Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS, ECR) will push the European Council to confirm its unequivocal support for Israel and its right to self-defence and condemn Hamas as a terrorist organisation at the European Council summit this week.
Fiala announced his plans during his trip to Israel on Wednesday, where he met with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and President Jicchak Herzog.
The Czech prime minister admitted that the date of his meeting with Israeli leaders was deliberately chosen the day before the European Council summit in Brussels (26-27 October) so that he “could have the most up-to-date information from the ground and also new arguments for supporting Israel“.
“In Brussels, I will seek to ensure that the European Council confirms its unequivocal support for Israel and its right to defend itself. Hamas is a terrorist organisation, we must treat it accordingly, we must be sure that no European money is used to support terrorism,” Fiala posted on social site X, formerly Twitter.
He also emphasised that Hamás is still holding more than 200 hostages. “The international community must put pressure on their unconditional release, and I will be speaking about this at tomorrow’s European Council. Israel has every right to defend itself, and the Czech Republic stands by its side,” Fiala said.
Fiala’s statement reflects the official mandate of the Czech government approved on Wednesday. The mandate includes a declaration that Hamas is a terrorist organisation and that its isolation must be ensured.
“This is also why we support, as part of the mandate, the review of EU development aid and the suspension of all payments until the review is completed,” says Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan.
(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)
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