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The European Union's former foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Israel's government of displaying "genocidal intent" in Gaza and criticized the bloc's delayed response to the crisis, according to remarks made in a Spanish television interview.
Borrell, who concluded his E.U. mandate in December and now leads the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, told broadcaster Cadena SER on Wednesday that while genocide requires legal determination by a court, Israeli officials' statements and actions demonstrate clear intent.
"When you hear what ministers say, when you see what they do, you can't deny that intent," Borrell said, referencing public declarations by Israeli officials.
The former Spanish foreign minister sharply criticized the E.U.'s response timeline, noting that Spain and Ireland had jointly requested a review of the bloc's trade agreement with Israel in February 2024. The E.U. announced this week it would proceed with such a review.
"Better late than never," Borrell said of the announcement, though he expressed frustration that it required "15 months and more than 30,000 deaths" for the 27-member bloc to take action.
Borrell highlighted Europe's potential leverage over Israel, stating that "half of the bombs dropped in Gaza are made in Europe." He suggested the E.U. possesses significant capacity to influence Israeli policy if it chooses to exercise it.
The former diplomat also directed criticism at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, saying she has shown "very little empathy for the suffering of Palestinians."
Borrell argued that differential treatment of conflicts has damaged European credibility globally. "We have lost an enormous amount of credibility in the world due to our different treatment of Ukrainians and Palestinians," he said. "We've tried to appease our conscience by offering humanitarian aid, as if it were a natural catastrophe."
While expressing personal support for sanctions on Israeli government members and ending arms sales to Israel, Borrell acknowledged skepticism about implementing such measures at the E.U. level.
"The world has a problem with what is happening in Palestine – a serious problem," Borrell said. "One side is being cornered and massacred, and they no longer hide their intention to take over all Palestinian territory."
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