The European Union’s attempt to issue a statement condemning the Israeli Knesset’s rejection of Palestinian statehood has been derailed by Hungary’s veto power, with 26 member states subscribing to the statement. The Knesset resolution, which overwhelmingly rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state even in a negotiated deal with Israel, was deplored by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, as a setback to international efforts to resolve the conflict. Hungary has consistently opposed EU statements regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas, blocking previous efforts to address violence in the region. The lack of unanimity among member states undermines the condemnation of the Knesset’s decision. A high-ranking EU diplomat noted that the majority of the Israeli parliament’s rejection of a Palestinian state represents a significant shift in Israel’s stance on the two-state solution. The EU foreign ministers are set to convene in Brussels to discuss the conflict and its broader implications, including plans to support the Palestinian Authority financially and reinstate an EU mission at the Rafah border crossing. They are also expected to criticize Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent actions, including blocking EU military and industrial aid to Ukraine. Orbán’s actions continue to go against the EU’s foreign policy, with Hungary once again causing a rift within the bloc over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Borrell denounces Knesset’s refusal to accept Palestinian statehood following Hungary’s veto of statement
