Israel rejects critical EU report ahead of ministers' meeting
BRUSSELS: Israel has rejected a European Union report saying it may be breaching human rights obligations in Gaza and the West Bank as a 'moral and methodological failure,' according to a document seen by Reuters on Sunday.
The note, sent to EU officials ahead of a foreign ministers' meeting on Monday, said the report by the bloc's diplomatic service failed to consider Israel's challenges and was based on inaccurate information.
'The Foreign Ministry of the State of Israel rejects the document ... and finds it to be a complete moral and methodological failure,' the note said, adding that it should be dismissed entirely.
European nations have been increasingly critical of the massive civilian toll of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli communities.
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Arab News
43 minutes ago
- Arab News
Wartime NATO summits have focused on Ukraine. With Trump, this one will be different
BRUSSELS: At its first summits after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NATO gave President Volodymyr Zelensky pride of place at its table. It won't be the same this time. Europe's biggest land conflict since World War II is now in its fourth year and still poses an existential threat to the continent. Ukraine continues to fight a war so that Europeans don't have to. Just last week, Russia launched one of the biggest drone attacks of the invasion on Kyiv. But things have changed. The Trump administration insists that it must preserve maneuvering space to entice Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, so Ukraine must not be allowed steal the limelight. In Washington last year, the military alliance's weighty summit communique included a vow to supply long-term security assistance to Ukraine, and a commitment to back the country 'on its irreversible path' to NATO membership. The year before, a statement more than twice as long was published in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. A new NATO-Ukraine Council was set up, and Kyiv's membership path fast-tracked. Zelensky received a hero's welcome at a concert downtown. It will be very different at a two-day summit in the Netherlands that starts Tuesday. NATO's most powerful member, the United States, is vetoing Ukraine's membership. It's unclear how long for. Zelensky is invited again, but will not be seated at NATO's table. The summit statement is likely to run to around five paragraphs, on a single page, NATO diplomats and experts say. Ukraine will only get a passing mention. If the G7 summit is anything to go by ... Recent developments do not augur well for Ukraine. Earlier this month, frustrated by the lack of a ceasefire agreement, US President Donald Trump said it might be best to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. Last weekend, he and Putin spoke by phone, mostly about Israel and Iran, but a little about Ukraine, too, Trump said. America has warned its allies that it has other security priorities, including in the Indo-Pacific and on its own borders. Then at the Group of Seven summit in Canada, Trump called for Russia to be allowed back into the group; a move that would rehabilitate Putin on the global stage. The next day, Russia launched its mass drone attack on Kyiv. Putin 'is doing this simply because he can afford to continue the war. He wants the war to go on. It is troubling when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to it,' Zelensky said. Trump left the G7 gathering early to focus on the conflict between Israel and Iran. Zelensky had traveled to Canada to meet with him. No meeting happened, and no statement on Russia or the war was agreed. Lacking unanimity, other leaders met with Zelensky to reassure him of their support. Questions about US support for Ukraine Trump wants to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. He said he could do it within 100 days, but that target has come and gone. Things are not going well, as a very public bust up with Zelensky at the White House demonstrated. Trump froze military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine's armed forces for a week. The US has stepped back from the Ukraine Defense Contact Group that was set up under the Biden administration and helped to drum up weapons and ammunition. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth skipped its last meeting; the first time a Pentagon chief has been absent since Russian forces invaded in February 2022. Addressing Congress on June 10, Hegseth also acknowledged that funding for Ukraine military assistance, which has been robust for the past two years, will be reduced in the upcoming defense budget. It means Kyiv will receive fewer of the weapons systems that have been key to countering Russia's attack. Indeed, no new aid packages have been approved for Ukraine since Trump took office again in January. 'The message from the administration is clear: Far from guaranteed, future US support for Ukraine may be in jeopardy,' said Riley McCabe, Associate Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US-based policy research organization. Cutting aid, McCabe warned, could make the Kremlin believe 'that US resolve is fleeting, and that time is on Russia's side.' 'Putin has less incentive to negotiate if he believes that US disengagement is inevitable and that Russia will soon gain an advantage on the battlefield,' he said. What the summit might mean for Kyiv Trump wants the summit to focus on defense spending. The 32 allies are expected to agree on an investment pledge that should meet his demands. Still, the Europeans and Canada are determined to keep a spotlight on the war, wary that Russia could set its sights on one of them next. They back Trump's ceasefire efforts with Putin but also worry that the two men are cozying up. Also, some governments may struggle to convince their citizens of the need to boost defense spending at the expense of other budget demands without a strong show of support for Ukraine — and acknowledgement that Russia remains NATO's biggest security threat. The summit is highly symbolic for Ukraine in other ways. Zelensky wants to prevent his country from being sidelined from international diplomacy, but both he and his allies rely on Trump for US military backup against Russia. Concretely, Trump and his counterparts will dine with the Dutch King on Tuesday evening. Zelensky could take part. Elsewhere, foreign ministers will hold a NATO-Ukraine Council, the forum where Kyiv sits among the 32 allies as an equal to discuss its security concerns and needs. What is clear is that the summit will be short. One working session on Wednesday. It was set up that way to prevent the meeting from derailing. If the G7 is anything to go by, Trump's focus on his new security priorities — right now, the conflict between Israel and Iran — might make it even shorter.
Leaders
4 hours ago
- Leaders
Saudi Crown Prince Discusses Region's Tensions with GCC, French, Italian Leaders
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the escalating tensions in the region following the US attacks with GCC leaders through a series of phone calls on Sunday, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Series of Phone Calls On Sunday, Saudi Arabia expressed its deep concern over the recent strikes and urged restraint to avoid more escalation, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Crown Prince held separate telephone calls with several Gulf Cooperation Council leaders including King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani as well as Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Sabah. Furthermore, the prince received a phone call from UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. During the calls, the leaders discussed the latest regional developments, such as Israel's ongoing attacks on Iran and the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier on Sunday. They stressed the unity and solidarity of GCC member states and emphasized the significance of collective efforts to exercise restraint, avoid further escalation, and seek diplomatic solutions to the conflict. On Sunday, Prince Mohammed also received a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni. The calls focused on the latest developments in the Middle East and the consequences of the escalation of tensions in the region following the US strikes. US Strikes on Iran The US launched airstrikes on Sunday against Iran's nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. 'The United States showed that they have no respect to United Nations Charter. They have no respect to international law. They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. Moreover, Araghchi accused Trump of not only betraying Iran by abusing its commitment to diplomacy but also deceiving his own voters by implementing the wishes of a war criminal. 'He has betrayed not only Iran by abusing our commitment to diplomacy but also deceived his own voters by submitting to the wishes of a wanted war criminal who has grown accustomed to exploiting the lives and wealth of American citizens to further the Israeli regime's objectives,' he added. Israel-Iran War On June 13, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran under the name of Operation Rising Lion. The military campaign targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and killed top military commanders and nuclear scientists. As a response, Iran launched a retaliatory wave of missiles against Israel and targeted Tel Aviv. Israel also killed three more Iranian nuclear scientists, bringing the total number of scientists slain to nine, Gulf News reported. Currently, both countries are trading missiles and attacks amid intensifying efforts to halt the conflict. Related Topics: Iranian FM Heads to Moscow for Urgent Talks with Putin What They Said After the US Struck Iran's Nuclear Facilities Saudi Arabia Expresses Deep Concern over US Strikes on Iran Short link : Post Views: 66
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
NATO strikes spending deal, but Spain exemption claim risks Trump ire
BRUSSELS, Belgium: NATO on Sunday signed off on a pledge to ramp up defense spending before its upcoming summit, but Madrid insisted it would not need to hit the five percent of GDP demanded by US President Donald Trump. The claim by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sets up a potential clash with Trump, who has pressured allies to commit to that headline figure when they meet for the two-day gathering starting on Tuesday in The Hague. Spain had been the last holdout on a compromise deal that sees allies promise to reach 3.5 percent on core military needs over the next decade, and spend 1.5 percent on a looser category of 'defense-related' expenditures such as infrastructure and cybersecurity. Multiple diplomats at NATO said the agreement — set to be unveiled at the summit — had gone through with the approval of all 32 nations and that there was no exemption for Madrid. But within minutes Sanchez came out saying he had struck an accord with NATO that would see his country keep respecting its commitments 'without having to raise our defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product.' 'We understand the difficulty of the geopolitical context, fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defense investment, if they so wish, but we are not going to do it,' he said. NATO diplomats now fear that Spain's position could undermine its carefully choreographed show of unity with Trump in The Hague, which already risks being overshadowed by the US decision to strike Iran. 'Not ok,' one diplomat said, on condition of anonymity. Madrid's claims came after Sanchez on Thursday threw a last-minute grenade into preparations for the gathering in the Netherlands by taking a strong stand against the agreement. In a blistering letter to NATO chief Mark Rutte, Sanchez said that committing to a headline figure of five percent of GDP 'would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive.' That prompted a warning from Trump that 'Spain has to pay what everybody else has to pay.' 'NATO is going to have to deal with Spain,' he told reporters on Friday, calling the country 'notorious' for spending less on defense than other alliance members. The outburst from Madrid's center-left leader also sparked fury from other NATO members desperate to keep Trump — who has threatened not to protect allies spending too little — on their side. The pledge is seen as key both to satisfying Trump and helping NATO build up the forces it needs to deter Russia. After several days of wrangling involving Sanchez and Rutte, officials said Spain on Sunday signed off on the pledge. Diplomats said that language around the spending pledge in the summit's final declaration had been slightly softened from 'we commit,' to 'allies commit.' They insisted the fundamentals of the deal remained intact and that it applied to Spain. But government sources in Madrid said the linguistic tweak meant only those countries that opted-in were covered by the promise and that Rutte was set to send a letter to Sanchez saying that Spain will have 'flexibility.' Sanchez is facing a difficult balancing act of aligning with NATO allies and cajoling his junior coalition partner, the far-left alliance Sumar, which is hostile to increasing military spending. Spain has been one of the lowest-spending NATO countries on defense in relative terms. The country is only set to hit the alliance's current target of two percent this year after a 10-billion-euro ($11.5 billion) injection.
