Ten months into Israel’s latest war against the Palestinian people, and with an estimated 40,000 Palestinians murdered by the Israeli state, the EU has yet to take any real steps to help resolve the conflict beyond issuing statements that parrot the US position.
Recently however, Josep Borell has suggested for the first time that the sanctions against Israel’s extremist ministers should be on the EU’s agenda. This is a welcome move by the EU’s foreign policy chief, and EU leaders must take it seriously to support global efforts to bring Israel to the negotiating table for the sake of peace.
Instead of a united EU position, we saw recently a statement by the UK, France, and Germany, calling on Iran to avoid a retaliatory response against Israel for its clear violation of Iranian sovereignty.
An Iranian response would, they said, threaten ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
And yet there was no mention of the fact that Israel had just assassinated the head of their supposed negotiating partner. Furthermore they indicated absolutely no willingness to hold Israel accountable, either for its war crimes in its current military offensive, nor for the continued and deliberate expansion of illegal settlements - both of which have been well documented and verified by the International Court of Justice.
Both Israel’s ministers of finance and national security have made numerous public statements which demonstrate a clear disregard for international law and denying the Palestinian people basic humanity.
Israel’s finance minister, Belzalel Smotrich, has blatantly endorsed a policy of collective punishment upon Gaza, most recently remarking that "it might be justified and moral” to let Israel “cause two million civilians to die of hunger” until the “hostages are returned”.
Whilst Ben Gvir, the national security minister, recently denounced peace talks to resolve the situation in Gaza, and called on Netanyahu to halt all aid to the enclave as a mere negotiating tactic. Their remarks should send alarm bells ringing for those who claim to support peace, and trigger an urgent shift from rhetoric to accountability.
Whilst the EU’s high representative has since issued strong statements condemning the position of both ministers, clearly this is the minimum the EU can do in support of a just political solution, wider and peace efforts to prevent further escalation in the region.
The Palestinians will justifiably view further proposals of peace talks with great hesitation, given the predominance of extremist idealogues in key ministerial positions within Israel’s government.
And furthermore there is little to suggest in reality the policies endorsed by Ben Gvir and Belzalel Smotrich are not more widely supported within the Israeli leadership. Israel’s extremist politicians are not only an immediate obstacle to an end to the bloodshed in Gaza, but further threaten to destabilise the whole region.
The Palestinians will justifiably view further proposals of peace talks with great hesitation, given the predominance of extremist idealogues in key ministerial positions within Israel’s government
It is entirely within the remit of the European Union to sanction both individuals; including asset freezes, travel bans, and threatening to suspend Israel’s association agreement unless Netanyahu takes immediate steps to remove them from Government.
Lest we forget, the International Court of Justice recently ruled that Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Palestinian territories are illegal, and its discriminatory laws and policies against Palestinians constitute racial segregation and apartheid.
However, Israel has merely escalated its brutal military assault on Gaza in response to the ICJ’s ruling, bolstered in its genocidal campaign aided by a business-as-usual approach from the EU.
This alone would demand a strong response from those who claim to support international law.
Sanctioning Ben Gvir and Belzalel Smotric as a first step, with the goal of pressuring Israel to negotiate in good faith, would have a clear and strong basis under international law.
However unless the EU acts to support international law, and peace efforts, by acting in line with international law to hold Israel accountable, peace talks will remain a futile effort, and the threat of regional escalation only heightened.
Adel Atieh is the Palestinian Authority's ambassador the EU in Brussels.
Adel Atieh is the Palestinian Authority's ambassador the EU in Brussels.