EU Parliament raises white flag on Middle East. No resolution on escalation in Lebanon

Brussels – On the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the European Union is unable to speak chorally and with one voice. This fact was demonstrated by the leaders immediately after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, with Ursula von der Leyen’s uncoordinated leaps forward with Foreign Affairs Officer Josep Borrell. This was demonstrated by the heads of state and government of the 27, who had been pecking at each other for months over the exact terms to call for a pause in hostilities. In the end, the European Parliament also threw in the towel,  giving up in its October 7-10 plenary session on finding a common synthesis on the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon.

Yet, the opportunity —and the urgency—are there indeed. Monday, Oct. 7, will mark the first anniversary of the conflict, and MEPs will “discuss the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered the war in Gaza.” On Tuesday, a second debate on the Middle East will focus on the latest developments in Lebanon and widening hostilities with Iran. But the Conference of Presidents, the body that brings together the leaders of the political groups and the president of the EU Parliament and sets the agenda for the plenary session, decided that both debates will not include a joint resolution to be put to a vote.

It is too divisive an issue, and it’s better not to fight over a text that may ultimately please no one. However, the paradox is that everyone in Brussels agrees that the European Union should bring its weight to bear on the crisis in the Middle East and play a major role in a diplomatic solution.

Annalisa Corrado, a Democratic Party MEP, is convinced of this and says that “having a resolution would be very important” because “there is a need for the EU to make its voice heard in a strong way.” Of the same opinion, Ignazio Marino, head of the Italian Greens’ delegation in Brussels: “It is shameful that there is no resolution,” said the former mayor of Rome, warning that “the absolute timidity of Europe will condemn it to be insignificant.” Valentina Palmisano, a 5-Star Movement MEP, also criticised the lack of courage of her colleagues in the Parliament when it comes to finding the right words to deplore both Hamas and Hezbollah terrorism and Israel’s “terror-based attacks” in Gaza. “I would like Europe not to be afraid to condemn these acts,” Palmisano said.

Giovanni Crosetto, an MEP from Fratelli d’Italia, downplayed the issue and said that the lack of a common text despite the two debates is partly explained because “we are in a moment of transition of the legislature,” and partly because “we are in a moment of escalation and it is not easy to express ourselves.”

The last time the European Parliament had its say on the Middle East was in the aftermath of Iran’s retaliation against Israel for the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Beirut in April 2024. MEPs had strongly condemned Tehran’s launching of drones and missiles into Israeli territory and criticised Tel Aviv’s violation of the Iranian diplomatic site. But the hard part comes when it comes to the Israeli carnage in Gaza. Last January, MEPs had laboriously agreed—and not without controversy—on a text dictated by the Populars, which called for a ceasefire in the Strip on condition that all Israeli hostages be released and Hamas dismantled.

If Gaza is the problem, it is better to remove all references to the Palestinian enclave. One cannot help but notice that in both titles of the debates to be held in the Strasbourg Chamber, the word “Gaza” is missing altogether. On this, too, the EU Parliament bickered. The Social Democrats had called for mention of the Palestinian enclave, at least in the title of the debate on developments in Lebanon and the region. Still, the far right and the Populars objected.