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Disunity among EU leaders

Paris: As thousands of people demonstrated in favour of the Palestinian population across Europe, there were conflicting messages emanating from Prague, capital of the Czech Republic which has just taken over the EU’s six month rotating presidency.

The comments by a European Union presidency spokesman on Saturday describing Israel’s land assault in the Gaza Strip as “defensive, not offensive” suggested disunity in the EU and sparked condemnation from the Palestinians. The Czech Foreign Minister said on Sunday the spokesman’s comments were the result of “a misunderstanding.” The spokesman’s remarks, coming as they did on the heels of a condemnation by France, outgoing EU president, created consternation in Europe and pointed once again to total disarray and disunity among European leaders on the policy to adopt towards Israel over the current offensive.

“The statement from the foreign office spokesman on Saturday was a misunderstanding,” said Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg in a debate in a belated attempt to limit the damage. French President Nicolas Sarkozy will visit the region next week as part of a diplomatic effort to stop the violence.To smooth Palestinian tempers, the EU announced a further €3-million aid package for Gaza whose infrastructure has been very heavily damaged by Israeli air and land operations.

The European Commission called on Israel to allow access to people “suffering and dying” in Israeli attacks. The Commission announced an extra $4.2 million of emergency aid, and urged Israel to allow a “humanitarian space” for delivery of relief. “One and a half million people are crammed into an area that is just over one per cent the size of Belgium. They rely on supplies from outside for their survival and, with every day that passes, their situation becomes more desperate,” said EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel.

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