EU employees consider strike action over Gaza humanitarian crisis

As the hunger crisis in Gaza deepens, the idea of a strike is spreading among EU employees.

The employees argue that their institutions are not applying sufficient pressure on Israel to allow vital humanitarian aid to reach the besieged territory.

According to information given to Euractiv by four public officials, the proposal is still in its early stages, and major unions, whose support is crucial, have so far been hesitant to back the action.

European Commission policy officer Oreste Madia sent an open letter to President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, warning that “Europe’s moral authority is at stake.”

The letter, which Madia said has been signed by more than 1,300 staff from various institutions, calls for “courageous and principled action” and demands that the EU use its position as Israel’s largest trade partner to enforce international humanitarian law.

Madia stated that he aims for 6,000 signatures and that strikes could follow if EU leaders do not respond. The official said, “We are consulting with lawyers to see if there are unions we can connect with and call for a strike.”

Stating that they are “fighting for the soul of the EU,” Madia asked, “If I am an accomplice to a genocide, what am I doing here?”

Meanwhile, EU Staff for Peace, a collective that did not initiate but supports the letter, has been organizing weekly protests in front of European institutions in Brussels to show solidarity with Gaza.

According to a letter seen by Euractiv, pressure tactics include challenging staff representatives about the presence of an Israeli military attaché in the Berlaymont and the “intimidation” and “questioning” they face when defending Palestinian rights.

The tension within the EU is palpable. Two signatories immediately retracted their comments after comparing Israel’s actions to Nazism. The four officials who spoke to Euractiv also stressed that their goal is simply to ensure the EU adheres to its own stated values and international law, as they are obligated to do as civil servants.

In the political arena, Socialists, Greens, and left-wing MEPs have issued a declaration describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and demanding urgent action from EU leaders.

The EU’s top socialist representative, Commissioner Teresa Ribera, described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza as an “unacceptable provocation.”

On Tuesday, Belgium announced it would support the Commission’s proposal for the partial suspension of Israel from the EU’s flagship Horizon research program.

This decision could be approved on August 13 if a qualified majority is reached, but this appears unlikely.