(Adnkronos) – A public letter signed by 209 former EU ambassadors, senior diplomatic officials and ambassadors of EU states has been published, calling for urgent action on Israel’s war in Gaza and illegal actions in the West Bank. If the EU does not act collectively, member states will have to adopt measures individually or in smaller groups to uphold human rights and enforce international law, the letter reads, outlining nine possible approaches. These include suspending arms export licenses, banning trade in goods and services with illegal settlements, and prohibiting European data centers from receiving, storing or processing data from the Israeli government or commercial sources if related to “Israel’s presence and activities in Gaza and elsewhere in the occupied territories”.
Signatories include 110 former ambassadors, 25 former general managers and two of the EU’s most senior diplomats: Alain Le Roy, former secretary general of the European External Action Service, and Carlo Trojan, former secretary general of the European Commission. “This has struck a chord,” said Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, former EU representative in the Palestinian territories and a member of a steering group of six former diplomats coordinating the initiative, which began in mid-July. This letter represents the third public call to action, and the first to ask nations to act individually if the EU does not take collective action. A proposal to partially suspend Israel from the Horizon research fund for Gaza failed at the end of July.
“There is so much dismay in the institutions, people are saying enough is enough,” Kühn von Burgsdorff said. “We cannot remain paralyzed if the 27 (member states) fail to act, because this betrays our values. That is why we have proposed nine actions that can be taken at state level or by groups of states.” “European governments are losing credibility not only in the Global South, but also among our citizens, in every member state.” Kühn von Burgsdorff cited a survey conducted in his native Germany, traditionally a staunch supporter of Israel, which showed that 80% of the population disagrees with Israel’s actions in Gaza and two-thirds want the government to intervene.
