Brussels [Belgium], August 31 (ANI): The European Union remains divided on the Gaza issue, European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas said after an informal meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Copenhagen, according to EuroNews.
Kallas acknowledged that the division is damaging the EU’s global credibility and expressed disappointment over the lack of unity among ministers. “If you ask personally how that feels, that I’m the face that is to blame, that we don’t have a decision, then it’s hard. It’s very hard,” Kallas said, as quoted by EuroNews.
She explained that member states disagree on how to persuade the Israeli government to change course. “The options are clear and remain on the table. We have presented the options paper. But the problem is that not all EU member states are on board,” she added.
Kallas noted that the bloc has not reached agreement on suspending free trade with Israel under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Some countries, including Germany and Hungary, opposed the move, while Denmark, which currently holds the rotating presidency, indicated it would support suspension.
“If the majority is growing, then the division is not getting bigger, but it’s actually getting smaller because the majority’s growing. So it depends on how you look at it. But it is true that we still don’t have an agreement on those measures,” Kallas told reporters.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen suggested the EU could explore alternative steps to bypass vetoes from some member states. “We have to work and think more innovatively about what could be the next best solutions. For instance, we want to put a ban on imports from the occupied territories. That’s probably not doable. But then we could put a heavy tariff on imports, and we could do that by a qualified majority,” he said.
Rasmussen also pushed back against Israeli claims that limiting free trade with Israel would strengthen Hamas. “I think it is important that we challenge the false narratives. And I mean, we have absolutely no intention to strengthen Hamas, but the opposite,” he said.
Kallas added that the EU had successfully pressured Israel to provide humanitarian assistance in Gaza, leading to more trucks entering the territory and additional border crossings being opened, EuroNews reported.
At the same meeting, the bloc adopted a document urging the United States to reverse its travel ban on the Palestinian delegation planning to attend the United Nations General Assembly. (ANI)
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