How EU foreign policy chief spent 5 years pandering to Israel
Federica Mogherini with Benjamin Netanyahu
David Cronin writes in the Electronic Intifada:
Federica Mogherini is closing her term as the European Union’s foreign policy chief in much the same way that she kicked it off: by pandering to Israel.
Shortly after taking up her post in 2014, Mogherini paid a visit to Benjamin Netanyahu. She assured the Israeli prime minister that he could “count on the European Union” to build a “new start.” Mogherini was vague about what the “new start” would entail. Nonetheless, she has brought some degree of innovation – though not in a positive sense – to international relations.
Under her leadership, the EU uses far weaker language than previously when alluding to grave breaches of human rights. Back in February 2001, the official EU line was that it “deplores” how Israel was carrying out extrajudicial executions. But when Israel resorted to an extrajudicial execution in November 2019, Mogherini’s team merely referred to an “operation” without expressing any criticism. The “operation” resulted in the deaths of the Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata and his wife. By declining to denounce Israel’s blatantly unlawful behavior, Mogherini’s team was effectively approving it.
Mogherini has been in regular contact with Israel’s top politicians over the past five years. When Netanyahu’s Likud became the biggest party in a 2015 election, Mogherini was quick to congratulate him.