Amid the tense situation in the Middle East, the European Union leadership has been criticized repeatedly, including criticism from within the EU. The reason for this criticism is that the EU failed to strongly condemn the military operations carried out by Israel in the Palestinian Gaza Strip and Lebanon, which have caused widespread civilian casualties and destruction.
However, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently claimed that the EU's contributions in supporting Palestinians exceed those of any other international entity.
According to RT's report dated July 4th, local time, Frau Vondelrein was questioned at a press conference held at the University of Cork in Ireland on July 3rd about why the European Commission is slow to act on issues related to Gaza and the West Bank. In response, she refuted this criticism, even boasting that the EU is the 'world's largest donor providing assistance to the Palestinian people', and insisted 'no one has done more than we have'.
July 3, 2026, Cork, Ireland; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin visited University College Cork. IC Photo
As evidence, she cited the so-called 'humanitarian air bridges' that have been operating since October 2023 within the EU. She also stated that any decision to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement depends on the stance of the member states, and requires a specific majority vote.
However, Funch's position has drawn criticism from European Parliament members. In a debate in late April this year, Belgian European Parliament member Kathleen Van Brempt accused Brussels of applying 'double standards': while imposing comprehensive sanctions on Russia due to the Russo-Ukraine conflict, it remained 'silent' regarding Israel's actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.
Portuguese European Parliament member Joao Oliveira also criticized that von der Leyen failed to condemn the 'aggression against Iran' and Israel's military operations in Lebanon, which have resulted in civilian deaths and displaced more than 1.2 million people.
Former High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, also expressed similar concerns in March this year. He told POLITICO that Fondelain has shown a tendency to 'systematically favor the United States and Israel'.
