48 No. 72 JUSTICE carried out over a six-year period. And yet, some European leaders are engaging in a “that was then, and this is now” response to the massacres in October. Take Caroline Gennez, Belgium’s Minister of Development Cooperation, who said, “No EU Member State disputes Israel’s right to exist, but surely that is why we should not stand idly by in the face of so much disproportionate violence against a civilian population, even if it is in retaliation to an act of terror.”7 In an irreverent comment, Gennez mentioned Hamas in her statement, but only to make another point against Israel: “Hamas has murdered, kidnapped or raped 1,200 Israelis. That is a violation of international law and the laws of war. But Israel, as an occupying power, has been violating international law in the West Bank and Gaza for years...”8 Gennez then, in a colossal display of chutzpah, turned her criticism to Germany for its support of Israel: “German friends, are you really going to be on the wrong side of history twice? Are we going to stand by if ethnic cleansing were to take place? … So I hope that Germans will want to look deep into their own hearts unburdened by their own historical traumas.”9 Spain has been an advocate for the Palestinians for years, and statements by several of its leaders in the aftermath of October 7 were very much in line with that worldview. Yolanda Diaz, Spain’s Minister for Labor and Social Economy, ended a speech on the war in Gaza by repeating the go-to chant of the pro-Palestinian/proHamas camp: “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea.” In her remarks, she charged Israel with “barbarism” and called on the EU to end all its agreements with Israel.10 Margarita Robles, Spain’s Minister of Defense, called the war in Gaza “a real genocide.” Spain would eventually join with Norway, Ireland, Slovenia and others in recognizing a Palestinian state.11 Ireland has been at the forefront in Europe in support of the Palestinians. Barely a month after the October 7 attacks, then-Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar observed that Israeli action in Gaza is “something approaching revenge.”12 In an interview featured in Euronews, his successor, Simon Harris, called the situation in Gaza “unconscionable,” and said that Europe would be on the wrong side of history if it failed to “stop the bloodshed.” Harris went on to say that it “…should keep every single one of us awake at night, because there are children in Gaza, there are children in Rafah, who go to sleep at night not knowing if they will wake.”13 Another veteran critic of Israel is Josep Borrell, a former Spanish foreign minister and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. He has referred to the “bloodbath” in Gaza and charged Israel with employing starvation as a weapon of war and purposely “provoking famine.”14 It should come as no surprise that the United Nations, which has long applied a double standard to Israel’s actions and has a culture of bias against Israel, hopped along for the ride. Several attempts to include mention of Hamas and the atrocities it carried out in UN resolutions calling for ceasefires in Gaza – both in the Security Council and in the General Assembly – have been unsuccessful. In some cases, countries that voted in favor of the (failed) amendments that included mention of Hamas, nevertheless voted for the final documents that did not mention Hamas, further insulating the victimizer from any clear condemnation or opprobrium. It is noteworthy that after months of the international community parroting Hamas’s casualty figures and 7. Brussels Times Newsroom, “Belgium's Development Minister criticises Germany over pro-Israeli stance,” BRUSSELS TIMES, Jan. 11, 2024, available at https:// www.brusselstimes.com/871743/belgiums-developmentminister-criticises-germany-over-pro-israeli-stance 8. Id. 9 Id. 10. Canaan Lidor, “Spanish minister condemned after ending speech with ‘river to the sea’ call,” TIMES OF ISRAEL, May 23, 2024, available at https://www.timesofisrael. com/liveblog_entry/jews-condemn-spanish-ministerfor-ending-speech-with-river-to-the-sea-call/ 11. “Spanish defence minister says Gaza war is ’real genocide’,” GROUND NEWS, May 26, 2024, available at https://ground.news/article/spanish-defence-ministersays-gaza-war-is-real-genocide_6127f6 12. “Irish PM says Israel actions in Gaza resemble ’something approaching revenge’,” REUTERS, Nov. 3, 2023, available at https://www.reuters.com/world/irish-pm-says-israelactions-gaza-resemble-something-approachingrevenge-2023-11-03/ 13. Shona Murray, “What's happening in Gaza is ’unconscionable’, says Irish PM Harris,” EURONEWS, May 22, 2024, available at https://www.euronews.com/ my-europe/2024/05/22/whats-happening-in-gaza-isunconscionable-says-irish-pm-harris 14. Victor Jack, “Borrell condemns ‘bloodbath’ in Gaza as death toll from Israeli hostage raid soars,” POLITICO, June 9, 2024, available at https://www.politico.eu/article/ josep-borrell-condemns-bloodbath-gaza-israel-hostagepalestine-hamas/
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