The vote in the United Nations Assembly this past December 13, just two days ago, of a resolution asking Israel for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip showed the deep division that continues to exist between the Twenty-seven states over a Middle East conflict. So, 17 of the 27 EU countries supported the petition, 8 abstained and two voted against. A division that has once again been evident in the European Council held this Thursday and Friday in Brussels, unable to capture in the conclusions of the summit the ceasefire request proposed by the leaders of Spain, Belgium, Ireland and Malta.
“The European Council has held an in-depth strategic debate on the Middle East,” they have limited themselves to stating in the document approved by the Twenty-Seven after a lively debate in which the refusal of some capitals to go beyond what has been made clear They were at the last summit, when they managed to pick up the request for “humanitarian pauses.” “Others have ideas that go further but on which there is no total agreement,” the German Chancellor acknowledged. Olaf Scholz.
The clash between some delegations, according to diplomatic sources, has led Michel to close the debate without any type of common declaration. Is he in favor of calling for a ceasefire? The Dutch liberal was asked this Thursday Mark Rutte. “No,” responded the Prime Minister of Holland, whose country was the eighth to abstain this week along with Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia. Two others, Austria and the Czech Republicthey voted against.
This divergence of opinions has led European leaders to avoid the search for a new common language, despite maximum pressure from countries such as Spain, Belgium, Ireland and Malta, which this past weekend sent a letter to the president of the European Council, Charles Michelcalling for a serious debate and a humanitarian ceasefire.
Humanitarian aid
“It is true that there are different positions among the members of the European Council on the humanitarian pauses that some defend and the humanitarian ceasefire that others defend, but this should not hide what is essential,” the Belgian liberal recalled. Neither Pedro Sánchez, Despite his letter from a week ago, he wanted to go further – “he knows what Spain’s position is”, said the president of the government – although what he has asked for is a “strategic reflection” on the southern neighborhood. “What is happening in the Middle East should force us to look towards the southern neighborhood,” he said. The essential thing for Michel, in any case, is that EU leaders agree to support humanitarian aid to Gaza and to intensify initiatives, whether maritime corridors or any other means. For example, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenhas confirmed that since last October 7, when the Hamas attack took place, they have organized 28 flights, and sent 1,200 tons of humanitarian aidand that there will be another five before the end of the year year.
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“You can go after terrorists without engaging in the kind of war and destruction that Israel is carrying out right now in Gaza. We know that European countries have also had to deal with terrorism, and they did not do, or even contemplate, doing what Israel has done in Gaza so I am not convinced that we can reach an agreement on the use of the word stop fire” admitted upon his arrival at the meeting the Prime Minister of Ireland, Leo Varadkarwhich does value positively that the European position has evolved since October.
“Compared to the last Council, the situation has worsened dramatically. What should be our goal is for human suffering to end on both sides. And there has been too much human suffering. The components of that are that full humanitarian access must be achieved, that the hostages must be released and that there must be a cessation of hostilities,” the Prime Minister of Belgium warned this Friday. Alexander De Croo.