A continent divided: Europe’s public turns against Israel while leaders look away

Nearly three years after Hamas's October 2023 attack, pro-Palestinian protests continue across European cities, from daily demonstrations in Milan's Piazza Duomo to broader movements demanding sanctions and arms embargoes. Polling from Pew and YouGov shows sharply declining European public support for Israel, and countries including France, Britain, Spain and Ireland have recognized Palestinian statehood.

Despite the protests, EU-Israel trade remained roughly $80 billion in 2024, and Germany alone approved over $900 million in arms export licenses in early 2026. The EU's few concrete steps, sanctioning some violent settlers, Spain and Ireland's settlement import bans, Britain's recent trade restriction, are described by experts as largely symbolic given the scale of continued commerce.

Incidents cited include an Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church, police blocking Jerusalem's Latin patriarch from Palm Sunday mass, attacks on the West Bank's only all-Christian village, and Israel's interception of aid boats carrying activists like Greta Thunberg. Experts quoted attribute European inaction to the EU's requirement for unanimous agreement among 27 member states with divergent positions.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.