In the aftermath of the latest bout of killing and destruction in Gaza, European foreign ministers issued a statement recognizing the ceasefire had to be followed by political change to lift the “Gaza closure regime” and that return to the status quo ante “was not an option”. The challenge for the European Union’s new foreign policy team of President Donald Tusk and High-Representative Federica Mogherini is to convert the foreign ministers’ rhetoric into reality, and to do so urgently.
This requires a step-change in Europe’s analysis and dealing with the underlying political problem, which is Israel’s deepening occupation, not just the horrendous humanitarian crisis left by the conflict. It means treating Gaza as an integral part of Palestine not – as Israel would like – as a separate issue. It means challenging Israel’s framing of the conflict as a response to “terror” and imposing real costs on Israel for its expanding expropriation of Palestinian land and resources.
