Has the EU found a backbone?

JVL Introduction

The BBC reports that the European Union has finally said enough is enough, cancelling its planned event in Israel to celebrate Europe Day.

The trigger for the cancellation was the nomination of Ben-Gvir to represent Israel and give a speech at the event. It was decided after a meeting of Ambassadors to Israel from EU countries, with only Hungary and Poland dissenting.

“We do not want to offer a platform to someone whose views contradict the values the European Union stands for.”

Haaretz also published a strong editorial supporting this EU decision. See below.

Itamar Ben-Gvir accused the EU of “undiplomatic gagging” in response to the decision

By Yolande Knell, BBC News, Jerusalem, 8th May 2023

The EU has cancelled its diplomatic event for Europe Day in Israel because of the planned participation of the far-right minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Organisers said they did not want “to offer a platform” to someone whose views contradicted its values.

As the Israeli government’s designated representative, Mr Ben-Gvir had insisted he would give the customary speech at a ceremony on Tuesday.

In response to the decision, he accused the EU of “undiplomatic gagging”.

It is understood that the Israeli Government Secretariat put forward Mr Ben-Gvir’s name according to a rotating list of ministers selected to attend official diplomatic events and that EU ambassadors were caught by surprise.

Despite explicit requests from the EU and its prominent member states to send a minister who was not identified with the extreme right, Mr Ben-Gvir insisted that he would go.

The national security minister had stated that he would use his speech to call for a united “struggle against jihad and terrorism” while also telling EU representatives it was “inappropriate for EU countries to fund initiatives against IDF [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers and Israeli citizens”.

Several EU representatives had threatened not to attend.

The decision to cancel the diplomatic ceremony was made after a meeting of EU ambassadors to Israel. Israeli media report that only Hungary and Poland, two conservative, pro-Israel countries, dissented.

In its short statement, the EU delegation to Israel said it would continue to celebrate Europe Day on Tuesday, as it does annually.

It said that a cultural event for the general public scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv would go ahead “to celebrate with our friends and partners in Israel the strong and constructive bilateral relationship”.

The response from Mr Ben-Gvir’s office criticised the EU, saying it was “a shame” that the international body “which claims to represent the values of democracy and multiculturalism, practises undiplomatic gagging.”

“It is an honour and privilege for me to represent the Israeli government, the heroic IDF soldiers, and the people of Israel in every forum,” he added.

Since Israel swore in its most hard-line government ever at the end of last year, official representatives of many European countries – which have strong relations with Israel – have refused to meet Mr Ben-Gvir and his fellow ultranationalist, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

The controversy around Europe Day has been a source of diplomatic embarrassment.

Adding to the sensitive timing, the EU harshly condemned Israel’s demolition on Sunday of an EU-funded elementary school for Palestinian children near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military said the structure – in part of the West Bank under full Israeli control – was built illegally and was unsafe, leading to an Israeli court decision to demolish it.

On its Twitter account, the EU delegation to the Palestinians said it was “appalled” by the action, which it said would affect 60 children, and that the demolition was illegal under international law.

Palestinians often justify what Israel deems as illegal building in the West Bank by saying it is virtually impossible to obtain official construction permits.

Ben-Gvir Is an Israeli Diplomatic Disgrace

Haaretz Editorial, 9th May  2023

Itamar Ben-Gvir disgraces the State of Israel. His appointment to the cabinet is a stain that cannot be erased from the personal, political and diplomatic record of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. One can only shake one’s head in disbelief at the sight of a man who considered himself today’s Churchill now guaranteeing that he will go down in history as the great validator of Kahanism. A historic fiasco.

The Delegation of the European Union to the State of Israel announced on Monday the cancellation of its Europe Day diplomatic reception, scheduled to take place Tuesday in Tel Aviv, due to Ben-Gvir’s insistence on giving a speech at the event. “We do not want to offer a platform to someone whose views contradict the values the European Union stands for,” the EU said in a statement. It is difficult to imagine a greater disgrace than this to the government, to Netanyahu personally, to the State of Israel and even to the Jewish people.

Ben-Gvir’s lack of awareness regarding his standing can be seen in his announcement Sunday that in his speech he plans to criticize the European approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yes, Ben-Gvir, preach to them from the lofty heights of your theory of racial supremacy.

The ambassadors’ repugnance for Ben-Gvir is evident in their willingness to cancel all of the speeches at the event and leave only the cultural program, which is open to the public. The main thing is not to give a speaking platform to a symbol of extremism, racism and Jewish supremacy.

We are not talking about a wayward ambassador, to whom antisemitic motives can be ascribed – as is standard practice. Nor can the incident be treated with the scorn that Israelis are used to hearing whenever the state is criticized. According to diplomats who attended the meeting at which the decision was made, the ambassadors of all EU states stationed in Israel, except for Poland and Hungary – Israel’s new anti-liberal, authoritarianism-loving friends – opposed Ben-Gvir’s attendance at the reception. Tell us who your friends are, as they say.

In fact, some ambassadors are considering absenting themselves from the event even after the speeches were canceled, solely because of Ben-Gvir’s scheduled attendance. Netanyahu gave a cabinet position to a man with whom diplomats refuse to be in the same room.

This is a wake-up call for Israelis, and especially for the right. The local flirtation with the extreme right must end. Ben-Gvir does not and will never have legitimacy. This is a direct and clear message from Europe that joins the “no” sent to Netanyahu by U.S. President Joe Biden and the protest of American Jews against Bezalel Smotrich and Netanyahu.

Israel is betraying its “shared values” with Western Europe and the United States. If it continues down this road, it will discover that not only Ben-Gvir but the state itself and its citizens are associated with values that evoke aversion and repulsion in every genuinely democratic country.

The above article is Haaretz’s lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.