EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said he had returned from a trip to the Middle East "without much success", saying the situation there today is much worse than it has been in the past five years.
"The solution to this Middle East conflict has not gotten any easier. What has changed is the growing understanding that we cannot push it into a corner," Borrell said in Brussels on Thursday. at the meeting of the Global Alliance on the Israeli-Palestinian settlement based on the two-state principle.
According to him, "the price of the lack of peace has become too high."
"The problem must be solved. No other territorial dispute causes as much emotion and polarization throughout the world, and especially in our European societies, as this conflict," continued the head of EU diplomacy.
He called the end of the war in Gaza "the most urgent priority today." And preparing the ground for peace is no less important, even if the parties are not ready for it.
"At least one side is not ready for it. And I am sorry that this side is not among us. But this does not mean that there are no Israelis who want to build peace. The Palestinians are not an exception those who claim almost the opposite have an anti-humanist and extremist agenda," said the head of European diplomacy.
He called to confront such people and mentioned the principles that, in his opinion, can serve this purpose. to support those who work for peace, to oppose those who violate it, and to inform people about what is happening. Borel added that "the Israeli society does not see what is happening in Gaza, because no one is showing it."
It is also necessary to "protect the UN" and use coercive levers, which, in his opinion, are not used. At the same time, Borel admitted that such measures require unanimity in the EU, and he believes that this cannot be achieved.
"If you can't take steps beyond persuasion, we won't go forward because persuasion has been proven not enough. How many times have we gone to Israel to try to stop what's happening, begging, begging; therefore, this is not enough," said the EU's top representative at the last event of the end of his term of office.
At the same time, Borrell expressed confidence that his successor Kaia Callas, who takes office on December 1, will understand "how important it is to overcome the consequences of this conflict."
