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9 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 OCTOBER 2023 has the right to defend itself against Hamas. Awkwardly, Hungary's far-right govern- ment has been particularly close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky cast doubt on the feasibility of achieving a temporary cease- fire with the Islamist group in charge of Gaza. "There is a terrorist organization con- trolling Gaza, sending rockets every day, that perpetrated a barbarous attack on Israe- li territory," he said. "So, the question is how such a cease- fire should be established. It needs to be established on both sides." Underlying the different ap- proaches is the history of each member state and the collec- tive guilt over the Holocaust, particularly in the part of Eu- rope which was occupied by the Nazis. This explains why Germany is keen on offering unconditional support to Is- rael. The coalition makeup of different governments also impacts their stance, as is the case in Spain, where the left- wing Sumar pushes a more pro-Palestinian line. Other factors weighing in on the ap- proach of different member states are bilateral ties with Arab countries, different ex- periences with colonialism and the strength of public opinion, including a vocal and sizable Muslim/Arab com- munity in some countries, increasingly appalled by the growing human cost of Israeli actions. Consensus may still be pos- sible. Speaking to reporters at the end of the meeting, Borrell explained the differ- ence between a ceasefire and a pause. A pause means "that something ceases temporarily but then continues, so it's, of course, a less ambitious ob- jective than a ceasefire, which means a full agreement be- tween the parties." One possible scenario could be tying a humanitarian pause to a release of hostages by Ha- mas. However, it remains to be seen whether the latter is willing to lose its most valu- able bargaining chip. A more likely scenario is that Hamas would be willing to release more hostages while keeping some as insurance against a fully blown ground invasion. This raises a moral dilemma of epic proportions. Does the EU matter? The European Union, in contrast to the United States of America, which provides money and weapons, has lim- ited leverage over Israel's ac- tions on the ground. In simple terms, Israel does not require the EU's approval for continu- ous bombardments and a pos- sible ground assault, which could escalate the conflict in- to a broader regional one. The United States has, thus far, responded to the cri- sis through what has been described as "bear hug di- plomacy," showering Israeli government officials with af- fection while adding words of caution, including a reminder of US experiences after 9/11, in hopes of tempering Israeli actions on the ground. The only known success of this approach has been the entry of aid convoys into Gaza. In this scenario, EU diplo- macy is crucial in creating a space for dialogue between Western nations and moder- ate Arab nations to prevent an escalation of unpredicta- ble proportions. Moreover, the EU has some leverage on the moribund Palestinian Au- thority through its funding. Yet offering more money to the Palestinians also sounds increasingly hollow in a sit- uation where Israel regularly destroys infrastructure built using EU funds. In the absence of a more forceful stance towards Is- rael by the EU, it risks losing any regional influence it may still have. Moreover, this role could be taken up by Russia and China, who could use their newfound love for inter- national law to criticize the West's double standards and further erode the global con- sensus on Ukraine. Unconditional support for Israel carries the risk of being perceived in the Arab world as an active accomplice in ongo- ing war crimes in Gaza, where the medieval siege is causing a significant human cost – something that provides am- munition for Western critics, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran. One fundamental question for the EU revolves around its core values and whether the collective punishment of Pal- estinians in Gaza contradicts its commitment for interna- tional legality, which the EU constantly invokes in dealing with rogue countries like Rus- sia. And while history makes it hard for the EU to treat Is- rael as a rogue state despite repeated defiance of interna- tional law over the past dec- ades. What individual EU mem- ber states do and say also has a strong impact. The nuances between different approaches of individual countries may be a strength in reaching out to both Israel and the Palestini- ans. While the EU can influ- ence the approach of the US in their attempt to rally a broader coalition to support a traumatized Israel and thus rein it in, individual countries like Spain, Malta, and Ireland can push the EU to take more meaningful steps towards a more permanent solution based on the recognition of the Palestinians' right to self-determination. The EU has paid lip service to the notion of a two-state solution and the issue is often sidelined only to be discussed in the aftermath of despic- able terror attacks. Hamas thrives in the long dark peri- ods between one Israeli attack and the next. Ensuring that meaningful progress is made as soon as the dust settles is the only way to avoid anoth- er escalation in the near fu- ture. But in the meantime, the world must ensure that the present crisis does not grow into a fully-fledged regional war that risks destroying any prospect of a future. In this, the EU's job is to set red lines for Israel's right to defend itself from terrorism. Otherwise, it may well take decades for the dust to settle again. find a common voice on Gaza? Residents of Beit Hanoun evacuated their neighborhood in Gaza on Monday The question facing EU leaders meeting in a summit on Thursday is whether the bloc should align itself with a call made by UN Secretary- general Antonio Guterres for a ceasefire or at least a "temporary pause"