EU Backtracks on Palestinian Aid Freeze Following Hamas Attack

0:00

/1861

1×

Facts

• Five hours after it was announced on Monday that the European Union had immediately frozen all financial support to Palestinians, the European Commission walked its position back — denying any suspension while payments of development aid are under review into whether they are being misused.¹
• Chief spokesman Eric Mamer has claimed that Hungary's European Commissioner, Olivér Várhelyi, took to social media without consulting with any other senior officials inside the executive body of the EU, blaming him for the public relations glitch.²
• Foreign ministers from the 27 EU countries held on Tuesday an emergency meeting to try to resolve divisions within the bloc over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with top diplomat Josep Borrell reportedly inviting Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Palestinian counterpart Riyal al-Maliki.³
• Israel-Palestine relations have historically been one of the most divisive in the bloc, according to an anonymous EU official quoted by Politico. The latest argument has been over the financial aid flows to Palestinians following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.⁴
• The EU is the biggest aid donor to Palestinians residing in the Palestinian Authority-led West Bank and Hamas-controlled Gaza — handing out €691M ($732M) to help pay salaries and pensions, improve health services and access to water, and provide humanitarian aid.⁵
• Meanwhile, the bloc's most populous member, Germany, and its neighbor Austria have temporarily suspended development aid for the Palestinian areas. The countries will review all of their development projects after the Hamas offensive on Saturday.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Ft, ³Reuters, ⁴Politico, ⁵Euronews and ⁶Associated Press.

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle east monitor. The EU would have betrayed its own values if this botched decision hadn't been corrected by the European Commission, as aid to Palestinians in need has nothing to do with the Israel-Hamas war. Europe must refrain from punishing an entire people, focusing instead on development and humanitarian assistance projects for the people of Gaza.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Washington examiner. There are some potentially problematic elements in these European development projects, including textbooks that have an anti-Israel bias. Even though the European Commission has backtracked on suspending all payments, a review of development program activities has been announced — which is a prudent step.

Predictions