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NINE OF IRELAND’S 13 MEPs have criticised European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over her response to the Israel-Hamas war, with the majority saying she has overstepped her mandate.
Over the course of the last week, von der Leyen has faced criticism for her actions in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
As president of the European Commission, von der Leyen was fast to pledge support to Israel, despite concerns that the country’s response to Hamas’ attack would have catastrophic impacts for Gaza’s civilian population.
“The European Union stands with Israel,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, the day Hamas attacked civilians and captured 199 hostages, alongside a picture of the European Commission headquarters lit up with the Israeli flag.
But as events in the Middle East continued, the United Nations and others warned that Israel’s siege of Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack amounted to an illegal act under international law.
On Friday last – the same day that Israel ordered civilians in Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours – von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola visited Israel to express solidarity.
But by Saturday, von der Leyen appeared to be feeling the pressure, issuing her first statement to acknowledge the threat to Gaza’s civilians as a result of the conflict. In it she announced that the EU would be tripling its humanitarian aid.
Yesterday, von der Leyen also wrote on X, formerly Twitter:
“There is no justification for Hamas’ heinous act of terror. Israel has the right to defend itself. At the same time civilians in Gaza are also victims of Hamas.”
There is no justification for Hamas’ heinous act of terror.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 15, 2023
Israel has the right to defend itself.
At the same time civilians in Gaza are also victims of Hamas.
This is why we are tripling our humanitarian aid for Palestinians in need. pic.twitter.com/x0zlUOKdb8
Speaking to The Journal today, nine of Ireland’s 13 MEPs criticised von der Leyen’s handling of the situation, with some pointing out that the European Union’s response in general has been confused.
All of Ireland’s 13 MEPs responded to The Journal’s request for comment today.
Seán Kelly and Deirdre Clune, who are both Fine Gael representatives in the European People’s Party chose not to comment on von der Leyen’s actions last week.
Von der Leyen is herself a member of the European People’s Party grouping.
Kelly did however say that he was glad to see her referencing humanitarian aid for Palestinians and that “although the initial reaction of the Commission did not reflect the complexities of the situation” it is more important “that the EU reacts to the dire humanitarian crisis developing now”.
Of Ireland’s three remaining Fine Gael MEPs, Colm Markey issued strong criticism of von der Leyen and said her visit to Israel was “ill-judged”.
Fellow Fine Gael MEPs Maria Walsh and Frances Fitzgerald did not explicitly criticise von der Leyen, but both said the European Commission is not responsible for setting EU foreign policy.
Maria Walsh said: “The most important aspect to remember is thousands of innocent people are trapped in humanitarian war-torn countries, crisis after crisis.”
Fitzgerald said that while Israel has a right to defend itself, it should act in line with international humanitarian law.
“This has been echoed in a joint statement of all EU leaders, who together set the external policy priorities of the EU,” she said.
Markey said that he believed von der Leyen’s visit to Israel was “ill-judged” and said her subsequent comments “did not fully reflect the views of member states”.
He said he was “disappointed” that she did not speak about the humanitarian consequences of Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Hamas in Gaza and said she should have appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respect international law.
The remaining Irish MEPs went further in their criticism.
Independent MEP Luke Ming Flanagan said he was “appalled” by her actions and said “she needs to go” – a position backed by fellow independent MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace.
“She has made the EU look both disjointed and cruel. It’s only this time last year that the Commission President was rightly calling out Russia’s for ‘cutting off men, women, children of water, electricity and heating with winter coming’ as ‘acts of pure terror’,” Flanagan said.
“So what’s changed in the meantime with our much-vaunted ‘European values’?”
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher said von der Leyen “clearly overstepped in terms of her comments on the Israeli-Hamas war” and that “her position will become untenable” if she continues to do so.
“Sadly, her comments have clearly given cover for Israel to ignore their responsibilities under the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law. This is something no EU leader should be doing,” Kelleher said.
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus said the actions of Von der Leyen and Metsola were “contrary to the European Union’s stated aims and values”.
He added that their failure to call for restraint or to call for Israel to abide by international law during their visit was “completely unacceptable”.
Green Party MEPs Ciarán Cuffe and Grace O’Sullivan were also critical of the EU’s response.
Cuffe said the reaction from von der Leyen and “by some of her Commissioners to these events has been dangerously ill-judged”.
“It is important to show solidarity with the victims of the Hamas attacks, but we must not be selective in our condemnation or grief,” he said.
Meanwhile, Grace O’Sullivan said von der Leyen’s response so far has “been a complete mess”.
“By continuing to invoke Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’ as these crimes are committed in Gaza, in my view the President gives the tacit approval of the EU for the Israeli regime to continue its attacks,” O’Sullivan said.
Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews reiterated comments he made to The Journal last week and said von der Leyen has “damaged the EU’s credibility enormously and possibly “emboldened President Netanyahu”.
“If President von der Leyen continues pushing a biased narrative, which will no doubt have strategic implications, a motion of censure may be the only option,” Andrews said.
While Commission President von der Leyen has come under fire this week, the European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has not been subject to the same criticism despite also visiting Israel last week.
On this, Colm Markey said that he understood President Metsola was invited to Israel by the country’s parliament but that she should have used the opportunity to call for de-escalation and appealed to Israel to respect international law.
Billy Kelleher said she should refrain from commenting until all MEPs have been able to debate and vote on the issue.
But while Ireland’s MEPs have on the whole been critical of von der Leyen, it is unlikely that this is a view shared widely among other MEPs.
When asked if von der Leyen’s position is tenable, Colm Markey said: “I do not foresee a situation where the majority of MEPs in the European Parliament would vote to remove the Commission President from office.”
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