Referring to US President Joe Biden’s comment last week that Israel’s military action was “over the top”, the EU foreign affairs chief declared: “Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people have been killed.”

 

As Israel’s military operation against Hamas continues, European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell appears tob e more and more critical of the way Israel handles this war.

On Monday, as he spoke at a press conference following an informal meeting of EU development ministers in Brussels which discussed the issue of the funding of UNWRA, the UN body for Palestinian refugees, Borrell called on the  allies of Israel and foremost the United States ”to stop sending it weapons as too many people are being killed in Gaza.”

He spoke alongside UNWRA’s head Philippe Lazzarini.

Referring to US President Joe Biden’s comment last week that Israel’s military action was “over the top”, Borrell said: “Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people have been killed.”

He is what he said precisely:

‘’ I do not pretend to be in charge of the foreign policy of the United States, I have enough with the foreign policy of the European Union. But let’s be logical: how many times have you heard the most prominent leaders and the foreign ministers around the world saying, “Too many people are being killed”? President [of the United States, Joe]Biden said that] this is too much on the top, it is not proportional. Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people [from]being killed. Isn’t it logical?.’’

He continued: ‘’ In 2006, during the war against Lebanon, the United States already took this decision. They already took the decision to pause the supply of arms to Israel, because Israel did not want to stop the war. Exactly the same thing that happens today. Everyone goes to Tel-Aviv, begging: “Please, do not do that, protect civilians, do not kill so many. How many is too many? What is the standard?.’’

During the press conference, Borrell also sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that he ‘’doesn not listen to anyone,  to pleas to do more to protect civilians and a call for the more than one million Palestinians sheltering in the Gaza city of Rafah to be “evacuated” ahead of a planned Israeli military operation there.

He said: ‘’They are going to evacuate.“ Where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people? So, if the international community believes that this is a slaughter, that too many people are being killed, maybe they have to think about the provision of arms. And by the way, today a Court in the Netherlands has ordered the government of the Netherlands to stop exporting the spare parts of the F-35 fighter jet] to Israel in order to be sure that the International Court of Justice’s rule is being implemented.’’

He concluded by saying: ‘’Every Member States is an owner of its foreign policy. But it is a little bit contradictory to continue saying that there are too many people being killed: ‘’Too many people being killed. Please take care of people. Please do not kill so many”. Stop saying “please” and do something.’’