The European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuicatraveled to Israel and Palestine last Monday for a series of meetings, but he did so just a week after The Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, will withdraw the speech from the head of European diplomacyKaja Kallas, aggravating the crisis for control of the foreign policy in the European Union.
The tension over control of the EU’s foreign policy is not new; the bad relationship between the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Kallasan open secret in Brussels, and Israel, a constant source of tension. A tension that has reached a significant peak this week and puts in check the coherence of European foreign policy.
Who is who
If we compare the structure of the European Union with that of any state, The Commission would be the government and the president would be in charge of determining public policy priorities. But the comparison practically ends there. Because in practice, They are the Twenty-seven countries of the bloc who determine the political direction of the Union and also its foreign policy.
The treaties establish to the president of the European Council, António Costa, in this case, already the high representative for foreign and security policy of the EU, Kallas herself, as representatives of the bloc’s international politics. However, the Von der Leyen notoriety and his search for prominence on the global board They have strained that complex relationship.
The high representative is also vice president of the Commission. The objective is to ensure a certain coherence in all policies that have an external dimension, from development to commercial. But the fragmentation of these responsibilities in the second Von der Leyen Commissionwith the creation of a defense commissioner or for the Mediterranean, once again, unbalances the balance.
The origin of the crisis
This is the institutional framework of the tension, but the origin is political. Kallas has never been particularly hard on Israeland Von der Leyen raised the tone only in the most dramatic moments of the humanitarian crisis caused by the Israeli bombings in Gaza. However, the increase in violence in the West Bank and the incursion into Lebanon have once again tightened the rope, with the head of European diplomacy showing her frustration due to the lack of progress to take measures against Israel.
In this context, according to the European news outlet Euractiv, Kallas would have compared the systematic discrimination of Palestinians by the Israeli government with the racist apartheid regime in South Africa. Some alleged statements, behind closed doors during a meeting in Mexico, which The high representative has neither confirmed nor denied.
“I am not going to comment on anything that has or has not been said behind closed doors. Let’s stick to the statements I make publicly every week“said the Estonian, asked about her words. Kallas reiterated, however, European condemnation of illegal settlements in the West Bank and the bloc’s defense of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he was cutting off “all contact” with Kallas until she recanted, which the Estonian has not done. Sa’ar took the opportunity to launch a smear campaign against the high representative, accusing her of acting “obsessively and with flagrant injustice” against Israel. All this, among US criticism of the Israeli government for violating the ceasefire in Lebanon, putting the agreement with Iran at risk.
Suica’s rapprochement with Israel
No one on the Commission has come out openly in defense of Kallas, who implied that he could not spend all day reacting to this type of smear campaign. The Estonian has insisted that Your position is known, public and clearYes, his predecessor, Josep Borrell, did, who in a publication on social networks was very critical of Suica.
“Israel declares Kaja Kallas persona non grata for alleged anti-Semitic attitude and the next day her colleague, Commissioner Dubravka Šuicastands in Tel Aviv and exchanges smiles and no reproaches with Minister Gideon Sa’ar,” said Borrell. “What a display of “solidarity and coordination” in the EU,” he snapped. The only public defense of the high representative was a vague statement assuring that The Executive “supports all members” of the college of commissioners, from the spokesperson of the European Commission.
However, just a week later, Šuica, whose portfolio focuses on improving relations with Mediterranean countries, went to Israel and Palestine. In his agenda, which was not made public until then, a meeting with Sa’ar was included. Brussels insists that the meetings were planned long before, but They had not been revealed for security reasons. What they have not clarified is whether Suica addressed the diplomatic crisis with Kallas in their conversations.
Suica spoke of Israel as a “key partner” of the EU after meeting with Sa’ar. “Stability, security and prosperity are best achieved through alliances. And alliances require open and honest dialogue“said the commissioner in a publication on social networks. Although described the situation in Gaza as “worrying” and illegal settlements, did not speak of a two-state solution but of a “negotiated solution.”
The Israeli Foreign Minister described the meeting with Suica as “good” and highlighted the work of the commissioner. But Sa’ar also took the opportunity to leave a message. “The dialogue cannot mean that one party imposes political positions on the other, especially on issues that are fundamental to our existence,” he said in a social media post.
Kallas vs Von der Leyen
The Twenty-seven have been incapable, not only of taking a unanimous decision to impose sanctions against the most extremist ministers of Benjamin Netanyahu, but to achieve a sufficient majority to limit trade with Israel. France and Sweden raised the possibility of prohibit at least commercial exchange with occupied areas, which the International Criminal Court considers in fact illegal. A proposal that has never arrived.
Kallas herself took aim at the Commission. The high representative showed her frustration in this regard last May, ensuring that had raised the governments’ request to the community Executiveno response. “I asked for it, but the proposal is not available and I cannot write it,” he told the Estonian. As it is a commercial measure, The competence is exclusive of the Community Executive. That proposal still has not arrived. And even after the European Council called for new measures in a joint statement, Brussels continues to drag its feet.
Under any other circumstances, the trip would have gone unnoticed. But in the midst of a diplomatic crisis with Kallas, the meetings with Suica once again reveal the differences with the president of the Commission on the bloc’s foreign policy. Some differences that have increased the tension between both in recent weeks.
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