Over 200 EU diplomats launch appeal for urgent action against Israel
Over 200 EU diplomats launch appeal for urgent action against Israel
M.U.H
27/08/202543
An unprecedented coalition of former EU and national ambassadors, along with senior ex-officials, has signed a new open letter urging the EU to take tougher action against Israel amid the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The joint letter signed by 209 former European ambassadors and officials includes 74 former ambassadors representing the EU overseas, and 96 former national ambassadors from Germany, France, and Italy.
The letter expressed “profound disappointment” that the EU had taken “no substantive measures” to pressure Israel to end its “brutal” war in Gaza.
The open letter argued that if the EU cannot reach a joint agreement on action against Israel, a coalition of “like-minded” states should proceed with their own sanctions against the Zionist regime.
The signatories also criticized the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, describing it as “totally inadequate.”
"If this was not bad enough, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed on 22 August that a man-made famine now exists in these same areas of Gaza, with half a million people there facing starvation, destitution and death," it added.
The letter condemned Israeli plans to expand illegal settlements in East al-Quds, calling it an “openly declared aim … to sabotage the longstanding two-state solution, backed by the vast majority of UN member states and the EU.”
It further denounced the actions of violent settlers who continue to “run amok” in the occupied West Bank.
The letter has been addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
It follows a previous letter sent on July 23, which had 58 signatories. The earlier appeal came after several pro-Israel EU member states blocked a series of potential sanctions against Israel over its actions in Gaza.
Responding to the letter, Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Harris urged the European Union (EU) to take collective action against Israel over the Gaza famine.
Harris described the letter as a “vital [and] unprecedented intervention,” adding “Collective EU action could make a powerful difference … If we do not take collective action now against the backdrop of famine, when will we?”
Ten Irish diplomats who served as EU ambassadors overseas have added their names to the letter.
At the domestic level, the Irish government has faced strong criticism over what activists and campaigners have called an “absolute refusal to hold Israel accountable for genocide.”
The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign has organized a series of demonstrations, including a protest scheduled for Tuesday evening against the Central Bank of Ireland for its role in authorizing the sale of Israel Bonds in the EU.
The Central Bank, which serves as the designated authority for such sales, has determined that the securities sold comply with the EU's prospectus regulations.
Pro-Palestine activists have called for legislation granting Ireland the authority to block the sale of Israeli “war bonds” on human rights grounds.
Activists argue that the bonds help fund the genocide in Gaza, and Ireland has obligations under the Genocide Convention to employ all possible measures to deter parties suspected of participating in a genocide.
