On Tuesday, 24 September 2024, the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS) hosted a public symposium "Europe and the War on Gaza: Analysing Responses and Dynamics." The symposium's discussions featured distinguished speakers, including H.E. Kåre Reidar Aas, former Norwegian Ambassador to Afghanistan and the United States (U.S.) and Political Director at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Alistair Burt, former British Minister of State for the Middle East at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Minister of State at the Department for International Development. The session was moderated by Mr. Mouin Rabbani, a Non-Resident Fellow at CHS.
The symposium explored several themes, including European policy regarding the ongoing war on Gaza and the reasons behind Europe's failure to adopt a consensus, given the lack of a unified stance on the issue. The participants also discussed potential shifts in European political positions in light of U.S. elections and assessed the "positions taken" and "not taken" by European states towards the Gaza war, which recently has spilled over into Lebanon. It was noted that this escalation comes at a critical moment for the region, one that will have a direct impact on its future.
H.E. Alistair Burt addressed the two-state solution, and the consequences of its failure with other agendas being pushed, such as the Abraham Accords and the Deal of the Century, which contributed to the further marginalisation of Palestinians. He highlighted the escalation of violence in the West Bank, a situation over which the United Kingdom (U.K.) had repeatedly expressed concerns, while also rejecting Israel's unilateral settlement operations in the West Bank. According to Mr. Burt, the illegal settlement process gave Israelis a sense of impunity, as it was not met with any repercussions. However, the shifting policies of the U.K. Government are reflected in resuming funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the revocation of certain arms export licenses to Israel, as well as the withdrawal of its objection to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
During the symposium, H.E. Kåre Reidar Aas highlighted Norway's recent positions on the Israeli war on Gaza, emphasising the country's formal recognition of the Palestinian state. He affirmed that this recognition reflects Palestine's fundamental independent right to self-determination and solidifies Norway's support for a two-state solution, building on the process that began in Oslo. Norway views the recognition of the Palestinian State as support for the Palestinians' position in negotiations, despite the challenges faced by the Palestinian Authority, including issues of corruption and inability to manage new reforms.
Both speakers expressed their countries' demands for a sustainable ceasefire, protection of civilians, increased facilitation of humanitarian aid, and support for negotiations stressing that diplomacy is the only viable path to achieving independent Israeli and Palestinian states. They also stressed that the Palestinian issue must not be marginalised by regional and international players. This requires a unified European stance towards supporting the peace process, advocating for effective and rapid reconstruction, particularly in the education, health, and infrastructure sectors, while overcoming Israel's restrictions on previous reconstruction efforts. Such process requires political leaders committed to peace, stability, and development agendas for their people within a broader vision of securing stability in the region.
The meeting concluded with a Q&A session, during which the audience discussed the practicality of the two-state solution, the positions of European states regarding Israel's military aggression in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law, and the stance of European states on designating the events in Gaza as genocide. The discussion also touched upon the current case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).