If the EU can sanction Russia but not Israel, its claims to uphold human rights ring hollow
The European Union is failing a basic test of credibility. For months, it has decried Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank as unlawful, yet it has taken no meaningful measures to stop them. That failure does not look like neutrality – it looks like double standards.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the EU responded with unprecedented sanctions, trade restrictions and military support for Kyiv. But faced with Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza – which has killed tens of thousands of civilians, including a shocking proportion of children, and flattened hospitals, schools and infrastructure – the Union has limited itself to expressions of “concern”. The contrast is glaring, and the damage to Europe’s moral standing is severe.
That judgement is not only coming from outside critics. It is being voiced by those who know the EU best: its own former diplomats. In recent weeks, 209 retired EU and member state ambassadors, senior officials and directors-general signed an open letter urging the EU to act. On August 26, they sent their third such appeal to EU leaders, calling for concrete measures to halt Israel’s war and to restore the union’s credibility.
Their proposals are clear: suspend arms export licences, end cooperation with research institutions implicated in violations of international law, impose targeted sanctions and ban trade with illegal settlements. None of these measures are extraordinary; all of them are tools the EU has used elsewhere. The only missing ingredient is political will.
A similar initiative of current EU staff was supported by over 1,700 staff members.
Yet again, last week’s informal meeting of EU foreign ministers ended with no agreement. Vague calls for restraint replaced action. Even the EU’s High Representative, Kaja Kallas, admitted that inaction is “affecting the EU’s credibility”. On that single point, she and the former ambassadors agree.
But credibility is not a slogan. It is the foundation of Europe’s influence. If the union demands accountability from Russia but not from Israel, why should anyone take its values seriously? Citizens across Europe, deeply shaken by the images from Gaza, are already asking that question. So are partners and rivals around the world.
The EU has long aspired to be a community built on human rights and the rule of law. But principles mean nothing if applied selectively. By turning a blind eye to Israel’s unlawful actions, Europe undermines not only the rights of Palestinians but also its own standing as a defender of international law.
The choice is stark. The EU can remain stuck in rhetorical paralysis, wringing its hands while Gaza burns. Or it can match words with deeds, using the very tools it has already employed in other conflicts.
The former ambassadors have done their part by outlining a path. Now it is up to today’s leaders to act. If they do not, they risk confirming the worst accusation: that Europe’s values are negotiable, its principles selective, and its credibility fatally compromised.
Former EU ambassadors: Michael Doyle, Androulla Kaminara, Sven Kűhn von Burgsdorff, Jeremy Lester, Jim Moran, Luigi Narbone, Richard Wright
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