The European political climate after Gaza, street-level pressure, and the partisan use of the conflict complicate any attempt to rebuild the relationship between Brussels and Jerusalem.

By Javier Villamor

Relations between Israel and the European Union are going through an exceptionally tense period. Although both sides insist that cooperation remains strategic, the political climate following the Gaza war, massive protests in European capitals, and the increasing partisan instrumentalisation of the conflict have opened a rift that now conditions the entire bilateral agenda, writes Javier Villamor in The Conservative.

The clearest warning has come from Hildegard Bentele, German CDU MEP and chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Israel, during an event organised by the Europe Israel Press Association (EIPA). In her assessment, “the gap between reality and international rhetoric is today wider than ever,” and the debate on the two-state solution is “further away than ever,” even though the international community continues to repeat it “as an automatic formula.” Her diagnosis indicates growing frustration in Brussels and a visible deterioration of the conditions needed to rebuild the relationship.

From the Israeli mission in Brussels, the message is different. Israel believes that cooperation with the EU cannot be judged solely by political circumstances. This idea was reinforced at the conference by Dr. Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu, director of the Israel–Europe Relations Program at the Mitvim Institute, who stressed that the bilateral relationship is rooted in “a shared history, common values and common interests,” even if she acknowledges that Israeli perceptions of Europe have hardened after Gaza, especially due to the rise of radical discourse on European streets.

Sion-Tzidkiyahu warned that the combination of political identity, polarization, and the aftermath of October 7th has transformed the way Israelis interpret European reactions: “New thresholds have been crossed, such as slogans denying Israel’s right to exist—something profoundly concerning for Israeli society.”

Helga Schmidt, German public media broadcaster ARD’s Brussels Bureau Chief, explained how the European perception changed when the Israeli government announced the total blockade of Gaza: “That was a turning point. From that moment on, images of the humanitarian crisis began to be viewed differently,” she said. Since then, she notes, “the group of those who still argue that the bombings fall within the right to self-defence is becoming smaller and smaller.”

European journalists, Schmidt reminded, face difficult questions: “How can you bomb a target when fighters and weapons are located beneath hospitals and schools? How much collateral damage is acceptable?”

The Commission tries to rebuild bridges

The European External Action Service, under the new High Representative Kaja Kallas, is attempting to ease tensions. Her first message was straightforward: “I firmly believe in engagement. We need to engage Israel, and we need to engage the Palestinians.”

A senior EEAS official reminded the conference that the EU continues to view Israel as “a key partner in the Mediterranean,” with reinforced cooperation in technology, defence, and scientific programmes despite the adverse political climate.

But in Parliament, the atmosphere is very different. Matthijs Schussler, Executive Director of ELNET EU & NATO, denounced the growing “contamination of the debate with a strong anti-Zionist component and openly antisemitic elements,” which makes responsible dialogue impossible. “Jews in Europe are being attacked because of the war in Gaza and because of the State of Israel,” he lamented. He himself was targeted in public smear campaigns with posters accusing him of “lobbying for genocide.”

For his part, Daniel Radomski, from UN Watch, warned that the international framework—especially within bodies such as the United Nations—is shaping narratives that later reach Brussels intact: “The institutional machinery produces ‘its own truths’ that are then imposed as facts, feeding distorted perceptions about Israel.”

Despite the deterioration, some see room for gradual reconstruction. Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu anticipates that, if a ceasefire stabilises, Europe “will try to rehabilitate its relations with Israel based on interests,” although without a political vision regarding the Palestinians, a qualitative leap in cooperation will not be possible.

In parallel, the Commission insists on keeping technical and political channels open: “We must focus on the concrete and the operational,” officials from the EEAS say.

But Bentele’s initial diagnosis remains: the gap today is wider than ever. And without a coherent European strategy—and a less polarised political climate—rebuilding the relationship with Israel will be a challenge requiring time, leadership, and a realistic reading of the new regional and European landscape.

Javier Villamor is a Spanish journalist and analyst. Based in Brussels, he covers NATO and EU affairs at europeanconservative.com.