European governments are voicing strong criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza and moving toward recognising Palestine at the United Nations. Yet for all the rhetoric, Europe has so far stopped short of meaningful collective action.
This week’s UN General Assembly in New York is expected to feature new recognitions of Palestinian statehood by Luxembourg, Belgium, Britain and others — part of a wider push led by French President Emmanuel Macron, reports the New York Times.
The shift comes as a UN inquiry recently accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation Israel rejected as “distorted and false.”
But beyond diplomatic words, Europe’s response remains limited.
Rhetoric outpaces action
The European Union has floated higher tariffs on Israeli exports and even suspending parts of its trade agreement with Israel. As the bloc accounts for nearly a third of Israel’s global trade, such steps could carry weight.
Yet divisions among member states, particularly resistance from Germany and Italy, have slowed progress.
Individual nations have also taken measures, though modest ones. Spain announced a permanent ban on arms sales to Israel after cancelling an €825 million rocket launcher contract. Belgium is moving to prohibit imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Still, analysts note these steps have had little effect on the war.
Efforts to increase humanitarian aid have stumbled. Gaza remains under siege, with famine conditions worsening, while attempts to evacuate civilians are slow and politically fraught.
European states have been reluctant to admit large numbers of displaced Palestinians, mindful of the political backlash that followed the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015.
Asylum bottlenecks
Belgium, with a sizable Palestinian community and relatively open asylum system, has received the most applications from Gaza. But the process is fraught with obstacles. Applicants face rejections, and even those eligible for evacuation wait for years.
Bahjat Madi, a 34-year-old from Rafah now living in Belgium, described the struggle to bring his father out of Gaza.
His father must apply for a humanitarian visa at the Israeli-controlled consulate in Jerusalem — an impossible task for someone trapped inside Gaza. “I want to tell myself at night, ‘I am doing my best,’” Madi said. “But it’s not enough.”
Public opinion vs political caution
European public opinion has swung sharply against Israel’s military campaign, with demonstrations filling streets from Rome to Brussels.
More than 200 former EU ambassadors and diplomats recently signed an open letter expressing “profound disappointment” at the bloc’s failure to exert real pressure on Israel.
Yet historical and political sensitivities weigh heavily. Germany’s leadership, citing its responsibility after the Holocaust, has resisted punitive measures against Israel.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned last week that criticism of Israel was increasingly serving as a cover for antisemitism. Italy has also been reluctant to back sanctions.
The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged last week that divisions among member states remain entrenched, making consensus elusive.
An opening, but will Europe act?
Still, the European Commission has made its boldest move yet by proposing to suspend preferential trade treatment for Israel. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told lawmakers that “what is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world.”
Because the measure requires only a majority, not unanimity, diplomats say it could pass – if enough governments are willing to risk the political fallout.
For now, however, Europe’s approach reflects what Kristina Kausch of the German Marshall Fund calls a widening gap between words and deeds. “There is unprecedented momentum,” she said. “But the test is whether Europe can turn condemnation into concrete commitments.”
Until that happens, Europe’s response to the Gaza war remains long on talk and short on action.
