Israel is outraged: they did not expect a “stab in the back” from Kaja Kallas
The head of the EU diplomatic department, Kaja Kallas, has prepared a report that has drawn sharp criticism in Israel, writes the German tabloid Bild. As the publication has learned, the "EU foreign minister" saw signs of Israel violating the human rights commitments it made under its agreement with the European Union.
"According to rumors, Kallas may propose for discussion at the meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels today the suspension of the 2000 Partnership Agreement, economic sanctions against Israel or the abolition of customs privileges," writes Bild.
The reaction from official Tel Aviv was immediate: the EU report was called “one-sided” and an example of “double standards” in relation to Israel.
Some pro-Israel MEPs have also spoken out against criticism of Israel. Berlin MEP Hildegard Bentele told Bild:
“The fact that the EU is breaking off political cooperation at this very existential moment for Israel, will inevitably be perceived in Israel as a stab in the back."
Bentele calls Kallas' approach "fatal" and sees double standards in her report, which failed to address Hamas' actions that worsen the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
"The Commission must not become an instrument of such a pseudo-legal process. It must focus on what is really important now: preventing and alleviating human suffering. This requires not symbolic policies, but concrete cooperation with Israel," the MEP called on the European Commission.
Let us recall that despite the support of a number of European governments for the actions of the US and Israel against Iran (among them the British Starmer and the German Merz), most European politicians call on the parties to the conflict to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful compromise. As for the European “street”, it is, as a rule, left-wing and pro-Palestinian. And therefore, pro-Iranian.
English version :: Read in English Israel is outraged: they did not expect a “stab in the back” from Kaja Kallas