EU Commissioner expresses doubts about Netanyahu as a leader for peace
Kyiv • UNN
EU Commissioner Hadja Lahbib stated that Benjamin Netanyahu is not a convincing leader for establishing peace in the Middle East. She called for pressure on Israel and warned of prolonged suffering for Palestinians in Gaza.
Not many officials in Brussels would dare to voice such a view publicly, but European Commissioner for Crisis Management Adja Labib made it clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not a convincing leader capable of establishing peace in the Middle East, Politico reports, writes UNN.
Details
In an interview with Politico, Adja Labib expressed her doubts about the Israeli Prime Minister, called for continued pressure on Israel, and warned that the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is far from over.
According to her, the biggest risk to lasting peace is "extremists on both sides."
There is Hamas, the perpetrator of the crime in Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people. And on the Israeli side, there are "extremists who do not want to hear about a two-state solution," she said. "Sometimes we hear a lot of unacceptable things from the mouth of a responsible person who leads his country," she noted.
Does she think Netanyahu wants peace? "To ask the question is to give the answer," said Labib, the Belgian European Commissioner. "I have some doubts. So far, he has managed to maintain the ceasefire, so let's see what happens next. But we all know that he was against the two-state solution... We once said in French: 'Only idiots don't change their minds.'"
The European Commissioner stated that she was not calling the Israeli leader an "idiot," but she was clearly not thrilled.
Asked if Israel needed to elect new leadership willing to embrace a two-state solution, with a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel, she replied: "That's a very good question, and those are the next steps, crucial ones." First there must be a ceasefire, then urgently needed aid, "and then a future that gives hope to these people who are now living among the ruins."
It is not common for politicians to discuss the electoral politics of other countries. Israel is due to hold elections for the 120-member Knesset in October 2026, although some expect the vote to take place earlier as Netanyahu has lost his majority after his partners left the coalition.
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Two weeks have passed since the ceasefire initiated by US President Donald Trump came into effect. Hamas returned live hostages to Israel, and Israeli forces withdrew. There have been attacks, casualties, and tensions remain high. However, the ceasefire generally holds.
International allies agree that Hamas cannot continue to govern Gaza.
Labib suggested that Palestinians might need their own Nelson Mandela figure, referring to Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Fatah party figure who has been in an Israeli prison since 2002. According to polls, he leads among Palestinians as a potential president.
Asked if she believed Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, Labib replied: "Only a court can say that." However, she pointed to an independent UN investigation that found "genocide has or had occurred," and mentioned the horrific scenes reported by humanitarian workers.
Trump and his team are clearly committed to maintaining the ceasefire, and the US president's plan is "the end of a nightmare - we must acknowledge progress," Labib said.
"But this is not the end of the war. For that, we need to work on implementing a two-state solution. The situation is very unstable and fragile," Labib stated.
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