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- MEPs demand suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement, sanctions, arms embargo, end to EU silence in response to Israel's actions

GENEVA

Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar on Wednesday condemned what she called a "genocide" in Gaza during her address to the European Parliament, urging the EU to take stronger and more united action to stop the violence.

Addressing the European Parliament (EP) plenary during a session on the situation in Israel and Gaza, she said: "I believe that the events in the Middle East … often cause me sleepless nights."

"I will dare say this here and today in the European Parliament… we are witnessing the genocide" in Gaza, she said, adding: "We are witnessing it, watching it, and we remain silent."

Parliamentarians responded to her remarks with loud applause and a standing ovation.

The Slovenian leader criticized the EU’s lack of unity and effectiveness on the international stage, particularly in dealing with the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. "The European Union has unfortunately been too divided and ineffective," she said.

Reaffirming Slovenia’s commitment to international and humanitarian law, she emphasized that the EU's central objective must be the swift cessation of hostilities to end the bloodshed and alleviate the suffering of civilians living under unbearable humanitarian conditions.

She also underscored Slovenia’s support for a two-state solution, saying her country views the recognition of Palestine as a necessary step toward a lasting and just peace in the region.

MEPs call for suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement

Pirc Musar’s address was echoed by a wave of interventions from members (MEPs) across the political spectrum, many of whom criticized the EU's inaction and called for concrete measures against Israel.

Iratxe Garcia Perez, the leader of the Socialists and Democrats group, demanded a firmer response. "Let us stop with euphemisms. Let us act forcefully and decisively," she said, calling for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, an arms embargo, and a halt to trade with illegal settlements.

"The EU cannot remain indifferent. I don’t want to feel ashamed for being on the wrong side of history," she said.

Irish MEP Lynn Boylan issued a scathing indictment of the EU's delay, saying: "I'm sorry that it has taken tens of thousands of deaths and the imminent death of 14,000 starving babies for the EU to even review the Association Agreement."

Boylan also criticized the continued arms exports to Israel and the lack of EU sanctions or enforcement of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants.

Following her speech, she was asked to remove a Palestinian symbol on her neck, which she responded with: "If it were Ukrainian, would I have been asked to remove it?"

Meanwhile, Ana Miranda Paz, representing the Greens/EFA, said: "We have to be clear—this is a genocide. We have to stop trade, trading arms, and diplomacy with Israel," she said. "We have no time to waste. Otherwise, our hands will be covered in blood."

The session reflected growing frustration within the EU over the bloc's fragmented response to the war in Gaza and increasing pressure for the EU to adopt a stronger, unified stance based on international law and human rights.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 53,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children.