In an interview with the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations website, Ali Bigdeli said that the European Union did not support the request of Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, to sanction two hardline ministers of the Israeli regime’s government. Europe and the protests that have swept across the continent in recent months in response to the genocide and crimes in Gaza.

He continued: Of course because Burrell is in the final months of his responsibility as the head of the European Union’s foreign policy, and on the one hand, he has socialist and populist thoughts, he is trying to take human and human rights actions and decisions. Burrell also had a personal desire to pay attention to public opinion when he was the foreign minister of Spain. Therefore, it can be said that a significant part of the EU foreign policy chief’s effort to sanction the officials of the Israeli regime is a personal decision.

About the European Union’s lack of support for sanctioning some ministers of the Israeli regime’s cabinet who openly spread hatred against the Palestinians, Bigdeli said: “Although the European Union and even some European countries separately support the Palestinians and oppose the killing of women and children it is important that European countries make a collective political decision in this regard, either independently or as part of the European Union. Of course, it seems that these countries have not yet reached a stage where they want to get so angry with the Israeli regime and act against the interests of this regime and its officials. Therefore, Burrell’s request cannot be fulfilled.

He said: From a legal point of view, such a decision must be approved by the European Parliament, which makes it difficult for Josep Burrell.

Referring to the dissatisfaction with the officials of the Zionist regime, especially Benjamin Netanyahu, because of the decisions he has made so far regarding the Gaza war, this international affairs expert said: Although there is much global and domestic dissatisfaction with Netanyahu in the Occupied Territories, politically it is not possible for the Europeans to confront this regime and its prime minister. Legally and according to the human rights laws that exist in the European Union and even in their own countries, these countries can collectively or independently sanction the authorities of the Israeli regime. Still, the main obstacle is the political interactions and games that It does not allow Europeans to do this for now.

He continued: Europeans will definitely not sanction the officials of the Israeli regime because they only have a political and human rights gesture to confront the genocide of the Israeli regime, and contrary to the political and social positions they adopt, they have supported this regime and its actions until now. In fact, they inevitably take action to support human rights, which is one of their political ideals and slogans, even in minor and small cases. For example, the UK has announced that it will cut 10% of its arms sales to the Israeli regime. This action of London is only due to the pressure of the ruling party and the pressure of public opinion in this country. Otherwise, financial and weapon support for this regime remains in place. In fact, these actions are just a show to justify and manage the atmosphere of domestic public opinion.

About the Israeli regime’s ban on Joseph Burrell’s visit to the Occupied Territories, Bigdeli said this issue was probably in response to Burrell’s harsh actions and positions regarding the Gaza war and the policies of the Israeli regime. Although it seems that the purpose of Mr. Burrell’s trip to the Occupied Territories is to justify and explain his recent harsh statements and positions about the Israeli regime, the authorities of this regime did not allow him to do so. It is not unlikely that the foreign policy chief of the European Union tried to resolve the recent disputes and discomforts with the officials of this regime based on the advice of some countries.

This expert on international issues stated that although countries have independent foreign policies and the situation is the same among European countries, international and bilateral interactions sometimes prevent countries from implementing independent policies. So far, some European countries have taken significant measures against the Israeli regime, and this is also true in other issues, such as the war in Ukraine. For example, although the President of Hungary took actions and trips to support Russia, collective interests in the form of the European Union created limits on his support of Russia.

Bigdali stated: Unfortunately, European countries easily apply policies and double standards towards human rights in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, and other places. Today, regarding the issue of the war in Gaza and the killing of innocents in this region, while they themselves state that what the Israeli regime is doing is clearly genocide, they still avoid imposing sanctions or non-interaction with this regime. This European approach is a sign of the weakness of the European governments in front of America and the pressures of this country to support the Zionist regime.