Shameless Hypocrites

On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Member of the European Parliament Irena Joveva participated in the European Parliament’s plenary debate on halting the genocide in Gaza and the possibility of EU sanctions. “Finally. With the title of this debate, this chamber is officially acknowledging what some of us have been saying for years. What is happening in Gaza is genocide,” she declared.

In her address, Joveva took a hard line against those who, despite daily reports of atrocities, continue to justify Israel’s actions or ignore the international community’s responsibility to halt the genocide:

“Those of you who still refuse to see it, who continue to hide behind courts or legal technicalities, are not just complicit. You are shameless hypocrites. You are undermining the very legal foundations you so proudly claim to defend.”

She also condemned the political manipulation and distraction tactics surrounding Israel’s attacks on Iran—launched, notably, just as domestic and international pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was mounting.

“A coincidence, is it? /…/ And then some still dare to speak of Israel’s right to self-defense ‘in this context.’ What context? The Israeli army is shooting at people standing in line for food. These are not stray bullets in the fog of war. This is deliberate, cold, calculated. Even the little humanitarian aid that makes it through is being turned into a deadly weapon.”

In light of all this, Joveva issued a clear and urgent call for decisive EU action.

“Stop. Do not be complicit. Impose sanctions on Israel. If you don’t, you continue to support genocide. If only one side has an army, equipment, and weapons… this is not a war. This is a massacre.”