Things are looking up for Israel at the EU. The anti-Israel Josep Borrell is now gone. He has just now been replaced as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy by Kaja Kallas, the former president of Estonia known for her warm attitude toward Israel. However, despite her personal warmth, Ms. Kallas still believes that Israel should be careful to be “proportionate” in its response to Hamas atrocities, which is a perplexing demand that deserves discussion. More on what the word “proportionate” is taken to mean, and what it should mean, is discussed here: “New EU High Representative Kaja Kallas makes the same old mistakes,” Elder of Ziyon, March 25, 2025:
Kaja Kallas, the recently appointed EU High Representative, has been in Israel and said some friendly things in her press conference with Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar:
Thank you. Foreign Minister Sa’ar, dear Gideon, it is important to be in Israel today – although I wish it would have been under different circumstances.
Let me start by condemning yesterday’s attacks on a Rabbi in France. There is no place for anti-semitism in Europe.
There is “no place for antisemitism in Europe.” That’s as may be, but tens of millions of deeply antisemitic Muslim migrants would disagree. And antisemitism has been having a recrudescence in Europe, with every day bringing grim news of outbursts and outrages. Kaja Kallas could have said instead that “there must not be a place for antisemitism in Europe,” and “a main task of my office will be not just to prevent its spread across Europe, but to push for its extirpation from the continent.”
Kaja Kallas again:
We met exactly one month ago, after the EU-Israeli association Council in Brussels, and it is clear that we are very good partners. Israel is a very relevant trade and investment partner for the European Union, and also a major player in the growing tech sector.
Israel is not just a “trade and investment partner.” Ms. Kallas should have noted that the Jewish people, whose state is Israel, have been essential contributors to the civilization of Europe. The cultural dimension that links Europe to Israel is even more important than economic ties. Europe owes the Jews an enormous debt, and it must help secure the continued existence of the Jewish people in their historic homeland.
Elder of Ziyon points out:
I don’t think her predecessor, Josep Borrell, would ever have uttered the words “dear Gideon.” The tone may be better but the policy is the same.
Mr. Sa’ar, as I underlined when we met a month ago, the security of Israel is extremely important to the European Union. Israelis must be able to feel safe in their own homes. Israel has the right of self-defence against terror attacks, whether from Hamas, the Houthis or Hezbollah.
However, military actions must be proportionate. Israeli strikes into Syria and Lebanon risk further escalation. The fundamental steps here are restating the ceasefire; ensuring the release of all hostages and resume the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza – with the goal of a permanent ceasefire.
Kallas needs to be made aware that Israeli strikes in Syria do not risk “further escalation.” They have the opposite effect. They prevent “escalation” by the new Syrian government. The Israeli Air Force has destroyed 90% of the weapons left behind by the Assad regime, preventing them from falling into the hands of the jihadist regime in Damascus. Now that regime, thanks to Israel, lacks the wherewithal to “escalate” military attacks. The same is true in Lebanon, where Israel’s destruction of 80% of Hezbollah’s huge arsenal of 150,000 rockets and missiles means that the Lebanese terror group is in no position to “escalate” its own attacks on Israel; in fact, it has in recent days been unable to respond at all to IDF attacks in southern Lebanon.
Her tone is better, but the content is the same as the EU position had been under Borrell.
Specifically, the “proportionate” line is virtually identical to what Borrell has said a number of times.
April 2023: “Israel has the right to defend itself. At the same time, any response must be proportionate.”
May 2021: “We understand Israel’s right to protect its civilian population. Nevertheless, we expect its response to be proportionate.”
The EU is not calling for Israel to follow the international law principle of proportionality. That principle says that any expected damage to civilians be proportional to the military advantage gained by an attack. Israel goes beyond the law in those cases no matter what the haters say….
Israel need not respond in exactly the same way, with exactly the same outcome, as those who have attacked it. It need only weigh the damage to civilians against the military advantage its attacks would bring. If that advantage is very great, then more damage to civilians is an unavoidable concomitant of necessary military activity in order to end the threat, particularly against a foe that is intent on putting civilians in harm’s way for propaganda purposes.
Dewey says
Proportionate. Hmmm, let’s dive into what this would entail. How about invading Gaza and murdering barbarians and raping their wives to the tune of the exact number: 1.200 and some. Reciprocation, in other words. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I bet Hamas wouldn’t have batted an eye, given their pride about being a death cult, would have shouted ‘foul play’ anyway and that the remainder of the world would have reacted exactly as they now did. I bet the ICC would still have issued arrest warrants for Bibi, but not for Sinwar and his barbaric ilk. But beating them to pulp at least gives Israel let’s say 10 to 15 years of relative calm. And this will give them the time needed to replace their safe room doors with doors with locks in them, and so on and so on.
somehistory says
Agreed. It makes me think about when a serial murderer is caught, tried and sentenced. A gaggle of idiots and ‘supporters’ of no equal treatment for the ghouls on death row gather to protest the “cruelty” the State will deliver via some drugs meant to put the demonic killer to sleep.
“Proportionate” for them would be to kill them over and over, as many times as the killer made victims.
Justice from mankind, is never “proportionate” to the crimes committed.
Whatever Israel has done, or is doing, or will do, will never have the approval of the world.
Hoi Polloi says
The ridiculous and by now old proportionate lie. It seems to sound really good to these individuals.
Def: “according to a particular relationship in size, amount, or degree.” So 10x, 1Mx would be proportionate to the original action. Are they green lighting that without knowing? What is a proportionate response to destroying a child, either by murder or by kidnapping and destroying a childhood and sense of security? To gang rape? To my mind, it’s obliterating the barbaric culture that teaches it.
somehistory says
Yes, HP, nothing less than total destruction of the demon culture and all who adhere to it, or glorify it, or in any way, with any words, defend it.
somehistory says
When someone uses this, or similar wording, “” I wish it would have been” instead of ,”I wish it had been”…I find it difficult to read anything else they say and take it seriously.
If one can’t get the simple, the easy, things correct, how can they deal effectively with the complicated, the difficult, the really serious things?
There is no “proportionate” response when dealing with such as the sons of demons perpetrated on Israel and the innocent people. This must come from the Almighty. In the meantime, Israel must do their best with the power they have.
Westman says
“Nevertheless, we expect its response to be proportionate.”
This, really means, “dying proportionately”, which means THAT is the sick yardstick the EU is using. It would result in no end of Israelis dying.
I wouldn’t place much faith in anything the EU promotes – it has lost a proxy war and impoverished itself with uncontrolled immigration due to a lack of wise leadership.
Kallas, VDL, etc, all in a fantasy world.