By Lili Bayer
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called for a constructive dialogue but braced for criticism from some European countries as he arrived for talks on Monday in Brussels.
The Israeli minister is meeting senior European officials, reviving a dialogue with the European Union as the bloc considers a role in the reconstruction of Gaza following last month’s fragile ceasefire deal.
“I’m looking for a constructive dialogue, an open and honest one, and I believe that this is what it will be,” Saar told reporters on arrival.
“We know how to face criticism,” he said, adding “it’s okay as long as criticism is not connected to delegitimisation, demonisation, or double standards … but we are ready to discuss everything with an open mind”.
Saar will co-chair a meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in the first such session since 2022. Talks are set to focus on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israeli-Palestinian relations and changing regional dynamics.
The Israeli foreign minister said that within the EU “there are very friendly countries, there are less friendly countries”, but that Monday’s meeting showed a willingness to renew normal relations.
The Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s response, exposed sharp divisions within the EU. While all members condemned the Hamas attacks, some staunchly defended Israel’s war in Gaza as others condemned Israel’s military campaign and its toll on civilians.
COMPROMISE
In February 2024, the leaders of Spain and Ireland sent a letter to the European Commission asking for a review of whether Israel was complying with its human rights obligations under the 2000 EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides the basis for political and economic cooperation between the two sides.
But ahead of Monday’s meeting, the bloc’s 27 member countries negotiated a compromise position that praises areas of cooperation with Israel while also raising concerns.
At the meeting, the EU will emphasize both Europe’s commitment to Israel’s security and its view that “displaced Gazans should be ensured a safe and dignified return to their homes in Gaza”, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump shocked Arab nations and Western allies by proposing the United States “take over” Gaza, permanently displacing its Palestinian inhabitants and creating the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
The war started when Hamas-led militants launched a cross-border attack on Israeli communities that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israel.
The Israeli retaliatory offensive has killed at least 48,000 people, Palestinian health authorities say, leaving some hundreds of thousands of people in makeshift shelters and dependent on aid trucks.
(Reporting by Lili Bayer; Editing by Helen Popper and Aidan Lewis)
