributed to the environment of unaccountability underpinning “the full-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip taking place at this moment”, according to the informal ‘EU Staff for Peace’ collective, a group of European officials who are critical of the way in which EU institutions are handling Israel’s war in Gaza in response to the terrorist attacks by the Islamist group Hamas in October 2023.
“The EU institutions have failed to bring the European Union’s political, diplomatic and economic influence to bear in order to ameliorate the situation in Gaza”, says the collective, which claims to have 2,000 supporters, in a letter sent on Thursday 22 May to the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament.
In their view, the EU’s response to civilian deaths and the blocking of humanitarian aid has “too often been limited to statements of concern, with little or no meaningful action taken”.
European officials welcome the decision, supported by a majority of Member States, to review the EU/Israel Association Agreement in the light of the Israeli authorities’ respect for human rights (see EUROPE 13644/1). Nevertheless, they add, in their role as EU staff, “we once again call for more concrete action” in line with the values and principles enshrined in the European treaties.
These actions could include limitations on Member States’ arms exports to Israel and compliance with the obligations arising from membership of the International Criminal Court.
Read the letter from the ‘EU Staff for Peace’ collective: https://aeur.eu/f/h0j (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)