In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Europe's position regarding the war in Gaza and the EU's actual non-participation in the development of a ceasefire agreement.
Europe did not participate in the development of a ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas because it "yielded to Palestinian terrorism (and) radical Islamist minorities." This statement was made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an exclusive interview with Euronews on Sunday.
"Therefore, Europe has essentially lost its significance - it has shown tremendous weakness," Netanyahu said, adding that it was U.S. President Donald Trump who took the initiative to develop a peace plan.
"What needs to be done is being done by President Trump. He is presenting a realistic peace plan that eliminates the terrorist elements, the elements that want to continue the war and promise to repeat the massacre of October 7," he explained.
Our interlocutor condemned the decision of 15 out of 27 EU member states to recognize the state of Palestine, saying that it has "become a reward (for the Islamists)."
"Europe said: let’s just give them a Palestinian state, it will be the highest reward for Hamas after the most terrible massacre of Jews since the Holocaust," Netanyahu said.
In his opinion, this decision caused "huge damage" not only to Israel but to the entire Middle East, as it "will not contribute to peace."
"Imagine, after September 11, people would have said: let’s now give a state to Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda, and it will be located one mile from New York..." the Israeli Prime Minister drew an analogy.
"Europe needs to rethink the situation"
"Now European leaders say: let’s weaken Israel to such an extent that it will fight for its survival against another state - Palestine, right at the doorstep of Jerusalem, effectively inside Jerusalem, and right on the hills above Tel Aviv. This is absurd," Netanyahu emphasized.
The head of the Israeli government expressed hope that European countries that recognized Palestinian statehood would "rethink" their actions.
"We would prefer to have good relations not just with Europe, but with a realistic Europe that would bring real peace, not a repetition of a terrible war," Netanyahu said.
Nevertheless, he noted that he is in constant contact with European governments.
"I hope that Europe will change its direction, rethink the situation not only for us but for itself," the Prime Minister concluded.
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