Now or Never

On Tuesday, 7 October 2025, Member of the European Parliament Irena Joveva took part in the plenary debate on the European Union’s role in supporting the latest peace efforts for Gaza and the two-state solution. “Now or never. Not tomorrow. Not next week,” Joveva said, underscoring the urgency of establishing peace.

At the outset, Joveva stressed that the moment has come for the international community to move beyond mere expressions of condemnation and to take concrete action.

“Now or never. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now or never,” she repeated, adding that this is also the moment for all those who continue to justify the atrocities committed by the Israeli state against the Palestinian people “to show that at least a spark of humanity still remains within them.”

Joveva went on to acknowledge the latest peace plan proposed by Trump, but cautioned that its relative moderation compared to the previous so-called “Middle East Riviera” plan did not make it acceptable. She explained that the new plan contains neither mechanisms to protect the Palestinian population nor provisions to prevent further displacement.

“Instead of safeguards against the annexation of Palestinian territory and the unification of Gaza and the West Bank, the plan effectively introduces their separation through the creation of parallel systems,” she said.

In Joveva’s view, plans alone do not bring justice; words do not stop bombs, and speeches do not feed hungry children. She argued that the international community failed at the moment when decisive action was most needed — and therefore must not fail now, when it comes to holding Israel accountable for violations of international law.

In conclusion, Joveva reminded that Palestinians are still dying under rubble and bombs, and children are dying of hunger. “I will repeat it: Now or never — let us prove that we are not just commentators and witnesses to tragedy. Now or never — let us stand on the side of humanity,” she concluded.

Foto/EP: Philippe STIRNWEISS