Europe still blurs the line between support and betrayal

by Ramona Wadi

People gather at Hermann Square in the Neuklln district to take part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration, expressing solidarity with Palestinians, protesting arms supplies to Israel and calling for those responsible for war crimes to be brought to justice in Berlin, Germany on March 7, 2026. [Halil Sağırkaya – Anadolu Agency]

“Europe is the biggest supporter of the Palestinian people,” EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee yesterday.  However, while there have been shifts in individual European countries’ stances as regards Israel, mostly as a result of the economic ramifications of the US-Israeli attacks against Iran, Kallas cannot claim that Europe is the biggest supporter of the Palestinian people. On being the biggest backer of the Palestinian Authority, Kallas may be right.

Since October 2023, Europe did its utmost to protect Israel’s genocide in Gaza. It made a mockery out of its own rhetoric of suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which would not have stopped the genocide. but rather provided the EU with a symbolic move for its press releases. It ridiculed the importance of humanitarian aid delivery and necessity by making dialogue with Israel more important than alleviating starvation.

The EU also remained tethered to the two-state paradigm even as Israel explicitly called for implementing the concept of Greater Israel through expanding its undeclared borders.

Accusations of double standards are apt. Kallas described Europe as being “the largest donor and the main backer of the Palestinian Authority”, and that European missions are involved in supporting the “Palestinian police, justice and governance and border management.” Ask Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza what the alleged support has resulted in. In the occupied West Bank, forced displacement and settlement expansion continue at an accelerated rate, while in Gaza, the ceasefire served as the means for obliterating Israel’s continuation of genocide. “You will not find a stronger supporter of the Palestinian people anywhere in the world,” Kallas added.

If that is true, why isn’t Europe supporting decolonisation? Why hasn’t Europe at least rhetorically exposed the hypocrisy of the two-state paradigm?

\Germany, which recently spoke out against settler violence and the death penalty for Palestinians, is still against suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul insisting on “critical, constructive dialogue with Israel.” Israel destroys, it does not rebuild unless on the remains of the Nakba and ongoing forced displacement. More importantly, it does not dialogue. It dictates its own actions and expects the entire world to maintain impunity. Europe is a backer of Israeli impunity. Based on that alone, Europe cannot claim to be the biggest supporter of the Palestinian people.

Europe does, however, back actions that suppress the Palestinian aim of decolonisation. How many times has Europe spoken about a single democratic state as envisaged by Palestinians? Has Europe conditioned aid to the Palestinian Authority’s security services which is notorious for annihilating the Palestinian resistance and terrorising Palestinian civilians in refugee camps? Has Europe condemned PA leader Mahmoud Abbas for prioritising Ramallah’s borrowed power and time over protection for Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank?

If this is the strongest support Palestinians can get from Europe, the strongest support Europe offered to Palestinians is treachery.