Israeli envoy: Our ties with countries in Europe eroding; efforts to justify war no longer land

Israel’s ambassador to the European Union, Haim Regev, warned Israeli journalists in Brussels this morning about the “diplomatic erosion” between Jerusalem and the EU, as well as other challenges with Israeli public diplomacy, an Israeli source familiar with the discussions says, confirming earlier Hebrew media reports.

“There is no diplomatic tsunami, but there is certainly a diplomatic erosion that must be addressed,” Regev told the reporters during a press briefing in Brussels, according to Walla.

Regev said that the Foreign Ministry is “working” and “running a highly intensive diplomatic campaign,” according to the official, but acknowledged the fading sympathy for Israel as its war in Gaza drags on.

The EU agreed on Tuesday to review its Association Agreement with Israel, citing alleged human rights abuses in Gaza. Regev confirmed reports that diplomatic efforts by Israel’s Foreign Ministry succeeded in stopping the bloc from suspending the pact, agreeing instead to reexamine it, by enlisting the support of 10 out of the 27 member states.

“I can say with a fairly high degree of certainty that there won’t be consensus for a full cancellation of the agreement — not even for a partial one,” Regev said about the pact according to Walla, despite faltering support from the EU, which has called on Israel to halt its war in Gaza and demanded a lifting of restrictions on humanitarian aid in the enclave.

“Europe is seeing horrific images and struggling to deal with them. The support we had at the beginning of the war is no longer there,” said Regev, explaining that harrowing images from the war-torn Strip are influencing European public opinion and pressuring decision-makers to take action, Walla wrote.

While not too worried about the EU-Israel Association Agreement, Regev did warn that the French-Saudi initiative to recognize a Palestinian state during a United Nations conference in June is a significant diplomatic challenge, added Walla.

According to Israel Hayom, Regev said that throughout the war, his embassy has repeatedly brought the plight of the hostages to the forefront and screened footage of the atrocities committed by Hamas in the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the conflict.

“We showed the horror film. We wore them out with the hostages,” but “this understanding has faded,” said Regev in the report.

He acknowledged that the IDF does not publish its own casualty data from Gaza, leading international bodies to rely on alternative sources like the Hamas-run health ministry, and emphasized that the renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza could improve diplomatic ties.