Iran’s attack on Israel was unprecedented, which aggravates an already very tense situation, stressed Josep Borrell in the European Parliament (EP) on Wednesday. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy emphasized: this was the first time that Iran launched a direct strike from its own territory with hundreds of drones and missiles. (We analyzed the case in this article.) At the same time, the EU quasi-foreign minister added: in the meantime, we must not forget the previous Israeli attack (against a Syrian consulate), which he condemned in the same way as Iran’s action. They are playing a “dangerous game of attacks and revenge, revenge and attacks” in the region, which is on the edge of the abyss. They went a little “closer to the abyss” with the explosions in Isfahan, Iran, which neither side used to further escalate the situation, but if anyone made a mistake, they saw that it could be a terrible conflict. They have already shot back and forth at the Lebanese border (the southern part of the country bordering Israel is controlled by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah), which, according to him, has not been the case since 2006.
He emphasized that EU institutions and (at their summit last week) the leaders of the member states also sent a strong message of peace. The foreign ministers met on Monday, unanimously condemning Iran’s action and committed to Israel’s security, Borrell said. They are “politically committed” to extending sanctions against Iran imposed over drones supplied to the Russians. He confirmed that they are trying to target Iran’s drone production with the new punitive measures that have not yet been officially adopted, but he saw the sanctions as just a tool, which by themselves do not solve anything, and diplomatic efforts are also needed to alleviate the situation.
They are committed to the defense and existence of Israel, but they must also consider the high human cost of the conflict in Gaza. The EU should speak “with the voice of reason”, try to reduce suffering, and a political process leading to a two-state solution (ie the establishment of an independent Palestinian state) could lead to lasting peace, but that, according to Borrell, is “another story”.
We strongly condemn Iran’s missile attack against Israel, which risks turning the conflict in the Middle East into a war between states, and this would also endanger the security of the EU, stated Kinga Gál as the only Hungarian speaker in the debate. According to the Fidesz representative, the most important thing now is to prevent the situation from worsening, which requires restraint from all parties. He saw that an extensive war would trigger a catastrophic wave of migration towards Europe, and therefore the situation in Lebanon and the situation of Syrian refugees are also urgently resolved. There should be peace as soon as possible “in our neighbor, that’s why we are on the side of peace”.
The EU’s foreign policy is determined by the member states unanimously. The EP can have an opinion on it, but cannot make decisions in this area – including, for example, sanctions.
