EU plea for Israel to ‘down arms’ shows bloc ‘does not understand Middle East’

With European Union member states pushing for a ceasefire, a prominent UK-based critic has said the bloc’s attempt to persuade Israel to “down arms” its war on Hamas proves Brussels “does not understand the Middle East”.

Reform UK deputy leader Ben Habib also urged the EU to “get back in its box” when it comes to foreign policy – and said its attempt to develop “military command structures” actually made it a “threat to peace”.

Elisabeth Bourne, France’s Prime Minister, is calling for a “humanitarian truce” to permit aid agencies to bring more supplies into Gaza, with growing concern about the possibility of a humanitarian disaster.

However, while EU sources are widely believed to be ready to accept such a plan, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is not.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, he explained: “It is difficult to tell Israel to have a ceasefire when it is still facing rocket fire on an almost daily basis, and when its citizens are still being held hostage and it has suffered an appalling terrorist attack where it has a right to defend itself.”

Mr Habib, a former Brexit Party MEP, told Express.co.uk: “When Trump imposed sanctions on Iran, the EU tried to sidestep them through the establishment of alternative clearing systems for trade with them.

“And, in case anyone has not joined the dots, Hamas terrorised Israel under instructions from Tehran.”

Mr Habib continued: “I see no EU commissioners owning up to their massive folly in 2018 and 2019.

“Instead, they are at it again. This time pleading with Israel to down arms for ‘humanitarian reasons’.”

He warned: “The EU does not understand the Middle East if it thinks this is a good idea.

“For Israel not to respond with force, for it not to relentlessly go after Hamas, would be read in Tehran as weakness. It would embolden Iran.

“That regime and many others in the Middle East understand only the politics of power, not the rule of law.

“The EU needs to get back in its box and stop interfering in things which are beyond its grasp.”

The EU was “always on the wrong side of foreign policy”, Mr Habib claimed.

He explained: “We saw this in Ukraine with Macron responding to its invasion by cosying up to Putin.

“Germany similarly went on funding the Russian war machine through its purchase of Russian gas and oil. It injected around €50 billion into Russian coffers before Nordstream was blown up. It is still buying Russian fuel.

“We are in effect at war with Russia and the EU is fuelling the death of Ukrainian fighters. As President, Trump warned Germany of its over its reliance on Russia; they laughed at him.”

President Ursula von der Leyen and her colleagues in the European Commission were “desperate to project” the EU on the international stage, Mr Habib said.

He added: “It is the last bit of the jigsaw required for it to become a superstate. Perhaps it thinks by contradicting the US and UK its standing will be more noticed. In any event, what it advocates is very wrong.”

Almost 3,000 troops from 19 member states took part in joint wargames in Spain known as Strategic Compass last week – something which Brexiteers including Mr Habib and Nigel Farage have cited as evidence of the bloc’s military ambitions.

Mr Habib concluded: “To support its desire to meddle internationally, the EU is rapidly developing its own military command structures.

“We must be very wary of an EU army – at best it will make huge mistakes; at worst we may find ourselves having to oppose it.

“NATO has kept the peace in Europe, not the EU. Based on precedent, the EU threatens peace.”