BRUSSELS (Dispatches) --
 Former European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused EU leaders of complicity in the Israeli regime’s crimes in Gaza by failing to impose sanctions, urging immediate action to uphold international law and human rights.
In an opinion piece for The Guardian, Borrell declared that the Zionist regime’s attacks on Gaza amount to genocide, highlighting the widespread killing and starvation of civilians as well as the systematic destruction of infrastructure. He also condemned the daily violations of international law by Zionist forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“For all those with ears to hear and eyes to see, there is little doubt that the Zionist occupying regime is committing genocide in Gaza, slaughtering and starving civilians after methodically destroying the territory’s infrastructure,” he wrote.
Borrell argued that the EU’s ongoing inaction despite its legal obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement renders it complicit in the crisis.
“The EU has many levers it could pull to exert significant pressure on the Zionist occupying regime,” he said, noting that the bloc is Israel’s largest trading partner and participates in several joint funding and exchange programs, including Horizon and Erasmus.
He emphasized that Article 2 of the agreement makes cooperation conditional on respect for human rights, meaning EU leaders have a legal duty to suspend the deal, warning: “Failure to do so would also constitute a serious violation of the association agreement with Israel.”
Borrell, who served as the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy until 2024, said he had pushed for stronger measures during his tenure but received little support from member states.
“This inaction has already severely damaged the EU’s geopolitical standing, not only in the Muslim world but globally,” he said.
“The leaders of the EU and its member states will likely be held accountable in the future for their complicity in the crimes against humanity committed by Netanyahu’s Zionist government,” he wrote.
“The EU must finally decide to sanction the Zionist occupying regime without further delay,” he said.