The EU said it was reviewing its development aid to the Palestinians, without mentioning the suspension announced by one of its commissioners.
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The European Commission announced that it was launching “an urgent review of the European Union’s aid to Palestine,” just as one of its commissioners, Oliver Varhelyi, announced a few hours earlier the suspension of all payments planned under this development aid.
“All payments immediately suspended, all projects re-examined, all budgets for projects, including for 2023, postponed until further notice, reassessment of the entire program,” affirmed the Hungarian Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“The level of terror and brutality against Israel and its people marks a turning point. It is not possible to pretend that nothing happened,” said this commissioner, who was called on the eve of an extraordinary emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers following the Hamas attack on Israel.
This announcement came as a surprise in Brussels and beyond, especially since a Commission spokesman had just made it clear that a decision to review European aid to the Palestinians would be presented to the 27 at this meeting on Tuesday.
The European Union, the Palestinians’ largest financial supporter, has a budget of around 1.2 billion euros between 2021 and 2024 to finance projects, particularly in the education and health sectors.
Protest in Madrid
According to the Foreign Ministry in Madrid, Spanish diplomatic chief Jose Manuel Albares called Commissioner Varhelyi to protest against the decision and said it should be discussed by the 27 first.
The same applies to Dublin. “Our analysis is that there is no legal basis for a unilateral decision of this nature by a single commissioner and we do not support a suspension of aid,” an Irish Ministry of Defense spokesman said. Foreign Affairs. It stated that Ireland had formally asked the Commission to clarify the legality of its decision.
And while European capitals condemned Hamas’s “terrorist acts,” several spoke out against the decision announced by Mr. Varhelyi.
“Two million people live in Gaza. They are also hostages of Hamas. With these methods we are pushing them into the arms of the terrorists,” said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn sharply.
“We are the largest donor to Gaza. This help is important for young people. It’s not money for Hamas. It is for the people of Gaza,” he added in an interview with AFP.
In the evening, the European Commission came to provide relief in the face of the outcry in these capitals. It is no longer a question of suspension, but of a review of the existing programs, which will take place quickly and in consultation with the 27.
“The aim of this review is to ensure that no European funding enables any terrorist organization to carry out attacks against Israel,” the Commission said on Monday evening.
The suspension of payments previously mentioned by Mr Varhelyi is not necessary, according to this press release.
“Since no payment was planned, there will be no deferral of payment,” emphasized the commission.
It will carry out this review “as quickly as possible and coordinate any necessary further measures with member states and their partners,” she added.