Debate in presence of EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas marks turning point in the European Union’s lethargic response to Israel’s relentless genocide in Gaza.

A broad, democratic consensus calling for sanctions and a trade embargo against Israel emerged today in a debate in the European Parliament initiated by The Left on the genocide in Gaza. As news made it through that Israeli forces had massacred over 50 people queuing for flour in Gaza this week, the debate succeeded in provoking the strongest language yet from EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas against Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Kicking off the debate, co-Chair of The Left Manon Aubry (La France Insoumise, France) said: “Kaja Kallas refuses to use the term genocide. The Left insisted on this debate so that the term genocide and the call for sanctions appears on the agenda of the Parliament for the first time ever, something that Kaja Kallas and EU leaders haven’t been able to bring themselves to do in the months and months of this genocide […] We have a unique opportunity to act on the 23 June, during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, to finally suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement.”

Isa Serra (Podemos, Spain) said: “Israel’s offensive is completely illegal and could end in nuclear war at world level. All of this is thanks to the EU’s unconditional support for decades of occupation of Palestinian land, for day after day of bombarding the civilian population, for the Israeli military industry, for the replacement of UNRWA with a private company that opens fire on Palestinians as they starve to death.”

Özlem Demirel (Die Linke, Germany) said: “I will not be silent when I see the destruction of Gaza. Israel isn’t just committing genocide in Gaza and destroying the future of a Palestinian state, it is now starting on other countries as well. As an antifascist and someone who loves life, I will not be silent as Palestinians need our solidarity. The hypocrisy of the EU is unacceptable.”

Per Clausen (Enhedslisten, Denmark) said: “It is nothing new or surprising that the extreme right supports genocide, but I am disappointed that we don’t get a clear answer from the EU’s leadership as to why we are looking on while innocent children pay the price. The EU isn’t putting any real pressure on Israel. This month, the Commission proposed a stop on Russian gas to get around the vetoes of certain countries. We could do that to Israel if we really wanted to.”

Other political groups joined the chorus for actions against Israel, with S&D calling for an arms embargo, Renew’s speaker calling to end all Israeli imports to the EU and the Greens remarking that the Israeli government has openly stated that wiping out Palestinians is its intended purpose.

On the right and far-right however, speakers chose the path of genocide denial, with EPP’s speaker incredibly saying that the threshold of ‘mass suffering and proven intent’ had not been reached in Gaza for it to be considered ‘genocide’.