The EU is taking advantage of the Iran war to once again close ranks with Israel.

BrusselsThe division within the European Union over the conflicts in the Middle East is absolute. A significant number of countries—such as Germany, Hungary, and Austria—and the right and far right generally maintain positions very close to Israel; while a smaller group of Member States—such as Spain and Belgium—and the majority of progressive parties are most critical of Benjamin Netanyahu's governmentThe back-and-forth between these two sides is constant, but since the start of the Gaza war, the most pro-Zionist view has prevailed almost everywhere, and it wasn't until a few weeks ago that the EU slightly hardened its tone toward Tel Aviv. However, the Israeli attack on Iran has once again swung the pendulum within the European club, and most European leaders have seized the opportunity to close ranks with Israel once again.

The most obvious case has been that of the President of the European Commission, the German conservative Ursula von der Leyen. She has been the target of criticism from the outset for remaining very close to Netanyahu, although in recent days she had opted for a more consensual position within the EU. After the Israeli army's attack on Iran, however, von der Leyen once again sided with Netanyahu. "Israel has the right to defend itself, and Iran is the main source of regional instability," said the head of the EU executive.

With this comment, von der Leyen once again flouted her obligation to represent the EU's consensus opinion on foreign policy. At this point, as evidenced in the call held by the foreign ministers on Tuesday, the member states as a whole avoid linking Israel's attack on Iran with the right to defense. In fact, the head of European diplomacy, the Estonian liberal Kaja Kallas, called for a return to diplomacy and to avoid a further escalation of the conflict. A message very similar to that broadcast by French President Emmanuel Macron: "Seeing what happened in Iraq in 2003, do you think this is a good idea?"

However, Germany has defended Netanyahu even more forcefully, to the point that German Chancellor, the conservative Friedrich Merz, has asserted that he is "doing the dirty work" that the EU is not. "I have the utmost respect for the Israeli army and the Israeli government because they have had the courage to do this," the German leader said in an interview on Tuesday. These statements contrast with Merz's own criticism of Netanyahu a few days ago for not allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza. "I don't understand what the goal is," he said at the time.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed similar sentiments, supporting Israel's right to self-defense and announcing the deployment of fighter jets to the region. Indeed, at the G-7 meeting the leaders They issued a joint statement that aligned itself with the Israeli government's justifications and "reiterated" their "support for Israel's security."

The review of the EU's association agreement with Israel: a mere diplomatic message

In the European Parliament debate on Gaza this Wednesday, Kallas warned Tel Aviv that "reducing or annexing a territory is a direct violation of international law," but further downplayed the slim chances of the EU ultimately revoking the association agreement with Israel at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council. In this regard, the head of European diplomacy asserted that the decision to review the agreement with Israel serves to "put pressure," but diplomatic sources assure ARA that they believe it is highly unlikely that the European partners will agree in the short term, for example, to freeze EU arms sales to the Israeli army.

Thus, everything indicates that Kallas will avoid putting any measures or sanctions against Israel on the table at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council due to the lack of support. In fact, for a revocation or freezing of the agreement to be approved, even partially, it must be approved by a qualified majority; that is, 55% of the 27 member states' votes in favor, representing at least 65% of the total population of the EU.