EU ambassador to Israel: Europe must combat antisemitism, Hamas must disarm

The new European Union Ambassador to Israel Michael Mann told the news outlet Ynet News that his three months in the country have increased his understanding of the country. 

“You can read reports, but being here, speaking to people, feeling the atmosphere – it’s completely different,” Mann explained. “I’ve received a very warm reception."

Mann admitted that Israel’s Oct. 7 trauma is not sufficiently understood in European capitals while stressing that the EU still backs a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA). 

“We believe the PA, reformed and strengthened, should govern both the West Bank and Gaza,” the envoy argued. “There can be absolutely no role for Hamas."

While the EU and Israel agree that Hamas must not be allowed any future governing role, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also ruled out the return of the Fatah-controlled PA to the Gaza Strip due to its support of anti-Israel terrorism and spread of antisemitism. 

“Gaza will be neither Hamastan nor Fatahstan,” Netanyahu pledged in December 2023. The Israeli government and much of the Israel public are also currently opposed to the establishment of a hostile entity that would likely threaten their national security with terrorism and violence. 

Mann repeated the EU’s support for a two-state solution while arguing that it does not dictate the foreign policy of its member states. 

“We support a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution, but timing is not in our hands,” he stated. The EU envoy also appeared to understand that Israel’s post-October 7 trauma rules out a “Palestinian state” in the near future. 

“We are not naive,” he said. “A Palestinian state is for the future – not tomorrow. But long-term, it is the only realistic resolution,” he argued without elaborating. 

Mann stressed that the EU backs a full disarmament of Hamas but did not present a concrete plan how to achieve this goal. Hamas' political bureau abroad, Khaled Mashal, recently rejected the international plans for disarming Hamas and sending an international peacekeeping force to Gaza. 

The EU envoy argues that the bloc’s diplomatic and financial influence can complement Washington’s Middle East peace efforts. The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner and the leading financial supporter of the PA in Ramallah. Mann believes this gives the EU enough leverage to push the PA toward concrete reforms.

Addressing the Iranian nuclear threat, Mann articulated hope that the issue could be solved through diplomatic means. 

“We authored the JCPOA,” he said, referring to the nuclear agreement between Iran and Western powers in 2015. “We want nuclear diplomacy back,” he continued. 

The EU envoy also addressed the rise of Jew-hatred in Europe and the wider Western world since the Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis in 2023. 

“The rise in antisemitism across Europe has been shocking,” Mann stated while stressing that criticism of Israeli policies should not be automatically labeled antisemitism. 

“Sometimes we criticize Israel as a friend,” he argued. Mann concluded by stressing that part of his job is to increase understanding of Israel and its challenges among Europeans. 

“That’s part of my job here – to ensure people in Europe understand Israeli pain and the existential concerns for the future,” he explained. “I enjoy my job immensely. There is hope, there is challenge, but also great responsibility."