Benjamin Netanyahu has spent months dismissing European criticism with barely concealed disdain. Now, after years of angry words that went nowhere, the EU appears ready to back its rhetoric with actual consequences.
The shift reflects growing frustration across European capitals. Last September, Ursula von der Leyen condemned what she called a "man-made famine" in Gaza triggered by Israeli aid restrictions. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, declared that Israel's right to self-defense does not justify the scale of destruction in Lebanon. Brussels has repeatedly condemned settler violence and land seizures in the West Bank. Netanyahu's response has been consistent: dismiss it all as irrelevant noise from a distant continent.
That calculation rested on two pillars. First, the Trump administration in Washington treats European objections with similar indifference. Second, Netanyahu could count on Hungary's Viktor Orbán to block any unified EU action requiring unanimity. Both props are now cracking.
Orbán's recent electoral humiliation cost Netanyahu an invaluable far-right ally within the bloc. More significantly, Hungary was the sole EU member blocking sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank back in February. Once Orbán's successor takes office, that proposal is expected to advance. It represents a concrete move beyond mere exhortation.
Spain has formally called for suspending the EU-Israel association agreement, citing human rights violations. While Germany and others would likely block full suspension, a partial measure targeting just trade provisions would require only a weighted majority. That threshold is politically achievable as sentiment shifts, though still uncertain.
The broader shift became visible last week when Italy's Giorgia Meloni, once considered a Netanyahu confidant, announced she would suspend renewal of a defense cooperation agreement with Israel. Her move signals that even traditionally aligned European leaders now view the Netanyahu government's extremism as unsustainable.
The EU holds real leverage that has gone largely unused. Israel conducts roughly a third of its trade with Europe. Academic and cultural partnerships hinge on values that Netanyahu's government increasingly contradicts. Research participation in the Horizon programme carries genuine weight. These tools have gathered dust while Brussels issued statements.
What changed is not rhetoric, but reality. As the geopolitical fallout from an unchecked Israel-US campaign against Iran destabilizes European economies and threatens wider conflict, sitting passively is no longer an option. The maximalist regional agenda Netanyahu pursues openly rejects any two-state solution, the foundational principle of European Middle East policy for decades.
The timing matters. Whether the EU can move from talk to action before another opportunity slips away remains the test.
Author James Rodriguez: "Europe's change of heart comes late, but contempt rarely respects patience forever."
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