Hamas attack on Israel sparks political divisions in Europe
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her unequivocal support for Israel on a stage in Bordeaux, France, where she was guest of honour at a rally of French President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party (which forms the basis of the Renew MEP group).
Right to self-defence: Calling the attack "pure terrorism", she said Israel had the right to defend itself. "This is neither a political solution nor an act of heroism," she said, adding that "the EU stands by Israel".
This was in line with statements by European Council chief Charles Michel and EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell, although neither mentioned that Israel had retaliated.
Several European monuments and institutions on Sunday displayed the Israeli flag in solidarity, including the European Commission's Berlaymont building in Brussels, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Petřín Tower in Prague and the Austrian chancellor's office in Vienna.
But not everyone agreed with the show of support for Israel. Instead, far-left parties in several countries refused to condemn the attack. Alberto Alemanno, a well-known commentator on EU affairs, posted on X: "Appalled by attacks on Israel... However, I doubt the EU will intervene to de-escalate the conflict."
Behind the support for Israel from EU leaders, however, there is growing unease in Brussels and across national capitals about the deteriorating political situation on the continent. The risk for Europe is that voters' attention in the US will be diverted to the Middle East or China, diminishing Washington's interest in supporting Ukraine. Already at the Granada summit last week, Josep Borrell said the EU could not "fill the gap" in supporting Kiev if the US withdrew its financial support.
In a video post on Sunday evening posted on "X", Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski warned that the coordinated attack by Hamas shows that "they are a threat not just to one country": "Terror has opened far too many fronts against humanity. The war against Ukraine. The war in the Middle East. Terrible destabilisation across Africa," Zelenski added.
In fact, Russia and Iran are the only countries that could benefit from Hamas' attack on Israel. While no one doubts that the attack was planned long in advance, it may have been launched at a time of Iran's choosing.
This comes at a time when extremes are rampant on the European continent. Last weekend saw centre-right and far-right forces make inroads in Luxembourg and Germany.
In Germany, the far-right AfD gained ground in local elections in two Länder, while the three parties that make up the country's federal coalition government suffered significant losses.
Conservative forces won clear victories in both Bavaria and Hesse. But the biggest winner of the night was undoubtedly the AfD, a party that has become increasingly extreme since its founding in 2013. Preliminary results show the AfD came second in Hesse and third in Bavaria in historic gains for the party.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
