Should the EU Seek a Seat on Trump's Gaza Board of Peace? With my two cents alongside others

Journalist: You've said Russia should repay for reconstruction of Ukraine. Do you believe Israel should repay for reconstruction of Gaza, since they destroyed almost the entire strip & civilian infrastructure? EU chief spox: It’s an interesting question, on which I have no comment at this stage.

Important move by the Commission & VDL. But one measure missing in the package is to ban trade with Israel's illegal settlements. While 5 member states are already moving to do so at national level. And while the EU could also do so as a trade measure by qualified majority.

I talked to @martinkonecny.bsky.social about the Israel- EU Association Agreement and the divided EU, which is unable to pressure the Israeli government ‪via its trade and research connections. nepszava.hu/3292930_mego...

This is an overly positive take on the EU-Israel Gaza aid deal👇 Several points to make here:🧵 1. If this brings more aid to the starving Gazans through UN mechanisms - and I strongly hope it will - then it's a win that will save lives. But:

Comment Bart De Wever compte-t-il "améliorer la situation humanitaire" à #Gaza sans suspension de l'Accord d'association ou sanctions contre #Israël? Les condamnations 🇪🇺 n'ont jamais rien donné. Le Conseil d'association UE-Israël n'a rien donné. On attend sa recette miracle. #SuspendtheDeal

EU foreign ministers & ⁦‪@kajakallas.bsky.social‬⁩ this Monday: Let's park the discussion on any EU measures of pressure on Israel despite its breach of the Association Agreement, our first focus should be on dialogue with Israel to help get humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel:

Coalition of NGOs challenging @ec.europa.eu and @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social for continuing to treat Israel as an "adequate" country for unrestricted transfers of EU personal data despite escalating human rights violations and disregard for international law

"We are ashamed of you" - powerful open letter by 200 Maltese writers, academics, artists and activists calling out @president.europarl.europa.eu Roberta Metsola's silence on Gaza. openlettertorobertametsola.wordpress.com/2025/06/05/5/

NEW STATEMENT | Europe on Gaza: Words Are Not Enough A rising chorus of European states have condemned #Israel’s military campaign in the #Gaza Strip. While much depends on Washington, European leaders have levers at their disposal to press for the war’s end. www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-...

Europe's dynamics on Gaza finally begin to shift, a human rights review of EU-Israel ties is under way. This is an opportunity to step out of Europe's self-imposed irrelevance and press Israel to reverse its devastating course. My piece @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Europe's pressure-free dialogue with #Israel has completely failed To step out from self-imposed irrelevance and try to prevent ethnic cleansing and annexation, the #EU must impose real costs on Israel's crimes, suspend the bilateral deal @martinkonecny.bsky.social: theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner – and that gives it leverage to finally change the course of this brutal war - superb piece by @nathalietocci.bsky.social related to the ongoing EU review www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

“It’s like standing in front of a burning building and asking for a review of whether there’s a fire” - @conoraon on EU’s review of Israel’s compliance with the human rights clause of the Association Agreement👌 www.newarab.com/analysis/eur...

Finally - after decades of toothless EU statements calling the settlements illegal and destructive for peace, a first member state says hey, maybe we shouldn’t be trading with them. Where are the others?

On the preciousness of life: Some reflections on the murder of Jews in Washington and the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza peterbeinart.substack.com/p/on-the-pre...

Large coalition of governments rejects Israel's US-backed dystopian "aid" plan aimed at displacing and concentrating the Gaza population. Demands Israel to let aid in and allow UN & humanitarian orgs to do their work to deliver it to people across Gaza. www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/newsroom/...

Leaders of UK, France, Canada: "We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Gov. pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response." www.gov.uk/government/n...

Only when the EU started discussing the possibility of suspending the Association Agreement does Israel begin to take notice. Israeli cabinet discussion on whether to allow any aid into Gaza, according to Israeli broadcaster KAN (translation)👇 www.kan.org.il/content/kan-...

Promoting illegal settlements under the guise of academic cooperation: Prague is hosting a “Czech-Israeli university conference” with multiple speakers from the settler Ariel University that‘s banned from EU academic & research programs Erasmus and Horizon www.politikaspolecnost.cz/aktualne/cze...

Le Monde on shifts in the French Jewish community on Gaza www.lemonde.fr/societe/arti...

Israeli human rights NGOs checked point by point how Israel responded to EU calls made at recent EU-Israel Association Council. They found "consistent and deliberate disregard" by Israel for EU positions. Highly relevant for current EU debate on Association Agreement. gisha.org/UserFiles/Fi...

This decision is a "mega-land grab" and a move towards "full-scale annexation". Peace Now on Israel's decision to resume, for the first time since 1967, land registration in the West Bank, a bureaucratic camouflage for massive theft of Palestinian land. peacenow.org.il/en/cabinet-d...

🇵🇹Portugal backs the Dutch initiative to review the EU-Israel association agreement: “Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said that Portugal supports the Netherlands' proposal to review the association agreement between Israel and the EU.” www.tsf.pt/3393729451/s...

❗❗Important❗❗ As EU foreign ministers meet, the Netherlands requests a review of Israel’s compliance with the EU-Israel association agreement - highlighting Article 2 - Israel’s obligations under humanitarian law. In doing so, the Netherlands joins Spain, Ireland & Slovenia.

US to UN humanitarian agencies: give up your fundamental humanitarian principles for the sake of Israel's monstrous plan to concentrate and torment 2 million Palestinians in a tiny part of Gaza - or we'll slash your funding. www.timesofisrael.com/us-pressurin...

Opinion from the FT's Editorial Board: 'The US and European countries that tout Israel as an ally that shares their values have issued barely a word of condemnation. They should be ashamed of their silence, and stop enabling Netanyahu to act with impunity.' www.ft.com/content/f5fd...

Belgian N-VA (party of PM De Wever) announces support for Macron's plan to recognise Palestine www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/20...

This is a much needed move by the Netherlands and the way to go for the EU to apply meaningful pressure on Israel over Gaza. The EU-Israel Association Agreement is the main leverage the EU has. Other EU states must support this to prevent further Gaza catastrophe. @ministerbz.bsky.social

How Varhelyi, now EU Commissoner in charge of health and animal welfare, is dutifully sticking to his portfolio www.politico.eu/article/orba...

Russia isn’t just targeting Ukraine’s military. It’s waging a war against civilians — in homes, schools, hospitals. In a new legal analysis, Susan Farbstein and @humanrightshls.bsky.social examine how Russia’s aerial attacks meet the legal threshold for extermination, a crime against humanity.

Among the most minimal things states can do beyond just issuing another statement of concern www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/sp...

Worth noting: as part of this funding package, @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu's Commission pledges to continue funding UNRWA. €82m per year = same level as last year. EC as one of the largest funders continues to stand behind UNRWA, despite Israel's banning and US defunding of the agency.

Russia following Israeli playbook to justify the Sumy massacre. The difference is that Western governments and media are largely immune to this propaganda in this case. www.politico.eu/article/russ...

When Macron recognises Palestine, will Starmer follow suit? By our esteemed friend Sir Vincent Fean, former UK consul-general to Jerusalem, grounding the case for UK & French recognition in historical responsibility going back to the Sykes-Picot Agreement www.independent.co.uk/voices/macro...

BREAKING: Belgian Minister of Justice @anneliesverlinden.bsky.social on ICC arrest warrants: "Belgium, as a state party, is legally obliged to carry out requests for arrest and transfer issued by the court." Also notes that immunity argument does not apply to Netanyahu. www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/20...

2023: @kajakallas.bsky.social dismayed by Orban’s handshake with Putin after ICC arrest warrant: “How can you shake a criminal's hand?” 2025: Kallas too dismayed by Orban’s handshake with Netanyahu to say a word.

Orban is setting up Budapest as The Anti-Hague, seat of the International Criminal Club (ICC)

EU Parliament today adopted 2 interesting amendments tabled by the centre-right EPP, calling to: 1) Activate EU Blocking Statute to protect the ICC from US sanctions 2) Monitor & assess Israel's compliance with Article 2 (human rights clause) of EU-Israel Association Agreement

EU’s Kaja Kallas & co. on Syria: “It is also fundamental that all external actors fully respect Syria's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The EU condemns any attempts to undermine its stability and prospects for a peaceful and inclusive political transition.”

David Friedman, whose one and only mission is for Israel to annex and ethnically cleanse Palestine, is considered one of top contenders for post of US ambassador to the UN. www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

Dutch media investigation: Christian organisations in the Netherlands fund illegal settlers in the West Bank, incl. those sanctioned by the EU for violence. The funding goes for housing, security cameras, drones... t.co/58XTFFiMDU

One of the stunning revelations here is that the Trump team expects Europe to pay for its bombing of Yemen. Reminder: there would’ve been no renewed Houthi strikes had the US simply held Israel to stick to the Gaza ceasefire deal it had negotiated.

EU fudging the reality of Israel's unilateral breakdown of the Gaza ceasefire. Claiming Hamas' "refusal to hand over remaining hostages" plays straight into the lie pushed by Israeli govt to justify its renewed assault. Israel not even mentioned by name.🧵 euobserver.com/eu-and-the-w...

If Europeans believe in the importance of a ceasefire and a political track in Gaza then they need to acknowledge and respond to the fact that the resumption of brutal conflict was a unilateral Israeli choice

EU regrets deaths of children in Israeli airstrikes but obscures Netanyahu’s responsibility for unilaterally breaking down the ceasefire and sacrificing the hostages who were to be released. If you really support the ceasefire, you need to call out the side that breaks it.

After months of political back and forth, Swiss parliament just finally voted to maintain funding for UNRWA by rejecting a motion demanding to defund it. www.letemps.ch/suisse/la-su...

Je suis Khalil https://www.ft.com/content/bcd39cd0-9995-4409-b525-853cdcdb98bf

US and Israel have asked Sudan, Somalia and Somaliland if they'd accept mass transfer of Palestinians from Gaza to their territory. They even approached Sudan, in the middle of brutal war, "with offers of military assistance against the RSF". apnews.com/article/isra...

Germany and other governments have helped turn the fight against antisemitism into quashing criticism of Israel, using the ill-advised IHRA definition. This enabled a hostile takeover of that fight by the growing far right. Now it blows up in their face. www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...