Lahbib: No temporary protection for Palestinians as conditions lacking; Israel is the real issue

Brussels – Palestinians are not Ukrainians. For those in Gaza or the West Bank, there will be no activation of the special mechanism provided by the Temporary Protection Directive, which automatically guarantees reception and international protection through accelerated procedures. According to Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib, the reason is the absence of the required conditions, as stated in her response to a parliamentary question from The Left on whether reception will be provided to Palestinian citizens.

The Temporary Protection Directive, with its fast-track asylum lanes, “is only applicable if triggered by a Council Decision adopted by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons into the EU,” Lahbib said. “The Commission does not consider that the conditions to trigger its application are currently met in relation to migratory movements from Gaza.”

The answer highlights the hypocrisy and the limits of this European Commission in dealing with the Arab-Israeli question. The problem is that there are no flows to the EU because the Palestinians cannot leave. When on 4 March 2022 the EU Council voted to activate the special directive for the Ukrainians, it was because at the time of the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine, many people left the country, which in the case of the Palestinians did not happen because it was made impossible by Israeli authorities. 

It should be noted that even Lahbib, in her answer to the parliamentary question, acknowledges this: “Following the terrorist attacks of October 2023 and the ensuing war in Gaza, Israel restricted the movement of people and goods,” she said. “Citizens of Gaza face limitations to exit from the Strip, with any movement outside having to be vetted and approved by Israel.” There are no massive inflows because they are made impossible. 

This situation thus shows, once again, the EU’s difficulty in directly condemning Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, its handling of the response to Hamas, and the treatment of the Palestinian civilian population. Of course, the fact that no refugees are arriving means the EU does not have to manage new flows of asylum seekers, but the Commission’s response is puzzling. However, Lahbib tries to reassure: “Under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), the EU is supporting Member and Participating States organising medical evacuations for Palestinian patients and companions.”