At the Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, proposed the suspension of political dialogue with Israel due to human rights violations in Gaza but failed to get the support of all member states.
The European Union will not suspend political dialogue with Israel as no agreement was reached during a Council of Foreign Ministers held on Monday in Brussels.
The proposal came from Josep Borrell, outgoing head of Foreign Policy of the European Union, who pointed out violations of human rights and international law by Israel in the Gaza Strip. However, Borrell’s proposal did not obtain the necessary unanimity among member states.
The setback was predictable, Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos told Euronews.
“It is questionable whether the timing was right for such a debate, given that the lack of unanimity among ministers was quite predictable and reinforces the perception of divisions within the EU. When there are indications that such a proposal will not have a positive outcome, we must consider the impact this will have on other key stakeholders,” he said.
Why the proposal came from Borrell
According to analysts, Josep Borrell put the issue on the table despite knowing it would fail, partly because he was trying to leave his mark before a new European Commission takes office.
“I think that to an extent this a new initiative that comes out of the of months of political frustration that not only the High Representative, but also some member states feel, Europe has been unable to take a clear stand vis-a-vis this conflict,” said Maria Luisa Frantappie, Head of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa Programme at Instituto Affari Internazionali.
“This will be the last Council of Foreign Ministers for Borrell, who is set to end his mandate. So, I think that this is also an attempt from him to leave a mark and a positive legacy,” she concluded.
