Belgian politician criticizes European Commission chief’s ‘double standards’ over Israeli attacks

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - A Belgian member of the European Parliament on Wednesday criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for failing to explicitly condemn Israeli attacks in Lebanon and Gaza.

"The president of the European Commission condemned neither the Israeli invasion of Lebanon nor the genocide in Gaza. The world sees these double standards," Marc Botenga of the Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB) wrote on X, quoting von der Leyen's post in which she condemned Tuesday's Iranian missile attack against Israel.

"Offering carte blanche to Israel is not just a recipe for escalation. It also undermines the international legal order," he said.

On Tuesday night, Iran carried out a major missile attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander.

Regional tensions have escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 41,700 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last October.

The conflict spread to Lebanon with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, which have killed 1,928 people and injured nearly 9,300 others since Sept. 23.

The German politician, who is currently serving as the 13th president of the commission since 2019, has been criticized for her strong support of Israel since Oct. 7.