Europe on Gaza: Weak Diplomacy and an Obsession with Security

The conflict in Gaza has ripped up the unity that existed among European countries on the Palestinian cause. Feelings caused by historical guilt and a sense of injustice regarding Israel, especially on the part of Germany, have touched on the multiple identities of the Europeans themselves and contributed to the disintegration and decline of Europe’s vision on the Palestinian question.

It has become clear that the European Union’s position on Palestine is shifting, especially with the rise of a new wave of extreme right-wing European parties that thrive on glorifying national identity. These approaches intersect with the extremist outlook of Israel’s far-right-wing government, as can be seen in the proximity between populist Western governments and Israel.

The EU is Out of the Game

The EU’s early responses to the war in Gaza revealed divisions among its leadership. Visits by the heads of the European Commission and the European Parliament to Israel sparked angry reactions. They were seen as unilateral moves, in a break from the traditional approach to diplomacy by the bloc, which had consistently issued balanced statements on Israeli-Palestinian issues.

The late October vote on a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza also revealed divisions among Western countries, especially within the EU. France supported the resolution, while Germany, Italy and Britain abstained and Austria joined the United States in voting against it.

The UNGA again called on December 10 for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, in a resolution backed by more than three quarters of the 193 member states. The United States had vetoed a similar resolution at the Security Council, but it does not have such a tool at the General Assembly, where 153 countries supported the resolution and just 10 countries, including Israel and the US, voted against it.

European countries such as Italy, Britain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Slovakia and Ukraine were among the 23 nations that abstained from voting on the draft resolution, opting to avoid taking a position against Israel’s repeated and UN-documented war crimes. Germany declined to vote due to its history with the Jews, while Ukraine – which is also a current victim of war and foreign occupation - decided to refrain from aligning with any party.

Although the resolution is not binding, the fact is passed is a strong indication that the U.S., which has hobbled the Security Council’s ability to do its job by repeatedly vetoing draft resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, is out of step with the international community’s overwhelmingly support for a ceasefire.

The developments at the UN also show the distance between the positions of European states and that of the EU itself, and reflect how far nationalist discourse has risen at the expense of the idea of European unity, especially since Britain withdrew from the European Union.

Europe’s Shifting Position

Since the 1990s, the EU has ostensibly been in consensus over the need for a two-state solution to the question of Palestine, calling for a return to the 1967 borders and condemning Israel’s illegal settlements, as the foundation of a political settlement. However, in recent years, certain European countries have bolstered their relations with Israel, driven partly by historical motives, partly by the incentive of growing bilateral economic and trade relations, and in some cases, partly by political rapprochement between right-wing extremist political leaders in Israel and Europe.

The war in Gaza thus appears to have broken the foundations of the general consensus that had prevailed among European governments on Palestine, making it difficult for the EU to take a clear position on the conflict.

The scale of Israel’s response to the Hamas attack, and the large number of civilian victims as a result of its incursions into Gaza, have caused huge protests throughout Europe, revealing another division between public opinion and government policy. France, home to the largest communities of both Jews and Muslims in Europe, has been forced to seek a balance between the two.

While the conflict resonates differently in every country, from Germany's historical solidarity with Israel to Ireland’s support for the Palestinians, some common trends have also appeared. While governments have supported Israel’s position, public opinion, especially among younger generations that include large Muslim minorities, have come out loudly in support for the Palestinian cause, as demonstrated in unprecedented protests condemning the genocide against the Palestinian people.

Consequences for European Security

There is no doubt that these divisions between European publics and their governments will have many repercussions and security consequences for the European Union.

Firstly, they post a threat to the security of European societies. The conflict in Gaza may directly threaten social peace in Europe, as it is sowing deep divisions between the various nationalities and communities that live under the same roof of Western democracies. Secondly, the West has seen a sharp rise in Islamophobia, and protesters supporting the Palestinians are accused of backing Hamas and stirring hatred against Israel. Thirdly, the war raises the prospect of more terrorist attacks, violence and extremism in Europe.

Fourthly, Russia may seek to exploit divisions in Europe and the continent’s preoccupation with Gaza to step up its own attacks on Ukraine. For security and strategic reasons, the EU needs to maintain its unity over Ukraine, which belongs to the same European geographical environment, as well as depriving Russia of the chance to catch its breath and continue its military effort to reach what Moscow views as a satisfactory political settlement in the war with Ukraine.

As European countries become increasingly divided over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the EU is struggling to live up to its historical diplomatic role. That said, it does still have room for maneuver. For example, the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borrell should shoulder the responsibility of clearly stating the EU’s traditional position on the conflict and putting it into effect. Moreover, the EU should attempt to mediate by meeting with Israeli and Palestinian officials as well as representatives of neighboring countries directly concerned with the conflict in Gaza, and with the Palestinian issue in general.

Although the EU’s exhaustion over the war in Ukraine has placed it in an uncomfortable political, military and economic situation that does not allow it to influence political efforts to resolve the conflict in Gaza, it is at least able to facilitate diplomatic dialogue at the regional level, which could include support for efforts to prevent a regional escalation of the conflict.

Conclusion

The EU’s clout as a regional bloc has greatly diminished in recent years, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the continent’s direct involvement in the war in Ukraine, along with the repercussions of the economic crisis and the rise of the extreme right in many European countries. All this has led Europe to avoid playing the international role it used to play as mediator to resolve crises.

The shifting security and economic perspectives of European countries have also greatly affected the unity of European foreign policy decisions and disrupted the bodies responsible for taking them. Many countries have opted to maintain utilitarian relations with Israel instead of supporting Palestinians and their rights, while some have adopted unilateral decisions outside the framework of the EU. This constitutes a systemic change and a break with the union’s traditional mode of operation.

The EU is passing through a difficult and complex stage of its history, especially as right wing parties take power across Europe. This phase could erase the union’s strong institutional legacy, a decline with implications for the value of European unity and the single currency, and one that would encourage a security outlook that is ever stricter and more closed to the external environment. The war in Ukraine is also having deep repercussions for the security of EU countries, and the bloc will likely adopt tougher immigration policies to close its borders to both legal and illegal immigrants. On top of all of this, the EU is set to lose its foreign policy clout on many files, not least that of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.