"Israel" has come under sharp criticism from European leaders who are seeking to prevent the entity from continuing its military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, according to CNN.

These efforts, as per the report, range from calls for a complete halt to weapons sales and potential sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers to discussions within the EU about reviewing "Israel’s" Association Agreement with the bloc. European leaders are using their influence to push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu towards ceasefire negotiations.

This push has gained urgency as Israeli military strikes have begun targeting UN peacekeeping bases in southern Lebanon, where European troops are stationed.

Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told CNN that “Israel’s ties with the EU are under unprecedented stress at this point in time."

This marks a significant shift from the strong support "Israel" received from European nations after October 7, as "Israel's" war expanded, killing over 42,000 people in Gaza (as per Gaza’s health ministry), European countries have sought to distance themselves from the prolonged war, which critics describe as a “forever war.”

The growing criticism from Europe coincides with the perception that the United States is either unable or unwilling to exert significant pressure on "Israel", especially with the presidential election approaching in November, experts noted as cited by CNN.

“There is a lot of frustration, in Western European capitals at least, with how the US has managed diplomacy over the last year,” said Lovatt.

He told CNN that some EU states believe the US should have done more to “moderate and constrain Israeli actions.”

Recently, the Biden administration issued a letter to the Israeli government, demanding improvements to the humanitarian situation in Gaza within the next 30 days or face potential violations of US laws regarding foreign military assistance.

In a subtle critique on Thursday, the European Union’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, warned that too many lives could be lost during that timeframe. “The US has been saying to Israel that they have to improve humanitarian support to Gaza, but they gave one month delay,” Borrell told reporters ahead of a leaders’ summit, according to Reuters.

“One month delay at the current pace of people being killed. It’s too many people,” he added.

The Israeli aggression on Lebanon adds to the strained relations

Relations became strained due to the Israeli assault on Gaza, which Lovatt noted is perceived by many European governments— including those that still support "Israel"— as "disproportionate and in contradiction to international law."

The situation escalated further with the Israeli invasion in southern Lebanon, which Lovatt told CNN that it may have “tipped things over the edge” for numerous European states.

The level of European discontent reached new heights when Israeli military strikes began targeting posts of the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon. The UNIFIL mission, which has been in place since 1978, comprises troops from 50 different nationalities, including those from Spain, Ireland, Italy, and France.

Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu, director of the "Israel"-Europe Relations Program at the Mitvim think tank in occupied al-Quds, told CNN that “when it comes to defending their own soldiers, European states tend to express their concerns more forcefully."

Related News

Hezbollah condemns Blida aggression, accuses US of complicity

Salam conveys to Ortagus goals behind any possible negotiations

The UN has reported that the Israeli military has fired upon its peacekeepers multiple times in recent weeks, resulting in injuries to over a dozen personnel. Additionally, Israeli forces forcibly entered a UN base and obstructed critical logistical operations, according to the UN.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has cautioned that UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon are in “harm’s way” and urged UN Secretary-General António Guterres to evacuate them “immediately.”

This week, the diplomatic tension between "Israel" and certain European leaders became more pronounced. In comments that elicited a strong reaction from "Israel", French President Emmanuel Macron stated during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that “Netanyahu must not forget that his country was created by a decision of the UN,” according to the Paris-based Agence France-Presse (AFP). Macron referenced UN Resolution 181, known as the Partition Plan, which facilitated the establishment of "Israel" in 1948.

Read next: Time to expel: 'Israel's' rogue status and the case for UN removal

“Therefore, this is not the time to disregard the decisions of the UN,” Macron stated, as reported by AFP. The French president previously called for an outright suspension of arms sales to "Israel" that are being used in the war on Gaza, emphasizing that France has not participated in supplying them.

In a statement on Tuesday, Netanyahu asserted that “it was not a UN decision… but the victory that was achieved in the War of Independence with the blood of our heroic fighters”.

Netanyahu further claimed that the UN has “in recent decades… approved hundreds of antisemitic decisions” aimed at denying "Israel the right to exist and its ability to defend itself.”

"Israel" has consistently accused the UN and Guterres of anti-semitism and this week declared the UN chief persona non grata, barring him from entering "Israel". The EU’s Borrell condemned this action, calling the accusations against Guterres “slanderous.”

Itlay's stance

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also criticized "Israel’s" actions in Lebanon, particularly an airstrike that targeted a UN peacekeeping base housing approximately 1,100 Italian troops.

“We defend Israel’s right to live in peace and security, but we reiterate the need for this to happen in compliance with international humanitarian law,” Meloni stated on Tuesday.

Italy ranks as the third-largest arms supplier to "Israel", providing the country with helicopters and firearms, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). However, in response to the outbreak of the war on Gaza, Italy suspended all new export licenses and canceled any agreements made after October 7, as reported by Italian state news agency ANSA.

Europe's strongest critics of "Israel"

Among the strongest critics of "Israel" have been the leaders of Ireland and Spain, who have urged the EU to reevaluate its Association Agreement with "Israel", arguing that Tel Aviv is violating the human rights clause of the trade deal amid its war on Gaza. Last week, Borrell indicated that this issue would be addressed in the Foreign Affairs Council, stating there is “enough evidence” to warrant the discussion.

Sion-Tzidkiyahu told CNN that changing the agreement could significantly impact "Israel", particularly if it affects trade. The EU stands as "Israel’s" largest trading partner, with trade between "Israel" and the bloc amounting to $50.7 billion (€46.8 billion) in 2022, as reported by EU data.

In a prior gesture against the Israeli aggression on Gaza, Spain, Ireland, and Norway officially recognized Palestinian statehood in May. Although no longer an EU member, Britain has also sought to limit the Israeli actions, most recently contemplating sanctions against far-right Israeli ministers.

German support for "Israel" remains strong amid EU criticism

Experts noted, as quoted by CNN, that the European Union is not a monolithic entity, as its member states express differing levels of criticism toward 'Israel".

Germany often stands apart from the broader European stance on "Israel". As the second-largest arms supplier to Tel Aviv after the United States, Germany accounted for about 30% of "Israel’s" arms as of 2023. According to a report by the news agency DPA, the German government approved military equipment and munitions exports to "Israel" worth €31 million ($33.7 million) over the past eight weeks—more than double the amount approved for the rest of the year.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated on Thursday that Germany would continue its weapons supply to "Israel".

German officials have consistently emphasized that "Israel’s" security is Germany’s “reason of state.” 

Despite the rising tensions with other EU members, Sion-Tzidkiyahu remarked that the EU's relations with "Israel" "are still very strong" and continue to be "important to Israel." She noted that these relations have not yet caused any material harm but do carry the risk of “taking away the legitimacy under Israel’s seat.”