Brussels: More than 200 former European Union diplomats and ambassadors have signed a public letter urging urgent action over Israel’s war in Gaza and its activities in the West Bank, warning that the bloc risks losing credibility if it fails to respond. The letter, published on Tuesday, was signed by 209 former EU ambassadors, senior diplomatic staff, and ambassadors from EU member states. It outlined nine possible measures, including suspending arms export licenses, banning trade in goods and services linked to Israeli settlements, and preventing European data centers from managing data connected to Israel’s activities in Gaza and other occupied territories.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the letter emphasized that if the EU cannot act collectively, member states should take steps individually or in smaller groups to support human rights and uphold international law. Among the signatories are 110 former ambassadors, 25 former director generals, and two of the EU’s most senior former officials: Alain Le Roy, former secretary general of the European External Action Service, and Carlo Trojan, former secretary general of the European Commission.
Sven Khn von Burgsdorff, a former EU representative to the Palestinian territories and part of a six-member steering group coordinating the initiative launched in mid-July, stated, “This struck a chord.” It is the third such public appeal and the first to call for unilateral action by EU states if collective measures fail. A previous proposal to suspend Israel from the Horizon research fund over Gaza had collapsed in late July.
Khn von Burgsdorff further explained, “There is such dismay now within the institutions, people are saying enough is enough. We can’t stay paralyzed if the 27 member states can’t take action; that betrays our values. So we have proposed nine actions that can be taken at the state level or by groups of states.” He added that European governments are losing credibility not just in the global south but with their own citizens, citing polling from Germany showing that 80% of the population opposes Israel’s actions in Gaza, and two-thirds want Berlin to take action.