Judy Asks: Has the War in Gaza Irreversibly Damaged Europe’s Credibility?

Pol Morillas, director of the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), answers Judy Dempsey’s question in her blog ‘Strategic Europe’: Has the War in Gaza Irreversibly Damaged Europe’s Credibility? “An optimist would answer that it is precisely Europe’s longstanding position for the resolution of the conflict, the two-state solution, which might emerge as a reinforced consensus among the international community, if the intensity of the war diminishes. But this probably reads as too optimistic, and paradoxical as well. One of the parties, the current Israeli government, does not even contemplate it. And the situation on the ground, also in the West Bank, makes this solution unfeasible”, says Morillas. “A more relevant aspect for Europe is not related to the substance or credibility of its solutions, but rather to the ability to make its voice heard. Truth be told, the European voice is not as respected as it used to be, particularly in the Global South. Evidence of double standards won’t help either. The first task for the EU to regain its credibility and voice starts at home”.