ER Editor: There’s been a flurry of European reactions against Israel just this week. Here are some samplings, with the (formerly?) Zionist UK featuring prominently. Luxembourg had been dragging its heels on recognizing Palestine, et voila! It happens and nobody knows who precisely made the decision. We live in mysterious and baffling times.
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And on a broad-scale European note, here’s Zerohedge. The article indicates that this is more symbolic than practical —
On Monday a group of 325 former EU ambassadors and senior officials have submitted a letter calling on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to impose sanctions on Israel, reported by Euronews. This is in response to the devasting civilian casualties in Gaza and expansionist policies in the West Bank.
And so regarding Spain, there’s this from yesterday —
🇪🇸 BREAKING:
Spain cancels major arms deals with Israel – €700M PULS artillery rocket supply from Elbit Systems and €270M Spike anti-tank missiles from Rafael. pic.twitter.com/jnZiDShxRM
Pedro Sánchez wants Israel banned from international sporting events
AITOR HERNANDEZ-MORALES for POLITICO.EU
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called for Israel to be banned from international sporting competitions while it wages war on Gaza.
“Why was Russia expelled [from global sporting events] after the invasion of Ukraine, but Israel allowed to remain after the invasion of Gaza?” Sánchez asked rhetorically during a meeting of Socialist Party lawmakers in the Spanish parliament.
“While barbarism persists, Israel cannot use international events to whitewash its presence,” he added.
Translation: HISTORIC: Protesters halted the Vuelta a España after blocking the main road in downtown Madrid in protest over Israel’s participation in the event.
HISTÓRICO: Manifestantes detuvieron la Vuelta a España tras bloquear la carretera principal en el centro de Madrid en protesta por la participación de Israel en el evento. pic.twitter.com/ruMklsEOfu
After those protesters — contesting the Israel-Premier Tech team taking part in the prestigious three-week race — forced the early conclusion of Sunday’s stage by blocking the roads into Madrid, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Sánchez and his government of “inciting” the “mobs” and being an “embarrassment.”
Britain Bans Israelis From Prestigious Military Academy
RICHARD ELDRED for DAILY SCEPTIC
Israelis have been barred from one of Britain’s top defence academies because of the war in Gaza. The Telegraphhas the story.
The Royal College of Defence Studies will not accept students from Israel from next year, the Government confirmed.
Amir Baram, the Director General of Israel’s Defence ministry, who studied at the college, said the decision was “a profoundly dishonourable act of disloyalty to an ally at war”.
In a letter to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), shared with the Telegraph, he called it a “discriminatory act” that amounted to a “disgraceful break with Britain’s proud tradition of tolerance – and plain decency”.
It is the first time that the college has excluded Israelis.
The Royal College of Defence Studies was instituted in 1941 and was Winston Churchill’s brainchild
Maj Gen Baram said the decision came at a time when Israel was “defending international shipping from Houthi aggression, preventing nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of an Islamist regime that chants ‘Death to England’, and fighting to bring home 48 hostages from Hamas captivity”. …
An MoD spokesman said British military educational courses had long been open to personnel from a “wide range of countries, with all UK military courses emphasising compliance with international humanitarian law”.
The Israeli Ministry of Defence said that the ban was on all Israeli citizens enrolling, not just soldiers. …
The exclusion of Israelis from the college is the latest in a string of punitive actions against Israel taken by Downing Street.
The Government banned Israeli officials from participating in the UK’s largest arms exhibition this weekend, and last year Sir Keir Starmer suspended 30 out of 350 British arms export licences to Israel.
The Prime Minister also said Britain would recognise a Palestinian State at the UN General Assembly in New York later this month unless Israel stopped its war against Hamas in Gaza and committed to not annexing the West Bank.
Luxembourg to recognise Palestinian state at UN General Assembly
RTL
Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel announced before the parliamentary commission that Luxembourg intends to recognise Palestine as a state this September.
The Grand Duchy has expressed its support for a two-state solution. However, the final decision is expected to be made at the UN General Assembly in New York, which begins on 23 September. Further details are to be clarified there in coordination with other countries.
Other countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Belgium, have already announced that they will recognise Palestine.
Opposition reacts
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But the ADR’s Fred Keup says the conditions have not yet been met: “I’m surprised at the 180-degree turn that Mr Bettel and Mr Frieden have taken, but it’s not clear who exactly has decided it. I think suddenly everything they have said in recent months no longer counts properly and we are going in a different direction. It has always been said that conditions must be met in order to grant recognition for Palestine. These have not been fulfilled. We also agree that Palestine should be recognised as a proper state, but certain conditions simply have to be met and we are not seeing that at the moment.”
The Left’s David Wagner says better late than never, although he believes the opportune moment for recognising Palestine was due some time ago: “I still don’t agree with the government’s statement that there wasn’t a better time to announce this earlier. The situation then, as now, is that a majority of countries have already recognised the State of Palestine and it’s just a handful of 30 countries that have not.”
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Luxembourg does not have the necessary legal means to apply sanctions against Israel individually. Foreign minister Xavier Bettel said his department was working on the matter. “There are other things which we cannot do at all, such as issuing entry bans for ministers. So I am going to depose a bill to the government council which means Luxembourg will not have to wait for the rest of the EU to take action.”
Featured image source, Starmer: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-867447
Featured image source, Sanchez: https://english.aawsat.com/sports/5186134-spains-pm-praises-pro-palestinian-protesters-vuelta-race-nears-end
Featured image source, Luxembourg & Palestinian flags: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/palestine-luxembourg?dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
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