The Left group against von der Leyen: “Shocking not to condemn the Israeli and US attacks on Iran”

Brussels – The European Commission’s reaction to the war in Iran is stirring up the European Parliament, where the left-wing opposition is attacking the actions of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for positions considered inappropriate. This is the opinion of Marc Botenga, Belgian MEP for The Left, who is convinced that it is a mistake to condemn Iran’s military responses and not the attacks on the Islamic Republic. “The US-Israeli attack on Iran flagrantly violates international law and the UN Charter,” he denounces. “Yet, shockingly, Commission President Von der Leyen and HRVP Kaja Kallas refuse to condemn it.” 

The Left is therefore criticising what it considers to be a policy of double standards, because von der Leyen and Kallas “rightly denounce Russia’s violations in Ukraine but excuse violations by the US and Israel,” Botenga added. 

The entire Left parliamentary group denounces this approach, arguing that it is leading the EU down a dangerous path: “Europe’s failure to stand up for the basic principles of international law legitimises a world order where power and violence rule supreme, endangering lives throughout the world.” Therefore, they insist, “recent statements at the highest levels in the European Union refusing to condemn the bombing of Iran constitute an abandonment of international law, which will see the world become a much more dangerous place for all.”

On this point, Botenga adds, “throughout the region, Western military intervention has brought destruction, not democracy,” and he recalls that Benjamin Netanyahu is a “war criminal“ under an international arrest warrant, backed by the current EU leadership.