West Bank08 October, 20262 min read
EU Foreign Ministers Show Stasis On Israel As Gaza And West Bank Criticism Grows
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EU foreign ministers show stasis as criticism of Israel grows across Gaza and West Bank UK sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements widen crack with Israel and press EU stance
5 outlets told this the same way.
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EU stasis on West Bank
The Guardian said a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers on Monday is likely to showcase the bloc’s stasis in policy towards Israel, including the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. The Guardian reported that a survey of 10 European countries found large majorities of people had a negative opinion of Israel, with Poland at 70% and Germany at 73%.
The Guardian said five countries chose to boycott the Eurovision song contest this year over Israel’s participation, after organisers declined to exclude it over its conduct in the Gaza war and rising violence in the West Bank. The Guardian quoted Martin Konečný, director of the Brussels-based European Middle East Project, saying, “The EU is basically staying in its usual self-imposed irrelevance,” and it also cited a statement by more than 500 former senior EU officials and diplomats condemning the bloc’s failure to take action over Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Spain election and Israel
A Vox member of the European Parliament, Juan Carlos Girauta, said Spain’s foreign policy under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez needs a 180-degree turn after the country’s snap general election. The jpost reported that Girauta linked the stakes to Spain’s November 29 election and said, “There is a very clear awareness that Spain’s foreign policy under Sánchez needs a 180-degree turn,” while looking beyond the election to changes he would like to see from a new government.
The jpost said an October 5 average compiled by Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE projected 137 seats for the Popular Party and 65 for Vox in the 350-member Congress of Deputies. The jpost reported that Sánchez called the election on October 5, three days after Congress rejected two government housing decrees, and it said the election had previously been expected in 2027.
UK consulate downgraded
Israel and the United Kingdom announced a last-minute deal that would allow the nearly 200-year-old British consulate in East Jerusalem to remain operating at a smaller scale, while 20 UK diplomats would leave the country. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the move was in response to “a growing and escalating series of unilateral measures against Israel adopted by the Labour Government since taking office in July 2024,” and he said, “We established a clear principle: It is not possible to act against Israel without Israel taking appropriate measures in response.”
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK does not accept that Israel has the legal right to close the office, and he said that following discussions with Israel, “our Consulate General building will not be closing, and will be known as the UK Mission, Jerusalem from today.” Reuters journalists saw workers remove a plaque reading “British Consulate General” and another sign for its consular section, while the British flag was still flying over the building.