What EU-enforced oblivion looks like

If there has ever been a blatant form of oblivion in the EU’s political communications, the European Council’s conclusions on 20 March exceed all previous examples. “The European Council is deeply alarmed by the dramatic military escalation in the Middle East and the risk this represents for the entire region,” it said in the introduction. One would expect that such vagueness would be followed by specifics.

However, you would be wrong.

Under the heading “Gaza”, the European Council completely failed to mention Israel. Or rather, refused to mention Israel, because such an omission was surely not unintentional.

“The European Council deplores the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza, which has caused a large number of civilian casualties in recent air strikes,” it said, while proceeding to mention the reconstruction plan and the bloc’s commitment to the two-state paradigm. Even in this latter context, the report does not mention Israel.

Meanwhile media outlets across the globe provide details of Israel killing more civilians in Gaza; forcing Palestinians to relocate; and targeting aid kitchens and tents housing Palestinian refugees.

All are available for the whole world to see, including people in Brussels.

Israeli media have reported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening to seize more land in Gaza if Hamas does not release the hostages, “along with other measures I will not elaborate here.” Meanwhile, further bombing of the Palestinians in Gaza reduces the chance of the hostages being returned alive. But the Israeli hostages are of no concern to Netanyahu; his main concern is land appropriation at all costs. Oh, and his political survival; mustn’t forget that.

The European Council’s conclusions would have read very differently had it acknowledged Israel’s culpability in the genocide, either by reinforcing Israel’s security narrative or — and this is highly unlikely — by taking a stance against the Gaza Genocide. The council opted for oblivion, however, which is worse. It means that Israel has absolute impunity, and that whatever Palestinians may argue against remains trapped within a vacuum created by Europe.

“After 17 months of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the fact that the EU refuses to name Israel, condemn air strikes wiping out entire families or condemn Israel’s blocking of vital humanitarian aid is extraordinary,” said Eve Geddie, the Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, in response to the European Council’s stance.

How can it be possible that the EU finds no blame in Israel?

How can the EU, which revels in positioning itself in opposition to US President Donald Trump, embark on actions that align it with the US administration?

I get it, though: former colonial powers will always protect their interests, even if it means departing from seemingly different angles to arrive at the same point.

Some EU countries supply Israel with weapons, others have openly asserted that they will not enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, while some still refuse to adopt even symbolic recognition of a Palestinian state.

Paradoxically, the EU is also willing to contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction, while allowing Israel to continue destroying Gaza.

Millions of euros have been wasted in this way over the years. It seems that only the EU can grasp any purported logic in this charade of concern where the aggressor is not mentioned, and which is clear complicity in the Palestinian people’s annihilation. By Israel, of course, although the EU will neither say nor suggest it. That is what EU-enforced oblivion looks like.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250327-what-eu-enforced-oblivion-looks-like/