European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that the bloc is facing increasing feelings of hostility throughout the Islamic world, and even outside it, due to accusations of bias toward Israel and double standards regarding the war on Gaza.

Borrell said he feared such bitterness would undermine diplomatic support for Ukraine in the global South, and weaken the EU's ability to insist on human rights clauses in international agreements.

He added that the European Union must show "more compassion" regarding the loss of life suffered by Palestinian civilians in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Borrell's statements came in interviews with Reuters during a five-day tour in the Middle East, in which he visited Israel and several Arab countries.

During the tour, which he concluded yesterday evening, Monday, Borrell heard complaints from Arab leaders and Palestinian civil society activists that the European Union, which includes 27 countries, does not deal with Israel’s war on Gaza with the same standards that it applies to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“They have all already criticized the European Union’s position and described it as biased,” Borrell said.

Waving his mobile phone, he said that he had already received messages from some ministers indicating that they would not support Ukraine the next time there was a vote at the United Nations.

He added: "If things continue like this for a few weeks, hostility towards the Europeans will increase."

In response to the criticism, Borrell stressed that human lives have the same value in all places, and that the European Union unanimously urged immediate humanitarian truces to deliver aid to the Palestinians in Gaza, and quadrupled its humanitarian aid to the Strip.

But Arab leaders want an immediate halt to Israeli bombing that has killed at least 13,300 Palestinians, including at least 5,600 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Arab leaders criticized the European Union and the United States for not condemning Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza, in contrast to the West's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Strong differences in European views

The European Union tasked Borrell, in his capacity as foreign policy chief, with formulating common positions among its member states.

The European Union, whose countries are located in the vicinity of the Middle East and are home to a large number of Jews and Muslims, has a major role to play in the recent crisis. Although it is not at the same level as the United States, the bloc enjoys diplomatic weight in the region, being - in particular - the largest donor of aid to the Palestinians.

But the bloc finds it difficult to take a unified position, except to condemn the Hamas attack. His efforts were largely limited to supporting Israel's right to defend itself within the framework of international law and calling for truces in the fighting.

At the same time, individual member states, such as Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary, affirmed their strong support for Israel, while others, such as Ireland, Belgium and Spain, criticized Israel's military action.

France called for a humanitarian truce that would pave the way for a ceasefire.

Borrell, a veteran Spanish socialist politician, announced last month that some of Israel's actions contradict international law, alarming some European Union countries.

The European official said that the European Union must also make more efforts to show that it also cares about the lives of the Palestinians, and this may be achieved by issuing stronger calls for the delivery of aid to Gaza, and renewing the effort to establish a Palestinian state, within the framework of the so-called “two-state solution.”

Source: Alaraby Aljadeed + (Reuters)