Europe (Washington Insider Magazine) – Democratic event Europe Day, which was to be hosted by the EU, has been cancelled after a planned appearance from far-right minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. The minister was set to give a speech, but many EU leaders were against giving the minister a large platform to share opposing.
Europe Day is an annual event in Luxemburg, Belgium, the seat of the EU, and is used to celebrate peace and unity in the continent.
With a planned appearance from Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right minister, Europe Day’s official ceremony has now been canceled. The ceremony was canceled after a meeting took place between EU ambassadors and Israeli leaders.
It was reported that only two countries (Hungary and Poland) out of the 27 countries in the EU were in support of the attendance. Both Hungary and Poland are currently governed by far-right administrations that are Pro-Isreal.
What Led Up To The Cancellation Related To Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Attendance?
Before the event was officially canceled many of the EU’s leaders threatened not to attend the ceremony, believing that the appearance of Itamar Ben-Gvar would go against the event’s true values, which is to celebrate democracy and political peace.
The EU Delegation has said that the annual event would go ahead normally; only the official ceremony would be canceled. An event would also be held in Tel Aviv, Israel.
EU officials have explained that the involvement of Israel is to strengthen relations with the country but EU leaders are still opposed to the idea of Israeli involvement due to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
How Has Itamar Ben Gvir & The Palestine Conflict Affected Relations?
They have expressed that they don’t want to give the far-right minister a large platform for promoting the Israeli hard-line government. The Israeli-Palestine conflict continues to be a sensitive talking point for leaders.
Itamar Ben-Gvir has similarly criticized EU leaders as ‘undiplomatic’ and going against the EU’s values.
Tensions have arisen between certain EU countries which previously had strong relations with Isreal when the minister explained that he would be pushing for the most hard-lined government. As a result, many ministers have refused to meet with him since.
The EU has also criticized Israel’s recent actions to destroy an EU-funded school. The school was located near Bethlehem, an occupied area on the west bank known. The school was originally built for Palestinian children.
