Senior EU official labels Israel’s war on Gaza a genocide
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the academic year at the Sciences Po university in Paris, European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera became the first member of the bloc’s commission to publicly declare Israel’s war on Gaza a genocide.
“The genocide in Gaza exposes Europe’s failure to act and speak with one voice, even as protests spread across European cities and 14 UN Security Council members call for an immediate ceasefire,” Ribera said.
Ribera, the European Commission’s second-most senior official, in August said Israel’s war in Gaza looks “very much like genocide”, but stopped short of declaring it one.
French MP urges Macron to formally recognise Israel’s actions in Gaza as ‘genocide’
French parliamentarian Marie Mesmeur, participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla headed to Gaza to break the Israeli blockade, has said she and other participants are undeterred by Israeli threats, stressing that their mission is to defend the right to life for all people.
In an interview in the Tunisian capital with the Anadolu news agency, Mesmeur, a member of the La France Insoumise party, described the flotilla as “the largest peaceful popular initiative to support Palestinians in Gaza”.
She urged French President Emmanuel Macron to formally recognise Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from crossing French airspace, citing an ICC arrest warrant issued against him for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
“Over 40 ships, manned by participants, are appealing to their governments, which have taken negative stances on Gaza, to help the Palestinian people,” she said. “Since governments have failed to act, activists are self-organising peaceful flotillas in dozens of boats, motivated by deep belief in aiding the Palestinian people.”
Finland joins France and Saudi Arabia’s two-state solution declaration
Finland is backing France and Saudi Arabia’s push for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, according to the country’s foreign minister.
“I have today decided that Finland will join the New York Declaration on the peaceful settlement of the Question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution, prepared by France and Saudi Arabia,” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen wrote in a post on X.
She called it “the most significant international effort in years to create the conditions for a two-state solution”.
The move comes after Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Belgium said they also plan to recognise Palestine this month.
Spanish minister says Israeli cycling team should be expelled from Vuelta
Spain’s foreign minister says he would support the expulsion of the Israel-Premier Tech team from its Vuelta cycling race after a pro-Palestinian protest disrupted the event.
Jose Manuel Albares said he’d “understand and be in favour” of the Israeli team being removed from the competition.
“We have to send a message to Israel and the Israeli society that Europe and Israel can only have normal relations when human rights are respected,” Albares said.
Wednesday’s protest in the northern city of Bilbao created chaotic scenes. A crowd pushed against temporary metal barriers along the final kilometres of the course, with police and security personnel holding demonstrators back.
Many protesters carried Palestinian flags and pro-Palestine signs.
Demonstrators at the finish line of the 12th stage of the Vuelta a Espana
