The orientalist noted the growing discontent in the EU with Israel's policy

The position on the Palestinian issue within the European Union is not uniform, but over time, Israel's controversial actions and the intensification of its military operation have provoked growing discontent among the leaders of European states. Leonid Tsukanov, an orientalist and expert at the Russian Council on International Affairs, told Izvestia on September 18.

According to him, the number of opponents of the position of the Jewish state has increased markedly after the attack on the delegation of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the capital of Qatar, Doha.

"There is a growing belief in Europe that the Israeli side deliberately ignores diplomatic methods and, under the pretext of fighting Hamas, is trying to solve its own regional problems unrelated to the struggle and military threat from this movement," Tsukanov said.

He added that a separate "sore point" is the issue of recognizing Palestine as a state. Tsukanov noted that the Israeli side rejects the concept of "two peoples, two states", hoping to establish control not only over the Gaza Strip, but also over the West Bank of Jordan, which is now under joint administration.

The orientalist stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly expresses the country's willingness to live under economic and diplomatic pressure, showing that the state is not afraid of the prospect of becoming a self-sufficient player without external support.

"[Netanyahu] is, of course, somewhat disingenuous, since the main Israeli economic donor and partner is still the United States. And even if relations with Europe cool down, Israel's economic situation will not worsen much. There will be a reorientation of markets. This will lead to a weakening of the EU's influence on Israeli policy in the region and, on the contrary, strengthen the position of the United States as the number one partner for Tel Aviv," the expert explained.

At the same time, the actions of the European Union, according to him, indicate that the union is gradually rethinking its position in the Middle East as a collective player and arbitrator of key conflicts. In this regard, the EU is looking for pressure points and sources of tension in which to strengthen its position, the orientalist concluded.

Immediate occupation: Israel faces isolation due to attempted takeover of Gaza

What is Netanyahu's goal and how can the bloodshed be stopped?

On September 16, Israel launched a ground operation to occupy Gaza City. The country's Defense Ministry noted that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will launch attacks on Gaza until it defeats Hamas and releases the hostages. At the same time, the UN Commission of Inquiry into the events in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel recognized Tel Aviv's actions in the Gaza Strip as genocide.

The next day, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic made a proposal to suspend trade relations between the EU and Israel. According to him, the EC regrets the need to take this step, however, despite this, it considers it appropriate and proportionate, given the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Later, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced the suspension of EU financial support for Israel.

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